“The UCE EY Summer Startup Programme has taken me on a journey to explore and validate various options for my business. Through talking with the mentors and other students in the program I arrived at the idea for my venture, Glasshouse Refillery. Glasshouse Refillery is a sustainability blog which will empower students to live a more environmentally friendly lifestyle.
Throughout the program we have had various speakers come in and share their knowledge. This week, my highlight was the session with Tania Armstrong and Sam Frost. Tania took us through a practical exercise to put together an elevator pitch which, we can use to tell others about the core of our business. Sam told us about 10 common mistakes in digital marketing, why they matter, and how to fix them. Both sessions were practical and applicable to everyone in the program, no matter what stage their businesses are at.
I would advise anyone coming into this program to keep an open mind throughout the summer. Though my concept has changed a lot since the start of the programme, I have learnt about my industry in the process, and can apply that knowledge to my current venture.”
Chris Bacon worked on his athlete monitoring software platform during last year’s UCE EY Summer Startup Programme and has returned for another summer, this time partnering with Jack Wood and Matt Goodson. We asked him what he had enjoyed about being involved a second time around.
“Coming back to the Summer Startup programme this year has allowed Komodo Monitr to focus on a few key areas to further develop our business. Last year it was only me working on the business, but the team has expanded significantly since then, so there are now three of us with expertise in a range of areas.
The best part about the programme this year has been getting specific, relevant advice on how Komodo Monitr can grow its client base and improve its brand image to represent our aims. We have really benefited from the mentorship provided throughout the programme, which has come in the form of targeted challenges which push us to develop. As well as all this, we have enjoyed being part of a ecosystem of like-minded entrepreneurs who are all striving to succeed.
The future for Komodo is exciting after being in the programme again and I would always recommend other students wanting to create their own businesses to get involved with UCE.”
The UCE EY Summer Startup Programme is a chance for students to work full time on fast-tracking the development of their ideas into realistic business ventures. To find out more about the UCE EY Summer Startup Programme click here.
For further information please contact:
UC Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE) by emailing uce@canterbury.ac.nz
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