Kent Business School Graduate
I graduated with an MBA from the University of Kent and Kent Business School in 2019. When presented with the opportunity, I pitched our business idea to the university and got endorsement & subsequent Tier 1 start up visa to set up GenSpec Ltd here in Canterbury. I am the first person to receive Tier 1 visa via endorsement from The University of Kent.
I founded GenSpec Ltd along with my friends in Natalie Aguilar (MSc Computer Science) & James Neave (MSc Business Analytics). We formed the company around a shared mission of doing our part to improve the local economy by bringing our experiences from Dubai, Los Angeles & London to the local and small businesses of Canterbury & Kent. GenSpec Ltd is a consultancy ready to give the local SMEs access to the same tools available to larger corporations. Our main project is a digital marketing platform which aims to help the high street and surrounding businesses advertise to the daily visitors of the city and high street.
Like many, for years I felt stuck in a rut having gathered numerous certifications with little personal meaning so I did some serious self reflection, ultimately deciding to look for purpose and meaning before undertaking anything serious in life. I had always wanted to start a business, in fact I came up with the name GenSpec roughly 10 years ago, but I felt something was lacking. I decided to pursue the MBA for this purpose; to learn the tools necessary to give myself the best chance of success. The MBA however is so much more, you get to learn from the collective experience of your peers. In University of Kent specifically, I learned from my fellow MBA students who play important roles in the local business community, I learned how the city functions, I learned about the history of the city but more importantly I learned about the everyday challenges and issues they faced. The program itself had us engage with many local businesses throughout the year.
Outside of the formal program I attended many of the workshops organized by ASPIRE, a purpose built, university wide initiative to foster the entrepreneurial spirit in students. ASPIRE supported by Santander and other donors focuses on the practical side of entrepreneurship, helping develop the individual into and entrepreneur and the idea into a business. Through them I gained valuable skills that have helped me be where I am today and lessons that will stay with me throughout.
I would like to ask the current and prospective students; what is your purpose? I need you all to reflect and find a purpose to which you can align your efforts. This will help give everything you do some meaning and that makes everything so much easier. The purpose of the university is to bring together people of varied background, skills and interests in pursuit of a common goal, their purpose is to help you reach your potential and make a success out of you, but that is only possible when you define what you want. Make use of the many outside of the class programs to build your purpose. Make use of the resources and opportunities that UKC will make available to you to get the maximum out of your university experience. All the best and good luck.