News / The University of Bristol
‘Running startups means you’re gonna get punched in the face a few times’
A series of films dealing with the world of enterprise has attracted widespread interest, and has been praised for its diverse subject matter and honest, stereotype-busting approach.
The films, commissioned by the University of Bristol, see company founders, researchers and academics talk candidly about their personal experiences working in the enterprise space.
The Enterprise Sessions features broadcast-style interviews led by Professor Michele Barbour, the University’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Enterprise and Innovation.
Barbour interviews a range of guests about the challenges and opportunities of forming spin-out and start-up companies, on raising funding, collaborating on industry partnerships, and the joys of seeing the impact of their research realised.
Guests include University of Bristol company founders Tom Carter, CEO of hand tracking and haptics company, Ultraleap, who discusses how “running startups means you’re gonna get punched in the face a few times” but it’s the personal fit with the investor that’s going to stand the test of time.
Amber Robyn, co-founder of the UK’s first women’s urinals, Peequal, also discusses candidly the barriers she faced in raising investment as a young female founder until she eventually found “the right investor who believed in them.”
Enterprising guests are also joined by academics and researchers from the University of Bristol, who are working in industry partnerships or as consultants.
Professor Michele Barbour said it was a “delight” to make the series – Photo: University of Bristol
The series has been created to inform and inspire other academics and researchers about what it is like to work in the enterprise space, but the advice given is also resonating with wider audiences looking to create their own enterprises.
The films have already started to see a wide reach, attracting over 3,000 global views on the University’s YouTube channel to date.
Professor Michele Barbour, host of the series said it was a “delight” to make.
“The Enterprise Sessions has allowed us to develop rich conversations without interviewees and share that knowledge within our community as well as wider audiences involved in research, innovation and enterprise,” says Barbour.
The series will return soon with ‘Quantum Sessions’, which hopes to demystify quantum and showcase Bristol’s capabilities in the sector.
Main photo: University of Bristol
Read more: The entrepreneur forging new paths in the world of business
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