Santander rewards Brighton students for trio of entrepreneurial ideas

Santander Universities UK is a strategic initiative to boost innovation through practical and financial support at over 80 universities, and the university's entrepreneurship support service team beepurple saw a surge of entries from students and recent alumni featuring ideas for new products, services and community projects for the Brighton leg of the awards.

Six finalists pitched their business ideas to a panel of expert judges, featuring Roger Cowdrey (University of Brighton Alumnus, Donor and Business Consultant), Sara Osterholzer (Co-Founder, The Good Business Club) and Holly Price (Santander Universities UK). Three winners were then chosen to receive cash awards to develop their ideas over the next few months, with support from beepurple and the judges.

Connie Brownjohn

First Prize of £1,000 went to Connie Brownjohn for a design to create a sustainable and durable, hooded cotton towelling changing robe for swimmers, which avoids the microplastic pollution of synthetic competitors. Connie said: “Thank you for this fabulous opportunity! This prize will allow me to develop the unique structure and pattern of my robe and prepare for manufacture.”

Connie Brownjohn was also awarded the Roger Cowdrey Entrepreneurship in the Arts Breakthrough Award - a £500 prize to celebrate and reward the most entrepreneurial ideas developed by our arts students. This Breakthrough Award is made possible thanks to the generous support of international business consultant and alumnus, Roger Cowdrey.

Zahire Odimayo took the £500 Second Prize for her luxury false lashes and beauty business “where beauty meets technology but also gives back”. Her plan to incorporate AI technology for a virtual vanity room – with money also raised for charity - won the judges over.

Zahira Odimayo

Joanna Bako

Third Prize of £250 went to Joanna Bako for plans to create a social enterprise that would support black girls and women through their STEM career by creating a platform offering engagement, mentoring, tutoring and inspiration.

Competition organiser Clare Griffiths, the university’s business development manager, said: “These enterprise Awards uncover some of the most outstanding ideas produced by students and graduates. This year’s entries were no exception and all had the ‘wow’ factor.”

Holly Price, the University Relationship Manager from Santander Universities, said: “Great ideas, great pitches! Well done to Connie, Zahira and Joanna on your awards and looking forward to seeing all the finalists develop their ideas.”

beepurple is part of the University of Brighton careers service, and offers students, graduates and staff support to become more entrepreneurial and enterprising. Extra-curricular workshops, lectures, competitions, 1-to-1 business mentoring and an intensive start-up summer course are offered for free. Contact them at beepurple@brighton.ac.uk.

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