Cultivating Entrepreneurship
Uob Business Club Breakfast Briefing Webinar
For Global Entrepreneurship week join us to learn more about the work the University of Birmingham is doing with entrepreneurs in the region.
If you're an existing SME entrepreneur, someone with an idea, a student or alumni entrepreneur or a business professional looking to support the local economy by working with the University's careers network to mentor our budding entrepreneurs there will be something for you.
Find out about the game changing cost-free academic support with access to cutting edge equipment and industry experts available to SMEs in the area that can help springboard the growth and development of your company with no strings attached.
If you're a current student or Alumni we also invite you to join the University of Birmingham business club for networking opportunities, event invites and global and local business updates.
Speakers
Nicola Gittins - Deputy Director, Student Entrepreneurship and Enterprise - Careers Network -University of Birmingham
Nicola Gittins is the Deputy Director of Student Entrepreneurship and Enterprise. As part of the senior team within the University of Birmingham’s Careers Network, Nicola leads the team responsible for the launch and growth of the University’s new student incubator and its accelerator programme, Elevate at The Exchange.
Working with partners across the university and externally, the B-Enterprising team support student businesses from idea stage right through to start-up and beyond. The team also work across the entire student cohort developing enterprise and entrepreneurship activity in numerous ways to upskill students, helping them to improve their employability as well as see the value of start-up as a viable graduate destination.
Pam Sheemar - Career Accelerated Pilot Placement Lead -Natwest
Pam Sheemar has over 10 years’ experience in the finance industry in NatWest.
During her career at NatWest Pam has held various positions including Local Director for North and South Wales leading large teams across the retail banking network where she has showcased extensive leadership skills in change and strategy.
Pam Sheemar has been appointed to a new role within the bank’s Corporate and Commercial Coverage team as part of a new intensive, disruptive, Career Acceleration Pilot Placement programme. The new training programme will serve as platform for future developing diverse talent.
As Entrepreneur Development Manager Pam headed up the Birmingham Entrepreneur Accelerator. Pam supported hundreds of entrepreneurs to start, scale and succeed with businesses, providing a web of support including mentorship, coaching, access to an extensive internal network of support as well as working collaboratively with the external ecosystem and stakeholder partners.
Passionate about diversity and inclusion she also supports various initiatives across the region and is a passionate about community and charity. Outside work Pam is also a Magistrate/Justice of the Peace sitting on the Black Country Bench, Executive Board Member for the Asian Chamber of Commerce and, as an ambassador for South and City College, Pam champions learning experience of future generations.
Pam is a proud Board Director at Birmingham Tech working on entrepreneur engagement and championing technology across Birmingham and ensuring Birmingham is put on the map for technology.
Pam is delighted to be appointed to the Business in the Community (BITC) West Midlands Leadership Board to support and drive positive change for the region.
John Sewell -CEO - Cosimo Art
John is the founder of Cosimo.art, an online platform and marketplace making it easier than ever for art lovers to connect connect artists and support their work. He has been part of a number of Start-Up support schemes in the region, including Entrepreneurs for the Future by Bruntwood SciTech, and the Birmingham Enterprise Community Forward Accelerator.
More recently he's been based in The University's Exchange building as a cohort member of the first Elevate programme, and a recipient of the University's new Start Up Scholarship."
Kate Jermey - Business Engagement Manager - University of Birmingham
Kate works with businesses, specifically SMEs, to help them innovate and grow by accessing the facilities and expertise available at the University of Birmingham, as well as engaging with the regional and national funding programmes which can support R&D activity.
Working specifically with ERDF and Innovate UK funding schemes, Kate can work with you to understand the challenge facing the business, and help identify the right academics for the job, and to apply for the right grant. Kate also runs the University of Birmingham Business Club, a regular networking event for businesses and academics to get together to discuss topics of interest.
