The StartUp Lounge, City College Norwich’s ground-breaking new facility for teaching enterprise and entrepreneurship skills, was officially opened with a day-long celebration of student enterprise on Friday 3rd February.
Gazelle entrepreneurs Priya Lakhani, founder of Masala Masala and SOCO, and Ben Ramsden, founder of Pants to Poverty, alongside City College Norwich Principal Dick Palmer, joined over 100 students from City College Norwich and partner schools and colleges in a hive of enterprising activity that brought a buzz of excitement to the StartUp Lounge.
The main reception area of the College was transformed into a vibrant market throughout the day, showcasing existing enterprises within the College, from media production companies Interim Records and the Media Mob, to clothes retailer ego, fashion label Cocoon, to the Crystal Clean car valeting service and sales of hair and beauty treatments, flowers and cakes.
After taking in the market, the invited guests had the opportunity to tour the StartUp Lounge which takes students through a series of stages in a business start-up “journey”, from developing their concept in the Ideation area, to market research and business planning, finding and working with partners in the Collaboratorium, to honing their pitching and presentation skills.
The highly interactive spaces within the StartUp Lounge feature some of the latest digital technology, including a Dragons’ Den-style pitching room with two-way video recording, enabling students to not only review their presentation skills but also to play back the reactions of their audience during their pitch.
Around 60 invited business leaders and entrepreneurs were given credit cards to spend virtual cash on products and services that have been developed in recent weeks by teams of students from City College Norwich, Gateshead College and North Hertfordshire College, as part of the Market Maker competition.
The top three teams then pitched their businesses to “dragons” Priya Lakhani, Ben Ramsden and City College Norwich Principal Dick Palmer in The Studio, watched by a larger audience on the Intereaction big screen.
A closely fought competition was won by Barking Mad, a group of students from Gateshead College, whose Wagg Bag for pet owners to carry their dog’s accessories in style, captured the judges’ imaginations and also impressed with the business acumen of the students.
Local high school students from City Academy Norwich, Aylsham High School and Wayland Community High School also joined in on the act, taking part in a schools’ enterprise competition over 2 days, supported by national young entrepreneurs Jamie Dunn, Kieran Miles and Carly Ward acting as mentors.
Students from Wayland Community High School won the competition with their idea for an Entrepreneurs’ Club in schools, with enterprise activities funded through sales of their eco-friendly lunch-in-a-cup product and events such as eco fashion shows.
Dick Palmer, Principal, City College Norwich and Chairman of Generator Enterprises said: “The StartUp Lounge and the work of our partner College Principals in Gazelle is about transforming further education and helping to create the start-up businesses needed for future growth. Our students are already making fantastic use of the StartUp Lounge and from September we will be making these opportunities an entitlement for all of our 14,000 students.”
Gazelle Entrepreneur, Ben Ramsden, Founder, Pants to Poverty said: “I really wanted to come and see the launch of the StartUp Lounge and find out how the students are using this exciting space. For young people starting their careers in today's economy it is more important than ever to encourage and inspire them to start their own businesses and get experience whilst at college, and the StartUp Lounge will be instrumental in helping young people achieve their dreams.
“As a Gazelle Entrepreneur I am committed to helping Gazelle Principals use entrepreneurship to change the further education sector and to get more people not just taking jobs but making jobs. It's thrilling to be involved with fellow Gazelles and to put this into action.”
Gazelle Entrepreneur, Priya Lakhani, Founder, Masala Masala and SOCO said: “The education system we currently have is built to push young people down the traditional route of employment which isn't suitable for everyone. Young people today have the talent and creativity required to start their own business, and we need to do more to encourage them to dream big.”
“Students at City College Norwich have a fantastic space to inspire them to fulfil their entrepreneurial dreams. I feel privileged to be here today to launch this space and meet a new generation of aspirant entrepreneurs.”
Gazelle, an exciting new movement in further education, brings together leaders from the private and public sectors with the ambition of transforming the sector through entrepreneurship.
Gazelle has been created by Generator Enterprises, a company founded by five college principals, including Dick Palmer, Principal and CEO of City College Norwich and Chairman of Generator Enterprises. The other colleges are Gateshead College, New College Nottingham, North Hertfordshire College and Warwickshire College.
Gazelle is working with some of Britain’s most inspirational entrepreneurs to ensure that students are equipped with an ambitious, can-do attitude and prepared for success in employment in today’s economic climate.
Generator Enterprises is working on a blueprint for an Entrepreneurial College of which the StartUp Lounge will form a key part. Many of the features of the blueprint have been inspired by the work of Babson College, the leading American college for entrepreneurship, and the Kauffman Foundation of Entrepreneurship.
Local businesses and entrepreneurs will play a key role in the StartUp Lounge, sharing their expertise with students, mentoring those starting up their own enterprises, providing practical business advice and support, as well as spotting new business talent and potential investment opportunities.
In addition to the core focus on entrepreneurship, the StartUp Lounge will also focus on students’ employability skills and developing intrapreneurs – graduates who add value to organisations through their creativity and ability to see an initial idea through to a finished product or service.
Pictures: Terrez Price (ND Photography student)
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