Alumni entrepreneurs recognised at Student Enterprise Awards
Published 12 December 2011
The achievements of student and graduate entrepreneurs have been recognised at the first ever Lancaster University Student Enterprise Awards.
The celebration event at Lancaster University Management School was the culmination of a packed programme of events for Global Entrepreneurship Week 2011.
From innovative student entrepreneurs who have created full time jobs for themselves to successful placement students, the Enterprise Awards rewarded those who are working hard to stand out in an increasingly competitive jobs market.
Hosted by Professor Chris May and Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Amanda Chetwynd, it was a lively and entertaining evening with inspiration provided by Lancaster's own student success stories, and keynote speaker Kirsty Henshaw who shared tales of how to tame a dragon with frozen desserts, and her absolute belief that hard work, common sense and making her own luck have been the main ingredients of the success of her company Worthenshaws Limited.
Enterprise Awards
The main awards of the evening were for the Student Enterprise of the Year (Sarah Cooper, Black Zest Solutions Ltd - BSc Marketing Management, 2011), Placement Student of the Year (Sharon Crane) and Enterprising Alumni Award (Angela Murtagh, Freedom Deli Limited - LLB Law, 2009). Three LUMS alumni were highly commended in the Enterprising Alumni Award category: Mitch Vidler (BA Management and Entrepreneurship, 2011) - SDMV Limited / Slingshot, and Daumantas Dvilinskas (BSc Business Studies, 2010) and Mindaugas Krisciunas (MSc Management, 2010) - Pinevio.
Sarah Cooper (BSc Marketing Management) receiving her Student Enterprise award
Global Entrepreneurship Week (GEW) is a worldwide movement encouraging people from all walks of life to be more enterprising in all that they do. This year over 400 Lancaster students took part in a week of events and competitions from a Mobile App Development Day and the first annual ‘SimVenture Challenge’ to the ‘Enterprise: Battle of the Colleges Friendly’. Activities are designed with student enterprise and employability in mind and this year Lancaster University was awarded ‘High Impact Status’ for its committed and engaging programme of opportunities.
The Coffeematt Challenge business idea competition had a substantial impact on the University's student population, with a massive 41,000 votes being posted online for over 500 student business ideas entered via the Lancaster University competition website and iLancaster app.
Full details of the evening’s awards, commendations and competition winners can be found on the LU GEW website.
Jon Powell, Enterprise Champion in Research and Enterprise Services, would like to thank staff and students who collaborated in the true spirit of enterprise to deliver a vibrant and inspirational GEW for Lancaster’s students.
Global Entrepreneurship Week is organised through the Northwest Enterprise Champion project, part financed by the European Regional Development Fund.
