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Summer Startup Update week 9: Meet the mentors

27 January 2020

Every year, we are lucky to have many successful entrepreneurs generously give their time and expertise to mentor our UCE Summer Startup Programme students. This year, we have had an amazing line-up of resident entrepreneurs - Geoff Brash, Glenn Renwick, and Richard Doyle. We spoke to Geoff and Richard about their entrepreneurial backgrounds, and experiences as UCE mentors.

HOW TO APPLY

Geoff Brash works with UCE Summer Startup students during his validation workshop.

 

First of all, can you both please tell us about what you do.
Richard: I am the Chairman and part owner of a company called Enjoy Beer, which runs a brewery in the United States. But I’m now at a place where I’m not a full-time executive; I’m a board member, director, investor, an advisor to several young companies, a writer - I’m writing a book on entrepreneurship at the moment - and apparently now also a mentor!

Geoff: I work with entrepreneurs to help them start, grow and raise finance for their businesses. I help groups of people, like the UCE Summer Startup students, and I also work with individual companies on their needs.

Richard Doyle presents to the Summer Startup students on the key lessons he’s learnt through his entrepreneurial experiences. Richard Doyle presents to the Summer Startup students on the key lessons he’s learnt through his entrepreneurial experiences.

Richard, what inspired you to start your own business?
Richard: What inspired me was a personal consumer want. There was no good local beer available in New England in 1986, and I started my business to help fix this!

And Geoff, what do you find most exciting about working with startups?
Geoff: The thing I love about working with people who are starting a business is that I get all the excitement of starting a business, without all the work! It is exciting seeing businesses and their founders grow and succeed. I also enjoy the variety of people and ideas I get to work with – I learn new things from every person, every time.

What has been your highlight of the Summer Startup programme?
Richard: The highlight for me is interacting with the students and my colleagues. I’m shocked at how well received I’ve been, and how much I like everybody! It’s a great environment. The staff and students have made it easy to become a part of the whole community. That feeling of engagement and connection is really nice.

Geoff: The people. Having people around who are excited about the new businesses they’re creating makes you more enthusiastic and energetic. There is a really good group of diverse students involved, from different areas of study, with a big range of venture ideas - not just all apps, like we used to get! 

Finally, what words of wisdom do you pass on to the students?
Richard: As an entrepreneur or a CEO, don’t expect yourself to be the best at everything in your organisation. Your job is to be a visionary and to attract people to your organisation who are better than you are, then synthesise those people. You need to know what you need to know, and find a way to get to that point. Also, remember that people will be critical when you’re starting out, then jump on the bandwagon when you become successful!

Geoff: Just start, and do something. Focus on achieving something, instead of reaching perfection. 

Thank you, Richard and Geoff, for sharing your stories and advice with us today, and of course for all the support you provide as mentors!

To join us for an evening of fast-paced pitches from our top ten Summer Startup ventures, register now for your free ticket to the UCE Summer Startup Showcase on February the 4th.

The UCE Summer Startup Programme is a chance for students to work on fast-tracking the development of their ideas into realistic business ventures for 10 weeks over the summer. 

 

For further information please contact:

UC Centre for Entrepreneurship (UCE) by emailing: uce@canterbury.ac.nz

Or follow UCE on Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter


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