From Passion to Impact: How Sharlene and Vikki Won the Derby Game Changers People’s Choice Award

In February 2026, something special happened at the Derby Game Changers awards. Among a strong group of founders pitching their ideas, two people stood out. Sharlene and Vikki, co-founders of Role Resolve, walked away with the People’s Choice Award.

Their story is one that many first-time founders will recognise. It starts with curiosity, passion, and a deep desire to solve a real problem. Then it grows through experimentation, learning, feedback, and the courage to keep improving your idea until it truly resonates with people.

Sharlene and Vikki are both trained psychotherapists. They met while studying together and quickly realised they shared a powerful belief: that creative therapy could help people who feel excluded, anxious, or misunderstood find their voice again.  

That belief became the foundation for Role Resolve.

The startup focuses on using interactive storytelling as a therapeutic tool. Think of it as a structured, creative environment where participants can build characters, explore narratives, and learn emotional and social skills through storytelling.

It sounds simple. But the impact can be profound.

Many of the people they work with struggle with social anxiety, confidence, or feeling like they don’t fit into traditional systems. Their approach is intentionally inclusive. Activities are designed so that people with ADHD, dyslexia, neurodivergence, or other challenges can engage on equal terms with everyone else.

This design principle is at the heart of their innovation.

Rather than expecting participants to adapt to rigid systems, Role Resolve adapts the environment so everyone can participate fully.

For Sharlene and Vikki, the most rewarding moments come when they see the change in the people they work with.

Young participants who initially arrive feeling quiet or disconnected begin to build confidence. They collaborate with others. They develop friendships. And slowly, they start carrying those new skills beyond the therapy room and into classrooms, workplaces, and everyday life.

Sometimes the results surprise even the founders themselves.

In early sessions, some participants struggled to engage. But after a few weeks, those same individuals were exceeding educational support targets and demonstrating new confidence in social settings. For the founders, seeing those changes was emotional proof that the idea was working.

It was the moment they realised this wasn’t just a project.

It was a venture.

Like many first-time founders, their path into entrepreneurship wasn’t straightforward. The concept for Role Resolve originally emerged through research and a scholarship project focused on social anxiety.

From there, the idea evolved.

They began experimenting with formats. They tested workshops. They refined the storytelling approach. They collaborated with other creative therapists. And gradually, they started shaping the concept into something that could operate as a sustainable business.

This transition from passion to business model is one of the hardest steps for mission-driven founders.

Sharlene and Vikki experienced that challenge firsthand. They knew their work was valuable. But translating that impact into a clear revenue model took time and experimentation.

Over the past year, they pitched their startup in multiple competitions, learning something new every time.

Early on, they entered a Derby University competition and placed near the bottom of the rankings. Instead of giving up, they asked for feedback.

Then they did something great founders always do.

They listened.

They refined their story. They clarified their value proposition. They strengthened their business model. And each new pitch became stronger than the last.

Fast forward one year, and they returned to the same competition environment with a far clearer message.

This time, they won.

The Derby Game Changers event brought together a room full of founders, mentors, and supporters from the local startup ecosystem. The atmosphere was energetic and collaborative. Many of the businesses in the room already knew the work Role Resolve had been doing.

When Sharlene and Vikki took the stage, they weren’t just presenting an idea. They were sharing a journey.

A journey from research project to startup.

From experimentation to impact.

From uncertainty to confidence.

The audience responded to that authenticity.

And when the votes were counted, Role Resolve had secured the People’s Choice Award.

For the founders, the recognition was powerful. Not just because of the prize itself, but because it reflected how far they had come in a short period of time.

Their progress also highlights an important lesson for other founders.

Great startups are rarely perfect at the beginning.

They evolve.

Sharlene and Vikki openly acknowledge how much feedback, mentoring, and community support helped shape their venture. They took advice from mentors, tested different ideas, and constantly adapted their approach.

But they also held onto the core thing that made their idea special: their passion for the problem they were solving.

Today, Role Resolve is expanding its focus beyond educational settings and into workplaces.

Their next step is to partner with organisations that want to improve psychological safety and inclusion inside their teams. Using their storytelling-based interventions, companies can help employees build trust, communication skills, and stronger team dynamics.

For many founders and leaders, this is a challenge they are actively trying to solve.

And Role Resolve offers a fresh, creative approach.

If you’re a company interested in strengthening psychological safety and inclusion in the workplace, the team at Role Resolve would love to hear from you.  Reach out to Vikki and Sharlene and explore how their interventions could help your organisation create healthier, more connected teams.

https://www.linkedin.com/company/role-resolve-therapy/ 

Watch the full interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRQybjHOKD4