UEL: Homelessness to hip-hop dance business for E-Factor winner

A University of East London (UEL) alumna who turned her experience of being homeless into a hip-hop dance business aimed at combatting loneliness has won the University’s prestigious E-Factor entrepreneur competition. Charlie Blair, who graduated from the Dance: Urban Practice course in 2017, took the crown over five competitors at the Natwest Conference Centre in Bishopsgate. Charlie receives £6,000 to help get her The Blair Academy up and running, as well as free co-working space for a year in the University’s Knowledge Dock business centre. Read the full story here.

 

Birkbeck: Award received from IPSE

Birkbeck, University of London was awarded runner up University Partner of the Year in IPSE’s 2019 Freelancer Awards. They were recognised for their various initiatives encouraging students to explore freelancing and self-employment as a career option and supporting those who already work for themselves. Their Pioneer programme gained particular attention from the judges, which has supported over 300 students in developing entrepreneurial skills and business ideas.