Budding entrepreneurs gathered to share their progress, celebrate achievements, and gain inspiration for the future.
On 24 May, Lucy Cavendish College's Lucy Enterprise Programme hosted a celebratory dinner for the teams who competed in the LucEnt Challenge weekend, sponsored by Cambridge Precision Ltd, back in March. The evening brought together these budding entrepreneurs to share their progress, celebrate achievements, and gain inspiration for the future.
The event kicked off with an inspiring talk by Alison Fort, an expert in impact investing. Her insights resonated deeply with the students, many of whom are passionate about launching ventures that not only succeed commercially but also create positive social or environmental change.
Following the talk, attendees enjoyed pre-dinner drinks and caught up on the latest developments within each team. Exciting news included Oby Enwo’s team Dimma achieving their Phase 1 target – running a two-day medical outreach programme in Nigeria for individuals over 65. The initiative involved basic health checks and referrals to local hospitals when needed, directly impacting the well-being of the community.
Ria Kasliwal, whose EarthWise Linen company emerged victorious in the Female Founders grant prize competition, brought along a close friend and family to celebrate. Currently, she's busy securing distribution partnerships, propelling her sustainable linen business forward.
Georgina Leadley and Melissa Yuan, the masterminds behind SLICE, a company developing an innovative product to automate slush production for organ preservation, were present. Surgeon Subhankar Paul, who served as a key inspiration for their project, also joined the event. Georgina shared, "We've maintained regular communication with our investor Pierre Rolin and are poised to seek additional funding opportunities in the near future."
Many teams took the advice given during the Challenge weekend to heart and implemented changes in specific areas of their ventures.
Ruby Haji-Naif from VoiceUp shared that her team had been laser-focused on enhancing their social media presence to expand their reach and connect with a wider audience.
Dwi Andi Rohmatika reported on the impressive growth of Sanggabiz AI Sign Language Translator project. "We've gone from a two-member team to a collaborative effort comprising six members, along with ten dedicated friends and lecturers supporting our mission.”
Gabriel Velazquez Ruiz from Lectores Urbanos echoed the sentiment, stating, "The LucEnt Challenge was an amazing and very enjoyable opportunity that strengthened our faith and confidence in our project. We're incredibly grateful for the experience and the supportive network we've gained through Lucy Enterprise."
The evening was a resounding success and was filled with lively discussions, a sense of shared purpose, and the promise of future success for these inspiring students. Last but not least, it provided a good opportunity to take a break from revision during exam term.
