The 'Pitch at the Pitch' challenge saw BU students pitching their business plans to a聽panel of entrepreneurs and experts for the聽chance to win one of five聽拢1000 prizes this week.聽
The聽event took place at the home of Premier League AFC Bournemouth, celebrating BU鈥檚 partnership with the football club, inspiring the聽students with what hard work and determination can bring. The ten finalists pitched for half an hour each in a Dragon's Den style set up, sharing ideas ranging from creative technologies, to聽fashion branding and catering.聽
Each of the five prize winners - Pauline Shabani,聽Matthew Hilson, Juan De Mata Rovey聽& Iain Christian, Oscar Newman and Ellie Periera - were awarded 拢1,000 and all who took part were聽awarded a year-long membership to the Institute of Directors by BU's Careers & Employability Service as well as the free business advice offered by the .
Pauline聽Shabani took part in the challenge last year, and was proud to have won this year after taking on board the panel's previous feedback, commenting "My plan last year was focused on a pop-up restaurant, but one of the judges鈥� biggest concerns was the food wastage, so聽I聽went back to the drawing board and looked at how to improve my business plan. I'm now running a catering business, successfully trading as聽Wooden Spoon LDN catering. I learned a lot last year so聽felt more confident coming back".
Pauline returned to BU in January after graduating in 2016 to study her Master's, adding "I'm now studying MSc聽Innovation Management & Entrepreneurship聽at BU. Combining my studies with this opportunity to run my new business model past a panel of experts,聽has increased my confidence in both my business and my ability to seek out funding for some much needed catering facilities!".聽
Nick Hixson commented on Pauline's achievements, saying:聽鈥淧ersistence prevails, which is important to learn. Setting up a business is a marathon聽not a sprint - even though it might often feel the opposite!
The expert judging panel was made up of聽Lucy Cooper from聽Dorset Growth Hub;聽Matt Coates from Santander;聽Nick Hixson from聽Hixsons Business Advisors;聽Professor聽Nigel Jump,聽Professor聽Jim Roach and Keith Pretty聽from BU;聽and Richard Davies from聽Platinum Asset Management Ltd.
Professor John Fletcher, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research &聽Innovation at BU, spoke to the finalists saying: 鈥淭here were lots of applications for this challenge so you should be proud to have made it this far and I want to thank Santander鈥檚 Universities department for their investment in university innovation and entrepreneurship. All of you have potential to be successful entrepreneurs in the future".
Students interested in discussing business ideas can visit Louise Soan, Santander鈥檚 university branch manager, at the Talbot Campus throughout the year or contact Louise on聽[email protected]. 聽
BU has strong links with businesses and offers all undergraduate students the opportunity to undertake聽a work placement as part of their course. BU students have a high employability record, with聽93.3%聽of BU graduates聽in work or further study six months after graduating, according to the latest聽Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education (DLHE) survey.
