Knowledge creation is something that we can teach our students which will hopefully help them to succeed in real life
Shaping entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship: the Business School role in inspiring a generation of disruptors The number of Business School students attending programmes in order to learn the skills, gain the networks, and acquire the confidence to launch their own enterprises is growing. This session looked to share valuable insights from inspiring Business School graduates who have set up their own businesses after completing an MBA. Speakers comprised Oare Ehiemua, Founder and CEO of One Precious Life Academy, and Gold Winner of the MBA Leadership Award 2021; Mital Thanki, Founder & CEO of Spark Academy, and Gold Winner of the MBA Student of the Year Award 2021; Alforde Charumbira, Co-Founder and Partner of Utando Social Impact, and Silver Winner of the MBA Leadership Award 2021; and Udochuko Richson, District Sales Manager at Eli and Lilly Company, and Winner of the MBA Student of the Year Award 2020. The panel discussion was chaired by AMBA & BGA’s HR and Employer Relations Manager Aarti Bhasin. She opened the session by recognising that each of the speakers has not only set up their own organisations and social projects, but has been involved in achieving sustainable and long-lasting social change, through education and adopting a community mindset. Since each member of the panel has established themselves as a successful disruptor in their field, Bhasin requested their advice on behalf of the next set of entrepreneurs hoping
to do the same, asking what skills they would need to develop to secure success. Responding to this, Ehiemua explained that ‘you need to be adaptable and to realise that in every challenge that you face there is potentially a new opportunity’. She described how Covid-19 had opened up the possibility of expanding her social enterprise from operating in one city to four cities, by going digital. Meanwhile, coming from a teaching background, it was not surprising that Thanki centred her advice around lifelong learning. ‘Continue to learn, continue to read what is going on around you, continue to take on research that will impact you, your company and your business,’ she advised. ‘Also, continue to try to refine your processes and think digitally.’ Charumbira echoed Ehiemua’s thoughts, adding: ‘Don’t be afraid to change your mind; be flexible’. He also highlighted the networking opportunities gained through attending Business School, explaining that he met his business partner during his MBA. If you want to solve a social problem, he said, a good place to start looking for a partner is within your MBA cohort. Finally, Richson shared advice from his dual experience of entrepreneurism and working for a large established organisation. He pointed out that future leaders will need to move quickly to solve problems, due to the fast pace of modern business. He concluded: ‘You need to move with agility and speed but focus on the right thing; don’t try to do everything with a one-size-fits-all solution’.
OARE EHIEMUA
MITAL THANKI
ALFORDE CHARUMBIRA
UDOCHUKO RICHSON
AARTI BHASIN
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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