A local entrepreneur is celebrating major success after being named a triple finalist at the UK Small Business Awards 2026.
Lisa Hourihan, originally from Warrington and now based in Manchester is co-founder of TEO Academy Ltd. Last week she was shortlisted for Female Entrepreneur of the Year, and has now seen her business recognised in two further categories: Best Business Startup and Best Home-Based Business.
Selected from tens of thousands of nominees, the triple recognition highlights both the rapid growth of the company and the impact of its global tutoring platform, which connects students with expert language tutors worldwide.
Founded in 2025 and run by Lisa alongside her husband, James, TEO Academy Ltd has grown into an international platform supporting a global community of learners and educators.
The Best Home-Based Business nomination carries particular significance. As a founder living with a chronic illness Lisa built the company with accessibility and flexibility at its core – demonstrating how inclusive working models can enable people to build successful businesses regardless of personal challenges.
Speaking about the achievement, Lisa said: “We genuinely can’t believe it. To be recognised not just once, but three times at a national level is incredibly special.
We started TEO Academy from home, just the two of us, with a vision of making language learning more accessible globally while ensuring tutors are remunerated fairly. We want to show industry leaders that a tutoring platform can be both successful and ethical.
As someone living with a chronic illness, building a business that works around accessibility needs has been so important to me. Being recognised in the Home-Based Business category in particular feels very personal and hopefully shows what is possible with the right flexibility and support.”
The UK Small Business Awards celebrate outstanding entrepreneurs and businesses across the UK, with winners set to be announced later this year.
