Written by Lynn O'Byrne
King’s College London Women Entrepreneurs Network Retreat
100+ aspiring women entrepreneurs from across the UK attended a packed three-day weekend of inspiring and practical content on all aspects of building a venture. From vibe coding to personal branding, financial management and impact storytelling, attendees learnt collaboratively, built their networks and developed their entrepreneurial skills. For the third consecutive year, the retreat was open to the local business community and other universities across the UK, enriching the breadth of the community for those present.
Read more here.
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Herts: Global Entrepreneurship Week
As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week in November, the Enterprise Team hosted a guest speaker event in collaboration with Herts Student Union, welcoming alumnus Nohman Ahmed, co-founder of Crep Protect. A graduate of BSc (Hons) Aerospace Technology with Management (2009), Nohman shared his entrepreneurial journey, offering practical insights into building a global brand, navigating challenges, and persevering in a competitive market. The session brought together students, alumni, and staff and was followed by an engaging Q&A. The event showcased entrepreneurship in practice and highlighted the impact alumni can have in inspiring future founders.
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QMUL welcomes Amarachi Clarke FRSA as new Entrepreneur in Residence
Queen Mary’s entrepreneurship team QUEST introduces Amarachi Clarke FRSA as our new Entrepreneur in Residence. Founder of Lucocoa Chocolate and PalmVault, Amarachi brings vital lived experience to our mission of embedding inclusive role models within university innovation. Drawing on her experience in pioneering ethical entrepreneurship, Amarachi provides practical mentorship on pitching, growth, and investor relations. From 2026, she works exclusively with QMUL’s women entrepreneurs. Amarachi notes: “I genuinely love working with founders in motion to get practical, unblock hurdles, and clarify what matters most to ensure they are wedded to the right ideas.”
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University of Manchester publishes paper exploring student entrepreneurship
We have just published a paper explaining a novel data warehouse methodology where several sources of internal and external data have been used to collect data on student businesses, ranging from demographic and financial to intellectual property. From 288 student companies first identified, there are some interesting observations – innovation activity is high with 7.0% of ventures having filed patents, exceeding the UK average of 1.6%. 10% are social enterprises, 90% are service businesses, and the three-year survival rate considerably exceeds the UK average. Feedback welcome!
Available Open Access here.
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Empowering Youth-Social Action: Enactus NextGen Takeover 2026
Join Enactus UK & Ireland on the 14th and 15th of April at the ExCeL London to celebrate youth-led civic engagement. This event brings together both staff and students to see first-hand how social enterprise can drive institutional reputation and community impact. Connect with peer universities who are embedding service learning into the student experience and building professional leadership through social action. Whether you are scaling an existing project or looking for new ways to integrate an entrepreneurial mindset, this is the place to be. Complimentary tickets (valued at £150+) are available now. Find out more and secure your place now at: https://www.enactusuki.org/nextgentakeover
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Beyond the Pitch: Arden Venture Challenge Part of University’s 10th Anniversary
The Arden Venture Challenge is bringing student entrepreneurship to life across Arden University. Run by the Arden Enterprise Incubator, the programme helps students turn early ideas into tested ventures through practical workshops, mentoring, and founder roundtables. Rather than focusing on polished pitches, the challenge emphasises customer discovery, experimentation, and evidence-based progress. The programme will culminate in a live Venture Showcase, April 28, 2026, held at the new Stratford, London campus, part of Arden University’s 10th anniversary celebrations.