Young entrepreneurs from Loughborough University have been
honoured for their exciting and innovative plans to build new
businesses.
The 2011 Student and Graduate Business Plan Competition
recognised 13 enterprising students and graduates from the
University whose commercial ventures are already creating a buzz in
fields as diverse as decorative glass, eco car wash and women's
football.
Around 80 guests gathered at the Henry Ford College at the
University for the annual event to reveal the competition's
winners.
First prize of £3,000 went to Michael Fairhurst, Ben
Thompson and Simon Hayman, founders of Vykon Solutions.
Vykon aims to design and build bespoke web-based database
management systems for professional sports clubs in the UK. The
Vykon Solutions team, who are all in their 3rd year, also won the
£1,000 Harvey Ingram Prize for Entrepreneurship.
Second prize of £2,000 went to decorative glass designer
and School of the Arts graduate Emma Britton whose signature panels
are inspired by British suburbia. Emma also won The Gill Cooke
Award of £500.
Third prize of £1,000 was won by Business and Economics
graduate Tom Unsworth whose dining card - My Restaurant Card -
already provides diners with discounts at 150 London
restaurants.
Highly commended awards of £500 went to Edward Williams
for The Arrogance - a student promotional "pack" distributed to
3,000 student homes - and Ryan Bakewell and David Ferguson for
NestEgg - a novel gift to celebrate the birth of a child.
NestEgg won three awards in all, also picking up the Potter
Clarkson Prize for Innovation and Intellectual Property Potential
and The Marketest Award for Market Potential.
The Santander Universities Award for Undergraduate Student
Enterprise of £500 went to Babatunde Sobola for Green Heart
Wash - an eco-friendly carwash, using a waterless solution to clean
and polish cars at the same time.
The Santander Universities Award for Postgraduate Student
Enterprise of £500 was awarded to Anika Leslie-Walker for
ladies sporting brand ALK Sports - leisure wear specifically
designed for the women's football fan.
Guest speaker at the event was ethical travel company i-to-i-com
founder Deidre Bounds, the Woman of Achievement in Yorkshire 2010
and a regular commentator on BBC Radio 2 and 5 Live.
Loughborough University Student Enterprise Manager Marina
Pickles said: "Loughborough University students never cease to
amaze me with their entrepreneurial spirit, innovative ideas and
determination to succeed. I wish all our winners every success with
their businesses.''
Loughborough University Pro Vice Chancellor for Enterprise
Professor Phill Dickens also paid tribute to the finalists, saying:
"Loughborough University works hard to promote a culture of
enterprise on campus. These new business ideas are worthy award
winners and we look forward to watching them flourish and
grow.''