On 6th March 2024, the King’s E-Lab welcomed Cambridge Alumna and Nobel Prize Winner Greg Winter. Greg is an accomplished molecular biologist with an esteemed research career and an outstanding record of establishing successful spin-outs, including Cambridge Antibody Technology (acquired by AstraZeneca), Domantis (acquired by GlaxoSmithKline) and Bicycle Therapeutics. In conversation with Henrietta Mbeah-Bankas, Head of Portfolio at NHS England and an Executive MBA Student at Cambridge Judge Business School, Winter shared insights on his illustrious career and relayed important lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs. His reflections prompt the question: is it time to rethink the entrepreneurship ecosystem in academia?

On 6th January 2024, the E-Lab hosted Dalia Grybauskaite, the former President of Lithuania, in a fireside chat to share her perspective on the evolving geopolitical landscape and the West's response to Russia's aggression in Ukraine. Moderator of the evening, Linas Kojala reflects on how Grybauskaite’s insights provide invaluable guidance and inspiration for decision-makers across various fields, underscoring the lasting impact of seasoned leaders on current and future generations.

In the past, aesthetics has featured primarily in philosophical study but, understanding the influence of aesthetics can be a powerful tool for entrepreneurs. As the business world becomes increasingly homogenised, it is imperative for a business to ‘differentiate’ itself. Creating a brand, however, is about more than just putting together different visual elements. We need to look closely at the meaning denoted by these elements and how this generates ‘coherence’. Why? Because when something is coherent, it becomes convincing.

Knowing when and how to pivot is a critical decision for any entrepreneur. Research has shown that ventures that don’t adapt their business model, as they develop, die. Pivoting is essential for entrepreneurs to navigate uncertainty and ensure success. The process sounds straightforward: you have an idea, you go out and try it, and if you succeed, you keep going; if you fail, you pivot. In practice, things are far murkier – when should you pivot? When have you failed “enough”?

On the face of it, poetry and entrepreneurship make for odd bedfellows, but traditional perceptions were challenged by the presentation on ‘Xu Zhimo - poetic innovator’ at the King’s E-Lab on 22 February, when the award-winning translator and King’s alumnus Stuart Lyons gave a slide presentation and poetry reading to an audience of 150 at the college’s Keynes Lecture Theatre. The message, underlined by the Provost Dr Gillian Tett OBE in her introduction, was that entrepreneurial thinking is not just the preserve of the hard disciplines of maths, science, economics and engineering.

On the 15th of February 2023, Malcolm McKenzie gave an address at a special Evensong, sung by the King’s Voices and hosted by the Dean of King's College, Cambridge. The address, ‘Religion and Enterprise’, explores what the Entrepreneur can learn from Religion and what the Religious can learn from Enterprise. Touching on these valuable lessons, it reflects on ethical issues for entrepreneurs.

Social entrepreneurship is more than a career choice; it's a commitment to using business as a force for good. The journey is complex, demanding, but ultimately rewarding, offering the chance to leave a lasting impact on the world. Every one of us has the potential to make a difference. It's about taking that first step, fuelled by passion and armed with the right tools and knowledge yet ready to adapt and learn from failures to create a lasting change.

The Social Venture Residential was all about using business smarts to solve real-world problems. It opened my eyes to the potential to create a sustainable cycle of empowerment and health, all through a simple, yet innovative business model and it allowed me to develop my idea for tackling period poverty. For me, it’s more than just a business idea now; it's a mission.

On 25th January 2024, the E-Lab welcomed Adam Swerksy of Social Finance to a fireside chat at King’s College to discuss how to Design, Fund and Scale Better Solutions to Challenging Social Problems. In conversation with Mansa Shroff, Adam addressed some of the key challenges that those interested in impact investing must consider and talked through how some of his experiences brought him to where he is today.

I decided to participate in the E-lab because I’ve always been passionate about entrepreneurship. Since elementary school, I have sold rainbow loom bracelets or Taylor Swift merch, and always looked for different ways to start businesses. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity to learn about the fundamentals of business, strengthen the foundation I had already established and engage with a wide variety of passionate students, many of whom I now consider friends.

A common interest for aspiring entrepreneurs interested in tech-oriented start-ups is how to weave AI into business design. A part of this revolves around securing Intellectual Property (IP) in order to reap the lucrative rewards of a temporary monopoly on a particular idea. However, the nuances of IP are hard to align with the messy realities of software development. This disconnect is amplified in the context of artificial intelligence. Is it possible that these two formidable acronyms are, practically speaking, incompatible? And does it even matter that it’s hard for AI-based start-ups to weave the protective cloak of intellectual property around their creations?

Sound, Order and Survival in Prison: The rhythms and routines of HMP Midtown” tells the story of a year spent at a local men’s prison interrogating the soundscape and its meaning for the prison social world. Sound, she argues, tells us different things about life, order and power in prisons. After launching her book on the 1st of February 2024, Kate reflects on the space provided by the E-Lab and the value of collaboration.

Entrepreneurship starts from seeing an opportunity that is not currently available to you because you do not ‘control’ sufficient resources. An entrepreneurial headteacher is one who works out how to get additional resources to achieve, for their pupils and families, more than is normally possible.

If you want to get to people, you’ve got to get onto their screens. But businesses haven’t yet recognised that social media can be more than just a tool to top-up in-person causes. Real, fundamental change can be made through social entrepreneurship online – without ever leaving the screen.

The theme of ‘entrepreneurship’ has the potential to inspire people working in different fields on innovative ideas. Mindsets hopes to provide a space to share a brief glimpse into the range of interesting individuals brought together by the Kings College Entrepreneurship Lab.