Brookes Enterprise Support

30/04/2026

Curious how Brookes University supports early-stage ideas to growing businesses?

Then come and explore Oxford Brookes’ innovation spaces and meet founders in biotech, AI, sustainability, and more!

Explore the ecosystem in an informal, friendly way, make new connections, and discover the kind of work happening just beyond the city centre.

Join us at the Enterprise Centre
Tuesday, 26 May, 2.00 to 3.30 pm
Event Link -

We warmly invite you to visit the Oxford Brookes Enterprise Centre and offer you the opportunity to meet some of the inspiring businesses located and supported…

23/04/2026

Last month’s Venture Crawl was a strong reminder that some of the most valuable learning happens beyond the classroom.

Students explored Oxford’s entrepreneurial ecosystem firsthand, from science-led ventures like Gramics Bio and graduate founder Harry Clough at the Oxford Brookes Enterprise Centre, to the creative community at Magdalen Road Studios, purpose-driven B Corp Y.O.U Underwear over lunch, and independent bookshop café Gulp Fiction in the Covered Market.

What stood out was the honesty from each founder - sharing the realities of building a venture, from setbacks and pivots to persistence. It was clear how quickly students moved from curiosity to deeper questioning, making real connections along the way.

Experiential learning like this goes beyond theory. It gives students context, insight, and a clearer sense of where they might fit within the entrepreneurial landscape.

Thank you to all the founders and partners who shared their time and stories, and to everyone who helped make the day happen.

A huge thank you to Unai Ledesma Gorostizaga Howard Feather Afroditi Pekou Nav Krishna Viswanathan Sarah Irons Alice Preston Harry Clough Sarah Jordan (FRSA) Oliver Mason, Lucas McLaughlin, Akiko Nakaji and Oliver Mason Brookes Enterprise Support Oxford Brookes University

05/03/2026

Starting a business is exciting… but there are many things nobody tells you at the beginning.

At our latest PULSE event at Oxford Brookes we hosted
“What No One Tells Women About Starting a Business (Until Now)”

Three founders shared their journeys and the honest realities behind building a company.

✨ Lily Elsner – Jack Fertility
🤖 Lucile Ripa – FanePath AI
🌶 Susanna “Su” Jolly – Makan Malaysia

Some lessons from the discussion:

• Sometimes founders take risks before they get paid
• Fundraising is tough
• Support networks are essential
• Not all advice is good advice

Thank you to everyone who joined us and to our fantastic speakers for sharing their experiences.

26/02/2026

✨ Venture Crawl 2026 - Explore Oxford’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem, From Ideas to Impact ✨

Join us for a full-day, behind-the-scenes journey through Oxford’s vibrant start-up and creative scene, meeting founders, makers, and purpose-led leaders shaping the city.

🕤 Brookes Enterprise Centre
Kick off with insights into university enterprise support, featuring resident start-up Gramics Bio and Harry Harrison, founder of Harry Can’t Sit Still, sharing his creative route to building a business.

🎨 Magdalen Road Studios
Step into a not-for-profit creative hub led by Lucas McLaughlin, with a studio tour and an origami workshop by artist Akiko Nakaji.

🍽 St Aldate’s Tavern
Over lunch, hear from Sarah Jordan, founder of Y.O.U Underwear—a B Corp–certified brand championing ethical production and sustainability.

📚 Oxford Covered Market
Wrap up at Gulp Fiction, where founder Oliver Mason shares how he built a bookshop café that transforms into a bar by night.

💡 Why join?
This experience spotlights entrepreneurship in all its forms—start-ups, social enterprises, creative organisations, and independent retail—offering real stories, meaningful connections, and a first-hand look at Oxford’s start-up culture.

Link to application (open to students and graduates only): https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfVsOW3MX9XS-k1zoJPI_ouxOM4HX8xtgl2lx-nQUgHFRQZaQ/viewform

23/02/2026

Most students build too much.

That’s the mistake.

In Ignite Session 1: MVP & Validation, we focused on 4 real outputs:
• One MVP slice
• A clear offer with a price
• A demand test
• A 14-day action plan

No long speeches. No “big idea” hype.
Just practical steps students can use this week.

If you can say:
“We help ___ solve ___ in ___ timeframe for £___.”
You are already ahead.

Build less. Test more.

Write your main reason in the comments: I’m doing this because ____.

If you want to be supported in your business, send us a message.

13/02/2026

We always love Week 3 in the Brookes Semester!

Our students are back in the swing of their studies and we start our program work.

This week we welcomed over 50 students in to our sessions for both SPARK and for our Pulse Panel events as well as meeting out new cohort for the Ignite Scale up program.

Hearing all the amazing business ideas and helping discover new skills is so rewarding for the Brookes Enterprise Support Team.

Do get in touch if you want to hear more about any of the programs and support that we run.

05/02/2026

Attention all international students at Oxford Brookes!

We're hosting an online event in partnership with ISAT and Oxford Brookes Careers on Monday 16 February, where international students can explore potential avenues for remaining in the UK after their graduation.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to learn more!
https://tinyurl.com/5cxb4w2h

30/01/2026

🚨 Brookes students are building things that are actually making money and getting big opportunities.

One is raising 1.5m.
One is selling at John Lewis.
One is winning competitions.

They didn’t start confident. They started normal.
If you’ve ever wanted to earn more later, have options, or stop feeling stuck, this is worth your time.

✅ Panel + Q&A
✅ Ask anything (even the “stupid” questions)
✅ Meet people after (networking)
✅ Refreshments included

📍 PULSE (FREE) | 11 Feb | 4:30–6:30pm
🎟️ Book your free ticket (limited spaces):
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/they-were-brookes-students-now-theyre-sucessful-founders-tickets-1782082569939?aff=oddtdtcreator

📍 Map:
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Oxford+Brookes+Enterprise+Centre/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x962acd2661d6d464

Bring a friend. When it’s full, it’s full.

27/01/2026

PULSE Spring Series | 3 In-person entrepreneurship events (Oxford Brookes)
Open to Students, Alumni, Staff & Friends of the Brookes Enterprise Support TEam.

Each event includes:
✅ Panel + Q&A
✅ Networking
✅ Food & refreshments
🕟 16:30–18:30 (GMT)
📍 Oxford Brookes Enterprise Centre, Headington
🎟️ Free (registration required)

Dates:
• Wed 11 Feb—They Were Brookes Students—Now They’re Successful Founders
• Wed 4 Mar—What No One Tells Women About Starting a Business (Until Now)
• Wed 25 Mar –Planet, People, Profit: Sustainable Success Stories

Speakers across the series include: Rohan Jindal, Meg Genden, Madhav Pandya, Samantha Harman, Lily Elsner, Lucile Ripa, Hannah Scott, Ani Haykuni.

👉 Registration link here: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/pulse-3555179

22/01/2026

Five ventures. Five rounds of learning. Zero quitting.

Harry joined Fuel 2021, and over time he’s returned for 1:1 enterprise mentoring sessions as he kept building, testing and refining his ideas. Recently, after not speaking for a while, our mentor Unai reconnected with Harry — and it’s been brilliant seeing what’s happened next.

Harry is now stepping into the spotlight as a candidate on The Apprentice (Series 20) 📺

Whatever happens on the show, this is the part we love: the resilience, the reps, and the comeback energy.

🎟️ Want to meet Harry? Join Venture Crawl at Oxford Brookes — link in comments.

08/01/2026

Happy New Year!
Are you with and eager for a fresh start?
Join our February workshop to set clear goals for the new year! Turn dreams into reality with the right mindset.
Link to use: https://buff.ly/7IMQhkv