Celebrating the success of our entrepreneurial students

As we prepare for our annual start-up and freelance awards within the university, we also want to celebrate the successes of our entrepreneurial students in competitions across the UK.

We have three students who have been shortlisted for different categories for the UK Start-Up Awards in the Welsh region as well as one student who has made it into the final five of the Enactus Challenge with Enactus UK & Ireland .

So, who are these aspiring entrepreneurs?

• Victor Jimenez with his business erasmus@cardiff has been shortlisted for Global StartUp of the Year.
• Harry Davies with his business Gen Sys has been shortlisted for Innovative StartUp of the Year.
• Calvin Bang with his business Taff Cola has been shortlisted for Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
• AbdulAlim U. with his business horizon is a top five finalist of the Enactus Challenge.

Calvin told us about how he felt to be shortlisted for the Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award:

"I feel very excited to be shortlisted for the UK Start-Up Awards because I have absolutely poured my heart and soul into bringing Taff Cola to life and it’s such a wonderful feeling to finally have some small recognition for my efforts. I have made tremendous sacrifices thus far in terms of compromising my sleep and social life because I believe in the potential impact Taff Cola can bring not merely to the local community but Wales as a whole. My mission is to give Wales something to be proud at because it would not have been possible without the support of my local community and my amazing partner."?

Calvin has been working on his idea and made use of what the university can offer through the enterprise team, working with his mentor Prith Biant . Calvin said that:

"The University has provided me extensive support for my startup, I feel grateful for the help I have received from so many wonderful staff members that have believed in my concept and continue to champion Taff Cola. A big part of why I am starting Taff Cola is to demonstrate the brilliance of 英国卡地夫大学 students and that Wales can be a place where young entrepreneurs can succeed."?

With his mentor, Prith commenting “Calvin is passionate about making a positive change in the food and drinks sector, with ‘Taff Cola’ which is not only a healthy alternative but also conveys a strong sense of Welsh identity. He is creative, determined and with a degree in Business he has everything he needs to make a success of this innovative idea.”

AbdulAlim U. also told us about how he feels to be shortlisted in the Enactus Challenge and how he benefitted from his mentoring from Paula Burns :

"Being shortlisted as a Top 5 candidate for the Enactus Challenge is a great achievement for me. It's reinforced my belief in my idea and given me the motivation to pursue it further. The student enterprise team at Cardiff University has been phenomenal in organising bootcamps that's given me multiple opportunities to practice my pitching and sharpen my entrepreneurial skills ahead of the challenge. The Enterprise mentors have also been a great help, especially Paula Burns who's given me some really solid advice on making a strong first impression. I feel well prepared and confident that I'm going to do well at the competition."

We look forward to seeing what these students achieve with their businesses over the coming months and years and know that they have bright futures ahead of them.

If you are a Cardiff student or graduate and want to benefit from our support then search “start a business” on the intranet to find out more. Also, if you are a Cardiff student or graduate who has recently celebrated success like the above four, please let us know as we would love to shout about it!

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