2021 Takeaways
We started 2021 by telling you that it is okay to pick up where you left off. As we all know, the pandemic urged many entrepreneurs to reinvent themselves, and we, at Student Ventures, didn’t stay behind. Once we were back on campus, we put our thinking hats on, and asked: What is 2021 all about? The answer was simple:
Explore possibilities
This year, we had our biggest Summer Scholarship ever, 105 UWE students took a leap and invested in their ideas. We started a new funding competition, Spark, and awarded six new ventures from students who had never engaged with our service before. We also continued to support students in becoming their own bosses and taking the first steps into their future as freelancers with our workshops’ series and Ignite, an eight-week programme that helps students take their idea from concept to implementation.
Trust passion
We reopened our Frenchay campus commercial spaces, having the first-ever on-campus beauty salon, The Beauty Bar Bristol, co-founded by our 2020–2021 intern Zoe Jenkins. And our Ignite participant and 2021 Summer Scholar Jamie Taylor funded Greener Greens Co., a vertical farming system set up on campus, using aeroponic technology to grow and supply micro herbs and baby leaf plants. The first of its kind in a UK university.
Build confidence
We welcomed our residents back to the space and gave our Hub a makeover. We added a drop-in desk, and twice a week, we welcome students to the space, answering quick queries, guiding them in the first steps into entrepreneurship.
Entrepreneurship is about experimentation, community and fostering change. For that reason, we are enhancing our offer in 2022. We want to dive deeper and tap into what makes our students tick and better understand how we can continue nurturing their passions, uncovering their interests and developing their skill set.
Now it’s your turn. How can you explore your possibilities further in the new year? What do you need to take that leap of faith and follow your passion? And which skills are you looking forward to developing to gain the confidence to become an entrepreneur? Let us know in the comments.
Happy holidays,
The Student Ventures team Callum, Gabi, Lewis, Déborah and Meg
