Masood Entrepreneurship Centre delivers a week-long series of events to celebrate the University of Manchester鈥檚 entrepreneurial campus
Manchester Celebrates Global Entrepreneurship Week
Over 100 colleges and universities participate in (GEW), to shine a spotlight on their entrepreneurship programming and impressive student entrepreneurs. As part of GEW, the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre (MEC) showcased Manchester's entrepreneurial spirit, bringing students, staff, and Manchester鈥檚 community together to celebrate entrepreneurship.
Celebrations kicked off on Monday 14 November with MEC鈥檚 inaugural MCR Makes market, a market showcasing some of the product-based businesses which have been set up by students and staff whilst at university. From artisan gin to a leading football brand for women and girls, the market gave students the opportunity to see where entrepreneurship can take them.
Tuesday and Thursday saw the GEW audience go online for two panel sessions giving attendees practical advice and skills on how to establish tech start-ups and social enterprises. Streamed live on MEC鈥檚 Facebook channel, 鈥渇ailing fast鈥� for tech entrepreneurs, to asking yourself 鈥渨hat difference do you want to make in the world鈥� as a social entrepreneur, were amongst the top pieces of advice.
Wednesday saw the week鈥檚 flagship event, Entrepreneurs@Manchester, take place with Baroness Karren Brady CBE, Vice Chairman of West Ham United Football Club, a Peer in the House of Lords and featured on BBC鈥檚 The Apprentice. Hosted by MEC鈥檚 Director, Lynn Sheppard, Karren, recognised as the first woman in football, shared her insights on how to become a successful entrepreneur.
Entrepreneurs are the kind of people that are prepared to learn on the job, they go for it and back themselves. That is confidence.鈥� She went on to say, 鈥淐onfidence isn鈥檛 about what you have and haven鈥檛 achieved in life, it鈥檚 about knowing one thing鈥� that when things don鈥檛 go the way you want, you back yourself to turn them around.
Ellie Buckley, event organiser, said 鈥淚t鈥檚 our mission to foster an entrepreneurial ecosystem across campus. Global Entrepreneurship Week gave us a great platform to showcase the entrepreneurial individuals at Manchester, and encourage those who aren鈥檛 aware of these activities to get involved and learn new skills.鈥�
The week finished with two events running in tandem. In partnership with Manchester Students鈥� Union, MEC ran its first society-led makers market, Societies Supermarket, where University societies used their entrepreneurial skills to make additional income.
MEC also held its first Mini Summit, a panel session discussing the importance of developing entrepreneurial student talent in second cities and innovation districts. Deputy Director of MEC, Tony Walker was joined by colleagues from a series of leading centres in cities synonymous with entrepreneurship, innovation, and talent development across the EU and US.
Manchester鈥檚 industrial revolution was one of the starting points of global entrepreneurship. Our Mini Summit focused on how we build talented, skilled individuals equipped to both create and work in the industries of the future in places like ID Manchester...Entrepreneurship skills enhance opportunities for all, especially graduates just entering the workplace. MEC is at the forefront of this teaching and learning in the UK, aiming for a global role. Future Summits will bring the entrepreneurial world to Manchester and Manchester entrepreneurship to the world.
For more information on MEC鈥檚 activities, please visit: .