7 November 2016

Five Business School students recently took part in a unique business clinic, on board a Virgin Trains East Coast service from London Kings Cross to Edinburgh Waverley.

Undergraduates Hollie Gallen, Sam Denby, and postgraduates Radu Marian, Jessica Xie and Zhang Kai joined five winners of a Virgin Trains social media competition to take part in a series of on board workshops led by renowned business gurus Jamal Edwards, Levi Roots and Maria Hatzistefanis.

The group of five were selected from more than 20 entries to take part, after impressing judges with their business ambitions.

The Business Clinic follows new research by Virgin Trains which has found that nearly half of those in Edinburgh have considered starting their own business but cite fear of failure (19 per cent), lack of funds (49 per cent), support and advice (5 per cent) as barriers to giving it a go.

Professor Wendy Loretto, Dean of University of Edinburgh Business School, said:

There’s no better way to understand the business world than to hear first-hand how inspirational entrepreneurs have succeeded, the trials they’ve faced and what advice they’d give to those at the start of their own journey. Levi, Maria and Jamal offer a range of experience from different business disciplines and their seminars really inspired our students, bringing them one step closer to fulfilling their own business ambitions.”

David Horne, Managing Director, Virgin Trains on the east coast, said:

At Virgin Trains, we really value entrepreneurial spirit and want to play a role in keeping it alive. What better way to do this than by bringing together leading business people with aspiring entrepreneurs on one of our newly refurbished trains. Levi, Maria and Jamal generously shared their knowledge, while our ten participants enjoyed the excellent facilities for business travellers. These include free Wi-Fi, free movies, TV episodes, magazines and games via Beam, our new on board entertainment service, and food from our recently revamped James Martin menu. We hope this experience was just the ticket for getting some great ideas off the ground.

Featured Image source: Virgin Trains. Front, L-R: Zhang Kai , Levi Roots and Jessica Xie. Back, L-R: Sm Denby, Radu Marian and Hollie Gallen.