Meet Adam Syed and Vanya Chellani, the two winners of the annual Change Makers competition, organised by the Student Enterprise team at the University of East Anglia. Here, Adam explains how entering the competition is one of the best decisions he has ever made
An app offering personalised therapeutic interventions to support people through their mental health journey, and another that allergy sufferers can use to scan products at supermarkets to identify any ingredient or formulation they may be sensitive have garnered awards for two students at the UEA. Change Makers is an annual competition organised by the Student Enterprise team at the University of East Anglia (UEA). It selects 10 students who have a visionary business idea that can improve the planet, people, or community. Once enrolled in an eight-week accelerator programme, they receive £1000 in funding to grow and test their concepts.
Change Makers aims to be an uplifting journey that develops self-confidence and familiarises students with the fundamentals of social entrepreneurship.
The recent Grand Finale event represented an exciting opportunity for each one of the Change Makers finalists to pitch their creations with a top prize of £3000. Finalists’ ideas included: a sexual and reproductive health platform targeted to women in conservative countries, a series of children’s books to explain to them adverse family situations and a platform focused on youth empowerment and climate optimism.
Adam Syed, a fourth-year medical student at UEA and MedTech enthusiast was crowned Change Makers 2024 winner. His idea? Mello. An app offering personalised therapeutic interventions to support people through their mental health journey and help them navigate anxiety. The People’s Choice Prize (decided by the audience) was won by Vanya Chellani, a first-year Economics and Business Finance student raised in the Gambia, West Africa, who developed Belly Buddy. An app that allergy sufferers can use to scan products at supermarkets to identify any ingredient or formulation they may be sensitive to.
Adam was inspired to join Change Makers as one of his friends had participated in the programme the year before: He says: ‘I was inspired to take that leap.’ Initial apprehension quickly faded since Adam revealed that ‘being amongst other aspiring entrepreneurs I felt empowered to create and share my ideas. Applying to Change Makers resulted in one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.’ A decision which allowed Adam to attend ‘an array of expertly taught classes from competent and experienced entrepreneurs’ and learn about ‘the fundamentals of business and entrepreneurship.’ It was through the continuous support offered by the Student Enterprise team that Adam watched his idea ‘blossom’ and became confident in communicating his business.
Not only did Adam develop his entrepreneurial acumen through Change Makers, but the experience also constituted a way for him to learn more about who he is. ‘I’ve learnt about my convictions, what I’m passionate about and what my purpose in life is. I’ve also realised that being brave isn’t the absence of fear, but pushing through that fear and doing what you want regardless of how scared you may feel.’ Mental resistance and fear of failure often stop people in their tracks, that is why Adam advises to ‘start small and have no expectations. I joined Change Makers with a simple idea…I didn’t expect I would go so far and looking back I’m glad I kept my expectations low; had I not done that, I would have probably been too scared to go on this journey.’
Encouraged to join Change Makers by one of her lecturers, Vanya also highlighted the Change Makers Accelerator programme offered a comprehensive overview of entrepreneurship; she thinks that venture creation ‘is an area that people often underestimate. This is because there is a lot to explore when starting a business and I didn’t quite realise how complex it can be.’
Similarly to Adam, Vanya discovered new facets of her personality whilst on the programme: ‘I have learned my ability to tolerate stress is not as good as I thought it would be, however, it has improved drastically by the end of the experience.’ Vanya sees Belly Buddy evolving into ‘an app or platform for people to manage their gastro-intestinal conditions and to make their lives more bearable.’
Change Makers presents itself as a unique chance to learn about business for good whilst exploring more about the self, personal interests, and aspirations. The UEA Student Enterprise team congratulates Adam, Vanya, and the whole cohort for their dedication to the programme – and hopes that all contestants will continue to tap into their imagination and work towards building a brighter, more positive future.
Follow UEA Student Enterprise on Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube if you’d like to learn more about their commitment towards social entrepreneurship and how the team helps UEA students and graduates turn their aspirations into business realities.
Featured image of Vanya Chellani and Adam Syed – supplied
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