Beyond StArtups

In this episode of Beyond StArtups, Aurelie is joined by Alex Bond, Startup Coordinator at the University of East London and Co-Founder and Non-Executive Director of FreshCheck, a company making food contamination visible through software-backed colour-change tools equipped with a Hygiene Verification System.Alex takes us back to his time at Imperial College London, where the ideation phase of FreshCheck began, and reflects on how the business adapted to the evolving needs of its customers as it grew across multiple sites. He also explores the importance of defining a strong work culture through shared pillars and values, and the challenge of balancing the needs of yourself, your team and your customers.Drawing on these experiences, Alex discusses how his entrepreneurial journey now informs his approach to mentorship through incubators and accelerators, including MassChallenge UK.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexbond1991/Email: [email protected]

We’re back with Carina Kohli, Founder & CEO of Humm Care, for her second appearance on Beyond Startups.Recorded live during our Inclusive Healthcare & Health-Tech Entrepreneurship fireside chat at the University of St Andrews, this episode takes us deeper into Carina’s journey as an entrepreneur and her mission to make healthcare more accessible, inclusive, and impact-driven.Carina reflects on the evolution of Humm Care, the challenges and opportunities of building in health-tech, and what it takes to turn a purpose-driven idea into a scalable business. She also shares her perspective on women’s health, inclusive healthcare innovation, entrepreneurship, and building ventures that create meaningful impact.From her St Andrews journey to building a growing health-tech company in India, this conversation offers an honest look at what it really takes to build with purpose.

In today's episode of Beyond StArtups, we're joined by the team behind ourAI, the winners of the Startup Factory St Andrews Regional: Pingting Bian, Florence Kemp, Oanh Vo and Shahrbano Ismail, alongside another team member who has chosen to remain anonymous.The team shares how they came together during the Startup Factory Sustainability Challenge, developed their winning idea in just a matter of hours, and went on to represent St Andrews at the Startup Factory National Final in Glasgow. They discuss the inspiration behind ourAI, a concept for encouraging more mindful and efficient AI use—and the process of refining their pitch under pressure.Listen to hear about the realities of startup ideation, the lessons they learned from pitching to experienced judges, why thinking bigger changed their perspective, and how the experience has inspired them to continue exploring entrepreneurship long after the competition ended.

How do you rebuild after failure? In this episode of Beyond StArtups, Sean Patton, Executive Coach at Novus Global, entrepreneur, author, and leadership expert, shares the experiences that shaped his approach to leadership and business. From launching and losing his first company to building a highly successful business and coaching executives worldwide, Sean reflects on the roles of identity, resilience, and continuous learning in entrepreneurial success. He also explores why great leaders know when to persevere, when to adapt, and how coaching can unlock personal and professional growth.

In this episode of Beyond StArtups, we’re joined by João Leitão, Vice-Rector of the University of Beira Interior and Associate Professor of Economics, to discuss how the IMPACTWHEEL project is helping universities across Europe move beyond traditional academic models to create measurable societal and entrepreneurial impact.IMPACTWHEEL is a €1.34M project running from 2025–2027, bringing together 10 institutions across Portugal, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, Spain, North Macedonia, Italy, and Latvia. The initiative has already delivered training and mentoring for around 800 students and staff, created new partnerships and support structures, and supported 13 startups.Together, we explore how IMPACTWHEEL is strengthening innovation ecosystems by connecting students, researchers, startups, and university leadership through a more impact-driven approach to higher education, entrepreneurship, collaboration, and knowledge transfer.🌍 IMPACTWHEEL Website 📩 IMPACT WHEEL Newsletter Sign-Up 💼 IMPACTWHEEL LinkedIn 📸 Instagram: @impactwheel_eu 👤 João Leitão on LinkedIn