Judith Totten founded Upstream in June 2011 following a successful career in banking, specialising in Trading business and working capital solutions. Under her leadership, and with the support of a skilled team of banking and finance experts, Upstream has consistently evolved to meet the demands of the entrepreneurial market. Following a successful MBO to buy the business back from US based shareholders, Judith has recently announced a new £150 million committed facility with London based Pollen Street Capital to underpin further growth and scale of the business. A highly respected commentator on business and finance in Northern Ireland, Judith was awarded an MBE in 2018 for Services to Economic Development and was named Northern Ireland’s Business Personality of the Year in 2023. She served on the Board of Invest NI for eight years following her appointment in 2014 and now proudly chairs Young Enterprise NI, supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs.