Academic Centre
The Cambridge module was an intensive week of lectures, pitching practice, working on business plans in teams, visiting innovation centres, meeting local entrepreneurs and attending formal college dinner. In the final Dragon’s Den event in Cambridge 8 business ideas and projects have been presented, having improved their confidence in their business prospects and presentation skills and clarity of the ideas significantly. Participants were also engaged in social activity to learn the history of Cambridge, by searching for selected places of interest and making up a picture-report on this.
“During our week in Cambridge we had an honour to meet and learn from business angels like Alan Barrel, from successful entrepreneurs, listen to their experience how they have managed a difficulties and how they came up with their ideas about starting a business. Not only hearing those inspiring stories was amazing but also a chance to talk with them and ask some advices about our business ideas.
This was a unique opportunity to see how entrepreneurs think and act in an environment which is very appropriate for entrepreneurship. And what’s more – it is so impressive how they evaluate their team, employees and communication. We heard a lot how important those things are when you are starting or doing a business.
During this camp we had lectures, stories, mentoring sessions at Anglia Ruskin University and we visited places like Future Business Centre, St. John’s Innovation Centre and Cambridge Design Partnership. The program was well planned. At the end of the week all the activities we have had ensured our improvements on our pitching skills, we gained some self-confidence and new knowledge’s.
Not less important is that we had an amazing opportunity to get know other participants and to learn from them as well. Cambridge brought together different people from different places with different business ideas. Now we are a group of people who are connected through Cambridge – we are communicating, willing to help each other, to collaborate, and to encourage each other.
I am grateful and honored that I was one of the participants in this project. Words cannot express how inspired and how much in love with Cambridge I am. This trip was more than learning, it was about how to see bigger, wider, and wiser. If I had an opportunity I would go again.” Elīna Heinrihsone, University of Latvia, Faculty of Business, Management and Economics, 2nd year master student.
The program has evolved of long-term cooperation activities started about 10 years ago between Professor Alan Barrell and various Latvian partners, including CONNECT Latvia, universities and Latvian Investment and Development Agency. The overall aim of the Venture Camp is to encourage young people interested in entrepreneurship to move on actively and pursue entrepreneurial ventures.
