Sustainable business growth depends on the people leading the business and the culture they’re creating, just as much as the strategy, technology and funding. This is what drives our new company member, Growing Beyond. Founded by organisational psychologist and executive coach Rebecca Noskeau, Growing Beyond works with founders, leaders and teams to help them navigate growth, build confidence and create organisations where people can perform at their best. We caught up with Rebecca to learn more about her own journey, her connection to Sheffield and why she believes the region’s tech ecosystem is such an exciting place to work.

Finding the work that “lit me up”

Rebecca’s path into organisational psychology began a while back, before she founded Growing Beyond.

“I still remember the moment I discovered organisational psychology,” she says. “It genuinely felt like a revelation.”

While leading a team at Boots Head Office, she realised the part of her role she loved most wasn’t managing operations, it was helping people develop, creating environments where they could thrive and building supportive cultures.

“I didn’t have the language for any of it then. I just knew that was the work that lit me up.”

After completing an MSc in Occupational Psychology, Rebecca moved to South Yorkshire to take up a role in Sheffield, helping to embed organisational psychology principles  within a local business. Just four months later, the Covid pandemic hit, changing the course of Rebecca’s career path.

“I was furloughed, then made redundant, and decided I needed to build something of my own.”

Born in the middle of the pandemic, Growing Beyond has a name that reflects a philosophy that continues to underpin Rebecca’s work today.

“Our greatest capacity as human beings is our ability to grow through and beyond the challenges we face.”

Why Sheffield?

Work first brought Rebecca to the region, but Sheffield quickly became much more than simply a place to build a business, even though, by Rebecca’s own admission, she had no idea it would become home.

She describes a city that combines world-class innovation with genuine community; somewhere ambitious enough to attract investment and talent, while remaining small enough for relationships to matter.

“One of the things I love most about Sheffield is the balance it strikes. You can spend the morning running through the Rivelin Valley and the afternoon surrounded by people building world-class research, technology and businesses with global impact.”

Those relationships have led Rebecca to become a Venture.Community Specialist, later joining its Board, and have naturally connected her with Sheffield Digital. She believes it’s this combination of collaboration and ambition that makes the city stand out, explaining:

“What excites me most about Sheffield is the connectedness of the ecosystem. You keep bumping into the same brilliant people in different places… Sheffield feels like a local community playing on a world stage.”

Helping leaders navigate growth

Rebecca’s work is particularly relevant for technology businesses, where rapid growth, constant change and increasing complexity place huge demands on founders and leadership teams. Experience has led her to believe many organisations encounter the same recurring challenges, regardless of their size.

“One of the biggest challenges I see is the tension between structure and autonomy,” she explains. “Founders want to move quickly and avoid bureaucracy, which makes complete sense. But without enough structure, people lose clarity around roles, accountability and decision making.”

Alongside this are the interpersonal challenges that can quietly undermine organisations if left unchecked.

“The conversations people avoid, the assumptions they make about each other, and the patterns that develop within teams often become the biggest barriers to progress.”

Rather than waiting until something has gone wrong, Rebecca encourages leaders to invest in developing their capacity before the next challenge arrives.

“The leaders who get the greatest value from coaching aren’t waiting until something has gone wrong. They’re investing in their ability to meet the next level of challenge before they get there.”

Turning research into real-world impact

Rebecca’s work combines executive coaching with organisational psychology, bringing together individual development with a deeper understanding of how teams and organisations function.

A recent coaching programme she designed for Yorkshire MedTech supported university researchers as they developed the confidence and leadership skills needed to translate academic research into commercial impact.

The programme delivered an average 19% improvement across the capabilities being developed, but for Rebecca, the real measure of success was seeing participants immediately apply what they’d learned – from retaining valued colleagues to communicating their ideas with greater confidence.

Her approach is rooted in behavioural science, but always focused on practical application. Whether it’s communication frameworks, leadership tools or habit-building techniques, Rebecca’s goal is to make evidence memorable enough that people can use it when it matters most.

“I’m fascinated by research, but I’m not interested in theory for theory’s sake,” she comments, adding: “One of my favourite sayings is that genius is simplicity. If someone can’t remember it in the middle of a difficult conversation, or apply it on a busy day, then it isn’t actually useful.”

Joining the Sheffield Digital community

Rebecca was already a part of Sheffield Digital community as a mentor before becoming a Company Member, so joining felt like a natural next step.

“I’d already experienced first-hand the quality of the people and the community.”

She was particularly drawn to the trust, generosity and willingness of members to support one another, explaining:

“I’m incredibly keen on helping other people get to where they want to be. If I can help someone unlock a new perspective, connect two people who should know each other, or provide a tool that makes someone’s work or leadership a little easier, then I’ll feel I’ve added value.”

As Sheffield’s digital economy continues to grow, organisations are increasingly recognising that investing in people is every bit as important as investing in technology.

Growing Beyond brings important perspective, skills and experience to our community, helping founders, leaders and teams develop the confidence, clarity and capability to navigate whatever comes next.

We’re delighted to welcome Rebecca and Growing Beyond to Sheffield Digital, and look forward to seeing the contribution they make to our community. You can find out more about the company on the website: growingbeyond.co.uk and you can connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn, or find her in Sheffield Digital’s Slack community.