Grad2Director 2017- How YSJ helped bring business ideas to life…

In October 2017, York St John launched it’s new Grad2Director programme, with the aim of helping our most recent graduates transform their fantastic business ideas into flourishing business opportunities.

Developed in partnership with Dr John Park, an international expert in product and service innovation, The Grad2Director programme gave our 2017 graduates the chance to be running their own business by Christmas 2017, along with access to funding awards for the best business ideas put forward.

Three months after the programme was launched, having receiving more than fifty registrations, eight graduates have now founded their own companies with financial support from York St John. The graduates come from a wide range of disciplines from across the university, including Business, English Literature and Linguistics, Education, Design, Social Sciences and Performing Arts. The businesses they have each set up are equally diverse, with the new companies focusing on areas such as counselling services for local authorities, state-of-the-art designed products for the home, copyrighting services, cosmetic products, web strategy and commerce, using music and media production to educate and engage secondary students to build confidence and education on some really difficult social issues, and finally a technology solution to help estate agents, landlords and tenants to have a more productive relationship in the property rental sector.

Our eight business owners continue to receive support from Grad2Director and Dr Park as they look to take their new companies through the first few weeks and months following incorporation, and we’re very excited to be following their progress as they do so, providing updates along the way through our blog on how our new Directors are getting on, and how their new businesses are continuing to develop.

We’re also looking forward to the return of our Grad2Director programme when it becomes available for our class of 2018 graduates; watch this space for more information.