Becoming an Entrepreneur: Stories and Tips from Oxford Alumni

The priority when it comes to a career search is to get round pegs in round holes, and nowhere is this more true than in start-ups and spin-outs. The adventurous innovators who will thrive in this activity are passionate and committed and work to be not just commercially aware but business savvy.

Read the below career stories from Oxford University alumni for insights into what it takes to set up your own company, points to consider, and tips for becoming a successful entrepreneur. 

Elin Roberts & Christopher Kong - Co-founders and Head of Marketing (Roberts) / Head of Business Development (Kong), Better Nature

Brasenose, Experimental Psychology, 2017 (Roberts) / Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry, 2018 (Kong)

What: Better Nature is an innovative meat-free brand on a mission to make protein without compromise – plant-based proteins that don’t compromise on people, the planet or animals. We do this using tempeh – an all-natural protein powerhouse from Indonesia that’s high in fibre, great for the gut and packed with micronutrients.

How: We met during our first year studying at Brasenose: Elin was already vegan and a passionate environmentalist, while Chris was very into his sports, as an avid rower and boxer, and keen to do his bit to protect the planet. After learning more from Elin about the devastating impact of animal products on people, the planet and animals, Chris went vegetarian (then later vegan) – and the rest is history! We then went on to meet Driando, a passionate tempeh scientist from Indonesia, and Fabio, a product developer from Italy with a deep love for tempeh, and Better Nature was born.

Advice:

• Always be ready to listen and learn: the most useful skill we’ve developed is a constant drive to learn and do better. Whether a great piece of feedback from a customer, an insightful article or a thought-provoking webinar, always be on the lookout for opportunities to broaden your knowledge.
• Be ready to make mistakes: it sounds clichéd but it’s true – you’re doing something totally new and are only human, you’re bound to make mistakes! Don’t beat yourself up, just keep calm and figure out how you could avoid making the same mistake again in future.
• Be clear on why you’re doing what you’re doing: there will always be challenges, so it’s important to know and remind yourself of why you care so much about what you’re working on. Tap into that inner drive and motivation when you need it.
• Look after yourself: you can work hard while still preserving your wellbeing. Regularly check in with how you’re feeling, put practices and boundaries in place to protect your mental and physical health and make sure you’re always getting enough sleep, food, rest and so forth. You can’t sustain any role if you don’t sustain yourself!

Mehak Mumtaz - Chief Operating Officer and Co-Founder, iLoF

MSc Biochem, St. Hilda’s, 2012, DPhil Pathology, St. Edmund Hall, 2017

What: iLoF is a healthtech company which uses photonics and AI to develop next-generation digital biomarkers to provide screening and stratification tools for complex heterogeneous diseases. Our mission is to democratise personalised medicine through rapid, cost-effective and patientcentric solutions.

How: I was always passionate about scientific discovery which led me to pursue a DPhil. Towards the end of it, I found myself drawn towards the intersection between technological and life sciences, and was fascinated by the myriad of start-ups and scale-ups spun out of the Oxford ecosystem. I ended up exploring this space as a health innovation fellow at Oxford, aiming to bridge the gap between technology providers, hospital systems, research institutes and patient organisations to improve care for rare cancer patients. This was a turning point for me and provided a first taste of innovation and entrepreneurship. Driven by the desire to gain commercial acumen, I spent some time as a strategy consultant at EY-Parthenon, which opened my eyes to a different world. Soon after, I gained a place on a ten-week EIT Health ‘Wild Card’ programme, a European accelerator for health companies, where I met my co-founders, validated an idea, and secured investment from EIT Health. The decision to leave consulting and commit to the venture full-time was not a difficult one to make, and despite the roller coaster journey I have not regretted it since.

Top tips:

• Make use of the Oxford ecosystem. There are many opportunities to find out what different careers actually entail; work on diverse projects; meet like-minded people; visit the Oxford Foundry; or gain additional skills. Step out of your comfort zone, stretch yourself, explore and enjoy!
• Network. Find and talk to different people, discover what their jobs are like, and most importantly develop authentic relationships. These will last you well beyond your first few jobs.
• Don’t be afraid of failure. Often fear of failure can hold budding entrepreneurs back. However, think of the worst that can happen if you fail; you move on with some incredibly useful transferable skills, a bunch of friends, and lots of interesting stories for your resume.

Looking for more?

The alumni profiles above were originally featured in the 2022 Oxford Guide to Careers.

For more alumni career stories, tips on how to build applications that stand out, how to improve employability skills, and more, read the Guide.