One year scheme run by National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship and US-based Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Fellows programme will help budding entrepreneurs launch their businesses

Anthony Solon and Owen Gallagher, graduates of the University of Ulster, have been chosen as two of 14 aspiring entrepreneurs to take part in the NCGE-Kauffman Entrepreneurship Fellowship. The Fellows programme, now in its second year, takes the best entrepreneurial talent from UK universities and links them with the entrepreneurial environment in America. The purpose of the Fellowship is to encourage UK graduates to develop scalable high impact businesses.

The Fellowship consists of:

• 6 months spent in the UK where Fellows work with their sponsor university to develop their science, technology or engineering business idea.
• 6 months in the US as Kauffman Global Scholars where they work with top entrepreneurial universities and intern in leading innovative companies.

Each of the graduates selected as Fellows are pursuing engineering, science, or technology degrees or post graduate studies and secured their places on the programme after a rigorous application process which required that they be sponsored by their university and then pitch their business concept to an interview panel.

Anthony and Owen will be advised by their mentors Sharon Porter and Dr Pauric McGowan, the Northern Ireland Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Ulster, throughout the programme.

This year’s Fellowship began with an event held on the 11th and 12th July, where the participants met with the NCGE, the Kauffman Foundation, and other business and enterprise experts to discuss the first steps they need to take to get their business ideas underway.

Commenting on his and Anthony’s expectations for the programme, Owen, who attended the event, said:
“The Fellowship is an outstanding opportunity for us to start learning all we need to know about the business world and how we can make our ideas a reality. We are excited to work with the NCGE and Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation to gain a clear understanding of what it will take for our businesses to succeed and to start taking those steps.”

Ian Robertson, Chief Executive of the NCGE, commented:
“Congratulations to both Anthony and Owen for being selected as part of this year’s Fellowship programme. During the application process, they each demonstrated commitment to their business ideas and the determination needed to succeed. Many of last year’s participants are now well on their way to running established businesses, and we expect this year’s talented group will follow suit.”