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Six finalists walk away with money and mentorship as partnership reaches 20th anniversary
Alumni entrepreneurs from the University of East London’s (UEL) Catalyst programme pitched their innovative business ideas at the home of sponsors, the Haberdashers Company, on 17 July. This year also marked the 20th anniversary of the fruitful partnership between UEL and Haberdashers.
Over 100 businesses applied to the programme run by UEL’s Careers and Enterprise team, with 12 shortlisted to participate in an intensive boot camp.
These startups benefited from the expertise of UEL’s own team, external speakers, and seasoned entrepreneurs. The programme concluded with a pitch event, where the final six businesses were selected based on their innovation, viability, and vision. The finalists each received a £2,000 grant and ongoing mentoring.
Over the past two decades since 2004, this partnership has supported over 150 east London entrepreneurs.
Rebecca Moodie, Associate Director for Careers, Mentoring, and Enterprise, said, “We have built a resilient programme to support diverse entrepreneurs who might not otherwise have access to funding or the rich network of expertise that the Haberdashers provide.
“The programme targets those in the early stages of trading, offering access to funding, development, and support at the point when businesses are most likely to fail. With an average of 20 per cent of companies failing in their first year and 60 per cent within the first three years, we are proud that since 2020, 80 per cent of the businesses supported through our programme are still trading - significantly higher than the national average.
“Additionally, despite economic uncertainty, 73 per cent of these businesses have reported growth during this period, contributing over £1million to the east London economy.”
Previous winners, such as Giuseppe Baidoo and Claudio Owusu from Gusto Snacks, have successfully raised their first round of investment and are now stocked in supermarkets across the UK with their sustainable wonky fruit snacks.
Sustainable fashion entrepreneur Cassie Quinn was awarded Creative Entrepreneur of the Year by the Mayor of London, becoming the first non-Russell Group university student to receive this prestigious title.
Hip hop innovator Charlie Blair now employs over 20 people across the UK and was recognised by NatWest as one of the Top 100 Social Entrepreneurs in the UK in 2024, bringing dance to elderly people who face isolation.
Overall, the programme continues to advance diversity in entrepreneurship, supporting 64 per cent female founders and 58 per cent ethnic minority founders.
Organisers thanked ceremony master Rupert Elliot and the distinguished members of the Haberdashers for their continued support of students, noting that entrepreneurship - an unconventional path – is often requires a longer journey to success.
The final six:
- Daniel Jinadu, Beyond Football Ltd
- Samantha Reid, SGMM Ltd
- Thomas Wheeler and Attila Borca, Creative Technical Collective
- Jessica Alviani, CHESHE Ltd
- Rhasea McCain and Tomi Dada, Wemakeskates Ltd
Ufuoma Anighoro, Marvellous Mix Ltd