Solent students selected for global entrepreneurial bootcamp

Ten Solent students have been selected to take part in a three-week global entrepreneurial bootcamp through the European Innovation Academy in July 2023 in Porto, Portugal.

Each student will join a global student team where they will work on how to launch a business start-up within 15 days. In each team, one student business idea will be selected by the EIA mentors, and each student will take on a different role within their team to work on this idea. Roles will include CEO, tech, creative, marketing, product design etc.

Students will also be coached and supported each day by high profile mentors and key speakers, learning how to develop this idea and turn it from a concept to a reality. The bootcamp will finish with a grand final where the teams compete against each other, pitching their work to judges/investors.

Kelly King, Enterprise Lead at Solent Futures said “The judging panel were very impressed by all ten students, and we cannot wait to see how this experience enriches their entrepreneurial mindset and skill set.”

We caught up with one of the selected students, Temitope Jegede (MSc Applied AI and Data Science) to ask some questions about the opportunity and find out what they are most looking forward to:

Hi Temitope, how did it feel when you found out you were shortlisted?
I was super excited. Ever since I found out about the European Innovation Academy and what the program entails, I had already been looking forward to it, and when the mail for the provisional offer came through, I was so excited about it.

What are you most looking forward to with the bootcamp?
I am really looking forward to learning from Silicon Valley mentors and every guest speaker, most especially their entrepreneurship journey. As well as meeting new people, networking and attending hands-on workshops.

How do you feel these kinds of opportunities are helping you prepare for your future career?
These kinds of opportunities will help to build my entrepreneurial mindset with respect to problem-solving, idea creation, creativity, and teamwork. The training during the bootcamp will also help develop my practical skills and knowledge that are related to entrepreneurship. During the bootcamp, there will be a lot of feedback from mentors, and I believe this feedback will help me make informed decisions in the future.