A cornerstone of Saïd Business School’s MBA and EMBA programs is the Entrepreneurship Project. This initiative creates an actionable environment for students to transform ideas into viable business ventures. Success stories such as Yarn Speech and LEVRA highlight the project’s effectiveness in evolving innovative ideas into successful enterprises.
Saïd Business School is part of the historic University of Oxford in the UK, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. The University of Oxford is globally renowned for its academic excellence and top-ranked education, steeped in years of rich history. Saïd Business School combines this with a future-focused approach. Entrepreneurship and innovation are key pillars at Oxford Saïd.
The Entrepreneurship Project reflects exactly such entrepreneurship and innovation. It is a crucial component of both the Oxford MBA and Oxford Executive MBA (EMBA) programs.
This project grants students a platform to present their groundbreaking ideas and apply what they have learned. It is an opportunity for students to collaborate with their peers in small groups to create new business models, products, or services. Students can bring their own business concepts to life or join forces with existing startups, scale-ups, or small and medium-sized enterprises. MBA candidates receive mentorship and support in navigating the entrepreneurial landscape. Students gain feedback and advice from senior business leaders, entrepreneurs, experts, and investors. They also have the opportunity to pitch their ideas in front of potential investors and collaborators and gain invaluable insights and feedback on their business ideas.
Saïd Business School Entrepreneurship Centre spearheads the Entrepreneurship Project.
The Entrepreneurship Centre plays a pivotal role in the entrepreneurial ecosystem at Oxford. It offers various programs, workshops, experiential learning opportunities, and networking events that empower Oxford Saïd students to hone their entrepreneurial skills. They aim to foster a culture of networking and collaborative innovation. The Entrepreneurship Project is just one of their various programs. They also organize other programs, such as the Fabric of Innovation program, which helps candidates hone their innovation management skills and gain practical expertise.
Additionally, the Centre manages the Oxford Seed Fund, a student-and alumni-led fund that invests up to £100,000 in Oxford-affiliated startup ventures. This fund helps Oxford startups gain the network and funding they need to scale up and develop their businesses.
Maria Zubeldia, Director of the Entrepreneurship Centre and Innovation & Course Director, explains how they support students in their entrepreneurship projects.
She highlights, “Firstly, we work very closely with our [Entrepreneurship Project] academic lead, Pinar Ozcan, to design the content of the program and ensure an experiential learning experience for students. Secondly, we create a broad range of activities to support students throughout their EP journey. We leverage our own network made up of business leaders and experts from all over the world who deliver workshops on key topics that are useful for them.” (00:27)
The Entrepreneurship Centre bolsters student entrepreneurship projects with various support services, including pitch events with potential partners, keynote speaker engagements, and pertinent workshops. Moreover, personalized sessions with industry professionals, assistance with forming teams, and finance workshops are designed to provide students with a thorough mentorship and feedback mechanism, guiding them through their entrepreneurial journey.
Pinar Ozcan, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation & Course Director, further explains and underscores the importance of this hands-on mentorship.
She explains, “Through regular meetings between the entrepreneurship project team [MBA candidates] and the tutors, the projects are developing in such a way that the tutors are helping the students understand some of the business model complications that they might be dealing with, prepare them to scale their venture, and also to understand what makes a good pitch and what makes the investor stick.” (00:59)
Professor Ozcan notes that many entrepreneurship projects have become successful business ventures. She highlights that students develop into confident entrepreneurs thanks to the experiential learning and hands-on experiences during the Entrepreneurship Project.
LEVRA is one of the companies that originated as an Entrepreneurship Project at Saïd Business School. LEVRA was co-founded in 2022 by Emily Gill and Bartek Ogonowski, both 2022 Saïd Business School MBA graduates. The company aims to address the skills gap that companies today are facing. LEVRA uses immersive learning experiences, such as coaching modules, virtual reality (VR) role-playing, and in-person coaching and workshops (for those who opt for a bigger training package). They help clients develop key professional skills such as teamwork, communication, time management, leadership, and self-management, among other skills. The content is developed alongside psychologists and behavioral scientists to ensure long-lasting skills development. With a people-focused approach, they help companies upskill their employees.
LEVRA co-founder Emily Gill shares her journey, “When I arrived at the MBA, I honestly had no idea what I was going to do next … I really didn’t think that a year later I would be co-founding my own business. Being on the MBA and being exposed to so many different, diverse thoughts and ideas allowed me to explore opportunities that I definitely wouldn’t have considered beforehand.” (01:36)
She highlights that the MBA program helped her challenge herself and try something new, such as becoming an entrepreneur and starting her own business venture.
LEVRA co-founder Bartek Ogonowski offers sage advice to aspiring entrepreneurs considering the Oxford MBA, “If you are serious about entrepreneurship and if you’re serious about doing a startup, this is the perfect opportunity and the perfect time to actually take the time to invest in an idea that you’re passionate about and use the three months to use the resources properly. Because if you don’t, you’re never going to really get this time again. Just go for it. Follow that passion, or that dream, that you’ve always wanted to.” (02:30)
LEVRA embodies the aims of the Entrepreneurship Project at Saïd Business School. The company leveraged innovation and entrepreneurship to transform a concept into an enterprise.
From the MBA class 2023, Rachel Keeley successfully transitioned her group’s Entrepreneurship Project idea into a company. Her company is called Yarn Speech. As the Founder & CEO, Keeley has positioned Yarn Speech to revolutionize speech pathology services in Australia. The startup launched a digital speech pathology app designed by speech pathologists. It aims to bridge critical gaps in healthcare services for families and children who face long wait times for speech pathology. With some families waiting up to four years for in-person speech pathology services, the app is designed to help reduce waiting times and offer engaging digital tools for families, particularly those in remote areas.
Rachel states, “The entrepreneurship project was pivotal for starting and launching our business and having the opportunity to work with four other individuals who came from such a wide range of business-based areas. So, without it, I think I’d be in a much worse place. I’m really grateful for the help of the team and where it got us to at the end.” (02:10)
Yarn Speech’s success story exemplifies the Entrepreneurship Project’s transformative potential and its meaningful, real-world impact.
The Entrepreneurship Project is just one element of the broader Oxford MBA or Oxford Executive MBA (EMBA) programs. Saïd Business School at Oxford University is renowned for its rigorous business education and cutting-edge research. The prestigious school draws students from across the globe, creating a rich melting pot of cultures and ideas.
Oxford Saïd is a testament to academic, entrepreneurship, and research excellence. It is also a gateway to vast global networks and new career opportunities.
Are you interested in learning about the Oxford study experience? Contact a student ambassador for firsthand insights. Additionally, read our article for tips for securing a place at Saïd Business School.
