Fostering an enterprising community
In 2023, Emerge: Be enterprising was launched to help students and graduates build skills, develop ideas and launch ventures.
Embedded within the Regional, Partnerships and Innovation Strategy, Emerge takes an innovative, start-up approach to delivery, and focuses on in-person connection to drive an enterprising culture across all areas of the University community.
Participants learn by action, and several new initiatives have attracted talent, such as The Apprentice Challenge (turning £10 into £100 in 10 days), the immersive Idea Bootcamp, and the cohort-driven Business and Graduate Founder Pathways.
Based out of the Start-up Studio in the Ella Armitage Building, the entrepreneurial community have access to masterclasses, socials, 1:1 support meetings and a network of successful founders to help them to persevere, pivot, or pause their business ventures.
The Business Awards Showcase, supported by Santander Universities, is one of the highlights of the academic year and helps to financially support the most promising ideas.
The University-wide competition has discovered committed founders who have continued to scale and gain further investment in sectors which range from health care, environmental sustainability, food and hospitality, transportation and fashion.
Dr Ben White was the winner of the Awards Showcase 'Gone to Market' Category in 2025, and is a brilliant representative of the entrepreneurial talent in the community.
The team took a visit to his workshop in Kelham Island to learn about how Rivelin Rail's friction-measuring technology is shaping rail safety worldwide.
After three years of investment and development, several of the student Start-ups are making a significant impact within the regional business eco-system, like Ben.
We are proud to share that a total of £1.4 million has been collectively raised by our founders since 2023.
This is the collective sum of investment raised from 10 founders, which has been sourced from grants, competitions and awards, friends and family, angel investors, venture capital and crowdfunding campaigns.
Congratulations to RE-NEW.IO, ELTEZZE, Motion, HOMEi Student, Future Greens, Rivelin Rail, Portal Zero, Nasalyzer, Belle Cuisine and Fennell's for yielding these strong financial results.
To help drive this success, Emerge has delivered 219 1:1 tutorials, 100 workshops and supported 229 Business Awards Showcase applications.
Due to the impact and success of the supported businesses, Emerge has been shortlisted for the Enterprise Catalyst Award, which recognises the delivery of exceptional enterprise practice outside the curriculum.
Also recognised for demonstrating outstanding leadership in advancing inclusive entrepreneurship education, Victoria Berry (Enterprise Officer) has been nominated for the Inclusive Entrepreneurship Support Award.
To provide inclusive innovation for all, Emerge has shifted from a top-down model of enterprise education to a collaborative, student-led ecosystem. Three newly introduced initiatives provide a multi-layered approach to enterprise:
Connecting Women in Business: a safe, inclusive environment designed to lower intimidation barriers in traditionally male-dominated enterprise ecosystems. The annual conference includes networking, a panel of speakers, workshops, keynote talk and practical tools to systematically record visible professional progression and counter workplace biases.
Freelancers Guild - Operating as a member-led collective, the Guild serves as a unique university-wide talent directory and support network. It validates the portfolio life, helping individuals across creative, tutoring, and wellness practices gain economic agency without the pressure to scale. This ensures that students pursuing autonomous, community-based, or creative self-employment are fully resourced, financially backed, and visible to the wider South Yorkshire economy.
- The Spark Podcast - The student-led ‘The Spark’ podcast utilises the state-of-the-art studio facilities in the Diamond, providing students with a creative outlet to navigate professional group roles and research business skills. By empowering the team to independently lead, script, and profile Start-ups on Spotify, the podcast gives students autonomous agency to lead in their own way.
Receiving this nomination at the three-year milestone provides a timely opportunity for the team to evaluate ongoing progress and define future strategic priorities.
It's been brilliant to create new inclusive clusters for our community to develop their business acumen within an environment that suits them best. I launched 'Connecting Women in Business' to widen access for those wanting to enter traditionally male-dominated business environments. I was delighted with the impact it had on the individuals attended. Thank you to our regional business mentors, academic partners, and our inspiring student founders for cultivating a supportive community for entrepreneurs to thrive.
Victoria Berry
Inclusive Entrepreneurship Shortlisted Applicant
Hosted by the National Enterprise Educator Awards, recognition goes to those who go beyond a commitment to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) and actively drive cultural and systemic change within their institution, organisation, or wider entrepreneurial ecosystem. The winners will be announced at the IEEC2026 Gala Dinner on 3rd September 2026.
