Meet the student CEOs running their own businesses
Most of them started by selling sweets in the playground
We spoke to the students balancing exams and essays alongside the demands of running a fully operating business.
They are taking the plunge with their own savings by pursuing their innovative ideas with hard work and determination.
The UNIQLO Manager Candidate Programme is the perfect grad scheme for ambitious, motivated people
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Charlie Harnden, 22, co-founder of Flixtreme
Flixtreme is an action sports meet-up app that allows you to meet people to go skiing, snowboarding, mountain biking or surfing with. It’s essentially Tinder for action sports.
What’s your daily routine?
When I was running Flixtreme I would be in the office for 8am and often wouldn’t finish until 8pm or later. Running a business is all-consuming.
How do you manage your work-life balance?
It can be hard to switch off but I was running Flixtreme in Boulder, Colorado so it was a bit of an adventure. The weekend would sometimes involve skiing or going to a classic American student house party with kegs, red cups, and beer pong.
Sumita Jindal, 21, Digimeal
Sumita is the creator of Digimeal, a food app that uses three core left-over ingredients to create a selection of recipes.
Sumita and her sister started the business in October 2014 after winning a competition run by the Duke of York and Will.i.am.
What made you interested in running your own business?
We entered the idea with no idea how the competition would turn out, we never considered what it would be like to run our own business. Now we love it, because we want to show that girls can make it in the tech world and to inspire anyone with an idea to give it a go.
Has anything ever gone wrong for you?
Yes, one of our biggest challenges was missing our first launch date. We just didn’t have enough content for a credible launch, so we decided the best thing to do was to delay the launch. It hurt our pride but was best for our customers.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
We hope to have around 50,000 regular student users in the UK and to have launched in more countries. Digimeal has a made a significant contribution to reducing food wastage amongst students, and maybe by then we will have expanded to other age groups.
Find out what it’s like to work on the Uniqlo grad scheme
Leo Lightfoot, 20, Lightfoot Media
Lightfoot Media is a brand dedicated to creating videos that can promote an atmosphere and spirit behind an event, a team, an individual or a company.
What’s your daily routine?
Attempting to fit in a degree around filming. Uni work is just whenever I finish a big edit. It shouldn’t really come second, but considering what I want to do for the rest of my life, it’s less of a priority.
How much are you worth?
£2,000 less than before my drone was shot down into the lake.
What made you interested in running your own business?
My family, 100 per cent. I had an entrepreneurial household with three other siblings and – being the youngest – a bit of natural competition.
Darren Tenkorang, 21, TRIM-IT
TRIM-IT is a market place for finding the best barber or hair stylist at the most convenient time and in the ideal location that rewards loyalty and reduces waiting time through its online booking system. Think of JUST-EAT, but for barbers.
Darren has always been quite the entrepreneur, in 2012 he founded ‘ALTR’ a bespoke t-shirt customisation business. He tries to start every day by sending out a motivational message to his team.
What made you interested in running your own business?
I think I get it from my mum. She’s a natural born hustler. If there is a way she can make a pound go further she will exploit it. She owns her own business in Ghana and I’ve seen the happiness and pride she gets from having something that’s hers.
What makes you a good leader?
Leading by example is one of my best leadership traits. If I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it no matter the cost. As a result, the team, really do trust me to deliver.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
We’ll be turning over millions, TRIM-IT will have expanded into other countries whilst diversifying the services that we provide within the hair and beauty industry. But more importantly still surrounded by and cracking jokes with the same people that are telling me how proud they are of what I’m doing.
The UNIQLO Manager Candidate Programme is the perfect grad scheme for ambitious, motivated people
Apply Now
Maria Perry, 18, Glitta Glo
Glitta Glo’s are retro and 70s inspired round glasses with tinted coloured lenses and contrasting jewelled frames. They combine festival colour and London street, offering a new take on classic sharp shades.
What was your first ever business attempt?
A pizza business. In hindsight it was never going to work, I just loved pizza.
What made you interested in running your own business?
It happened more by chance. I was desperately trying to find some new glasses that were fun and offered something a little bit different. I couldn’t find any so decided to bring them about myself. Within a month, Glitta Glo was born.
What makes you a good leader?
Collaboration is key and I love to work with people that share a creative spirit.
Cam Sayce, 21, Match Betting Expert
Match Betting Expert is a platform that allows people to make risk free money from betting offers provided by online bookmakers. Cam says he spotted a gap in the market by providing students with the opportunity to earn money.
How do you manage your work-life balance?
It’s hard, we all found it difficult initially because one of the time consuming parts about starting a business is not about the idea or the set up but getting the word out there. We keep ourselves going by always having a holiday on the horizon with our group of lads from home.
What makes you a good leader?
Listening to what people have to say and finding a common goal is essential as people prefer to feel like they’re working with you, not for you.
Has anything ever gone wrong for you?
Funding. Time constraints. University exams. But these things happen, you just can’t let it get to you. Unless it’s Advanced Microeconomics – that will get you.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Preferably I’d like to be sat on a Caribbean island with my girlfriend. As long as I’m fit, healthy and happy that’s the most important thing.
Find out what it’s like to work on the Uniqlo grad scheme
Charleh Dickinson, 21, Designed2Eat
Designed2Eat is an all natural, healthy treats online shop that specialises in Vegan and Paleo foods made from whole ingredients which are naturally free from dairy, gluten, wheat, soy, corn and with naturally occurring sugars.
Its main product – the Fudge Brownie – has a five star rating on Amazon and has been described as a “mouthgasm”.
Yes plenty! I started Designed2Eat when I was 19-years-old and knew very little about business. Business is in my genes and I have learnt so much since then.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
I hope to see Designed2Eat as a household name with an extensive product range, as well as myself living in several destinations around the world.
Harry Cotgrove, 21, Castle Street and Paws and Go
The Paws and Go mat is a specialised doormat that trains your dog to wipe their own muddy paws, and Castle Street is an online PR agency helping small businesses on Kickstarter get exposure and traffic.
Next year Harry will be part of the prestigious New Entrepreneurs Foundation, an inspiring foundation that finds, trains, develops and coaches the top 40 UK Young Entrepreneurs.
What’s your daily routine?
Coffee and lots of it – I’m not a morning person in the slightest. Emails and correspondence first thing, then out on the bike which sets me up for the day. Then it’s phone and Skype meetings with new clients.
I’m glued to various news apps, Instagram and Snapchat throughout the day whilst I work on my current ventures and discuss future ones.
Finally, bed. I’m a massive night owl; I’ll either be designing or watching start-up videos till the early hours.
What made you interested in running your own business?
Typical education was never for me; I’m very hands on, and something about working from scratch and creating a sustainable entity has always inspired me. I’m always coming up with weird and wonderful product ideas – my first business at the age of 15 was selling bespoke sculptures cut in 3mm acrylic.
Farah Asghar-Sandys, 20, Spiced
Spiced is a frozen curry sauce available in independent and health stores, so it’s fresh, flavourful, quick and healthy. Farah’s first ever business attempt was selling Haribo at school when she was 15.
How much are you worth?
Turnover £40k.
What makes you a good leader?
A good leader stays calm in stressful situations and doesn’t blame team members for mistakes, which encourages them to grow.
Has anything ever gone wrong for you?
Yes, I overspent our budget on exhibiting at a show, so I had to work twice as hard to make back the money.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Traveling the world doing business deals.
Callum Coles, 18, SoberDrive
SoberDrive is a breathalyser incorporated within a car key to determine whether or not the ignition can be started. It helps promote safe and responsible drinking and allows the user to make informed decisions about whether they should be driving, in the hope of reducing the levels of drink driving and saving lives.
What makes you a good leader?
In my opinion to be a good leader you have to know what you want yourself before you can lead anyone else, so I feel that knowing my direction and having a plan gives me the best possible chance at being a leader.
Where do you see yourself in five years?
In five years I will have finished my degree in Computer Science, hopefully attaining first class honours. I then hope to have SoberDrive in a position where the products are out on the market saving lives. Also, depending on the opportunities that arise, I may also be pursuing some of my other pipeline inventions.
Jonathan Church, 24, L1fedrinks
L1ifedrinks is an on-the-go Matcha based energy drink to help young professionals keep up with their hectic lifestyles and improve their health in the process.
How much are you worth?
According to the Buzzfeed calculator: £70,000. Ask me again in five years time.
What was your first ever business attempt?
Bringing back suitcases full of American sweets and selling them on the playground.
What made you interested in running your own business?
I’ve always been fascinated by business and I watched my dad build a pretty successful one growing up. To me though running a business is about leaving your mark on the world. Knowing that when it’s your time, you’ll be remembered for more than your name and hopefully the positive impact you’ve made on society.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
I hope that at least one of my entrepreneurial endeavours has some degree of success.
Outside of that I would love to be more involved in exposing young people to entrepreneurship. I still don’t think there’s enough awareness about the opportunities available for students and graduates to get involved and start making a difference.
The UNIQLO Manager Candidate Programme is the perfect grad scheme for ambitious, motivated people