About me
Hi, my name is Brendan and I’m originally from Northern Ireland, moving to London to study Computer Science at King’s. I’m a chronic coffee drinker and love to play piano and saxophone. I believe that being an entrepreneur is all about solving problems. Any successful and fulfilling venture begins with the desire to create meaningful impact for those who are experiencing a particular problem you can solve.
Idea and Inspiration
Being the staunch proponent of coffee that I am, I often see people struggling to enter the world of speciality coffee. They often don’t know what ‘speciality’ means, why sustainability matters, and how much better their chain coffee shop drink could taste. I’m passionate about education and ridding the market of snobbery and gatekeeping, so that curious coffee drinkers can find, make, and drink delicious coffee at home. If I can combine my passions with problem solving and venture creation, whilst facilitating opportunities for education in areas typically shrouded by snobbery and inaccessibility, I’ll be fulfilled and can hopefully make a positive impact on people.
Changemakers
The entire premise of the Changemakers programme aligned with my passion for facilitating learning. I thought that if I could be given dedicated time to solve some real-world problems, why not apply? The Entrepreneurship Institute has some of the finest people in venture creation, problem solving, and business, so I felt not taking advantage of this opportunity would be a waste of my goals and interests.
Meeting like-minded, interesting people on the programme has been very rewarding. I’ve been challenged and stretched more than I could have imagined. Mentoring support has provided me with the tools to really delve deeper into the problem I want to solve and learn the logistics of running a start-up. Overall, I feel like a more entrepreneurial version of myself as a result.
Entrepreneurial skills
Because of the very nature of the Changemakers programme I’ve developed ‘Commit to Growth’ (from the Seven Skills of an Entrepreneurial Mindset), the most. Being open to intellectual change is something that all of us should lean into more because it’s applicable to every aspect of our lives. Moving forward, when I finish my studies and begin my career, I’m excited to continue benefiting from a growth mindset and being open to learning new things.
Top tips
For people with a potential idea, my advice would be to better understand the problem your idea is solving. Learning about the space that you could be operating in, the people that might benefit from your solution, and the practical strategies of implementing such a solution is so crucially important. Remember that any good venture is rooted in solving problems first, not by coming up with a product that adds nothing to people or the world. Be impactful!