Burger & Business, part of the #DigitalReboot programme supported by Santander Universities, was set up to help entrepreneurial students meet each other, explore each other’s business ideas and potentially meet a co-founder, whilst of course enjoying a meal at the same time.
Led by student ambassadors, Ayo, Maisie and Hazel, the sessions were booked for the afternoon (Medway) or the evening (Canterbury), to allow time for students to finish up lectures or seminars and complete any work needed to be done for that day. One by one, group by group, students would show up eager to have a relaxing dinner with other like-minded students. As the head coordinators of the events, the ambassadors would begin by reminding everyone of the purpose of the Burger & Business events; to give students the opportunity to meet each other, explore each other’s business ideas.
‘”I came along to one of the Canterbury meet-ups out of intrigue rather than purpose, not really knowing what to expect. But Hazel was such a friendly host and it was great to meet new people and share ideas with fellow entrepreneurial students!” – James, University of Kent Student
“The chance to meet new students with great business ideas and keen to participate in the event made the coordination and execution of the events all worth it. I am very pleased with the opportunity that Burger & Business created to help students grow their network as well as being able to grow my own network whilst growing my stomach!” – Hazel Frost, University of Kent Student Ambassador and Coordinator of Burger & Business
“Student meet-ups were a great experience for me as it gave me the opportunity to network with other students and learn about their business ideas, also the burger meal at Mungo’s was a bonus!” – Asha, University of Kent Student
Whilst waiting for the orders to be prepared and delivered, students had the opportunity to speak to one another about business, current events and personal experiences.. Conversations were always lively, even when students were encouraged to step out of their comfort zone to speak to others they had not spoken to before. Once the first orders were out and the wonderful aroma of food was circulating around the restaurants, students enjoyed their meal together and this didn’t stop them from continuing their conversations. After the meals were finished, students continued to share laughs and advice with others and demonstrated the formation of lasting relationships and partnerships.
An example of this is where one group came along to a session in need of a website for a product they were selling. They socialized with another student at the meet-up who had the technical abilities to develop a website for them, and also met a student photographer who was willing to help advertise their product.
It was evident that students were both satisfied with their meal as well as they company they were surrounded by at the event, making it another successful addition to the #DigitalReboot program!
“Burger & Business has been very successful, I have noticed over the weeks how students have formed strong bonds and have helped each other with their ideas. Overall, hosting Burger & Business with Hazel and the others at #DigitalReboot have been an absolute pleasure for me.” – Maisie Galea, Hub Administrator and Coordinator of Burger & Business
Digital Reboot was a series of events, activities and industrial collaborations to engage, nurture, and support the growing demand for digital start-up business support and to enhance the employability skills of those looking to work within the sector. Additionally, Digital Reboot was about helping existing enterprise to innovate, benefiting from the creativity of our student population across a wide range of academic disciplines. To find out more about current opportunities to work with our talented students, visit our student talent page or get in touch with our business and innovation gateway team.
Originally written by Adrian Paris, University of Kent Hub Innovation & Enterprise Assistant