King's celebrates 10 years of the Entrepreneurship Institute

04 March 2025

King's celebrates 10 years of the Entrepreneurship Institute

100+ guests gather in Bush House to mark 10 years of supporting 10,000+ students, staff and alumni across King’s to become more entrepreneurial.

The event was opened by Professor Steven Bach (Executive Dean of King’s Business School who welcomed entrepreneurs from the Entrepreneurship Institute’s community (past and present), King’s staff, investors, external partners, supporters, students and alumni, to the celebrations.

A panel discussion followed, chaired by Julie Devonshire OBE (Director of the Entrepreneurship Institute) and Rachel Stockey (Head of Entrepreneurial Skills) inviting guests to hear real stories from entrepreneurial students and alumni, who have taken their ideas forward. King’s alumni panellists were:

Pahini Pandya (PhD in Philosophy, Cell and Molecular Biophysics, 2017), Co-founder & CEO of Panakeia Technologies
Andreia Trigo (MSc Advanced Practice: Leadership, 2015), CEO & Founder of Enhanced Fertility
Leonardo Vizioli (Philosophy, Politics & Economics, 2022) Co-founder & CTO of CarbonTag
Dunia Mangal (Biomedical Science, 2024), Founder of Project Kaizen

Alumni entrepreneurs Jas Wilks, Founder and CEO of Rejazz (Strategic Entrepreneurship & Innovation, 2020), Roxanne Stevenson-Brown, Founder of Find Care Compare (MSc China & Globalisation, 2020), Arjun Khanna and Sundar Arvind, Co-founders of Blitzo (both Computer Science, 2023), each had stalls promoting their ventures, alongside Dr Emily Clements who shared insights from her PhD exploring the neuroscience of entrepreneurship.

Pianist Lei Ping (PhD Musicology & Sinology) and magician and Guy’s Hospital doctor Dr. Mahesh Chhaya (M.D Medicine, 2012) or ‘Doctor Magic’, both King’s alumni, entertained guests throughout the evening.

In the last decade the Entrepreneurship Institute has established a Women Entrepreneurs Network, taken Venture Crawl internationally, launched the ‘7 Skills of an Entrepreneurial Mindset’ defining entrepreneurial skills at King’s and supported over 10,000 students, staff and alumni to become more entrepreneurial.

Over 160 start-ups supported by the Institute since 2016, have raised over £103.4m in revenue, £107.7m in investment, creating more than 1,300 new jobs. The start-up survival rate at King’s is twice the national average.

Congratulations to King’s Entrepreneurship Institute who have built a thriving community of innovators, leaders and changemakers over the last 10 years. This isn’t just about starting businesses, it’s about better preparing the King’s community for success beyond the university, whatever path they choose. The need for entrepreneurial thinkers has never been greater and we’re excited to see what the Entrepreneurship Institute will do next.
Professor Stephen Bach, Executive Dean of King’s Business School

Thank you to the dedicated team at the Entrepreneurship Institute and all our supporters who have made this journey possible. Together we have defined a unique flavour of entrepreneurship that works best at King’s – one that is innovative, inclusive and impactful. By developing entrepreneurial skills, the King’s community has embraced an entrepreneurial mindset, ready to compel and inspire others with their ideas. It’s both a joy and an honour to support them.
Julie Devonshire OBE, Director of the Entrepreneurship Institute

Read Julie’s reflections on the last 10 years.

Photo credit: Nathan Clarke Photography.