With 2023 rapidly coming to a close, we are looking back at some of the incredible achievements of our fantastic UCL School of Management students and alumni. While it was difficult to select only a few, we have compiled a list of our top 10 highlights from 2023.
We would also like to take this time to thank our students for their tremendous hard work this year! We look forward to seeing all that you achieve in 2024.
Three school of management alumni named in forbes 30-under-30
In 2023, three UCL School of Management alumni were named in Forbes’ annual 30-Under-30 lists. In February, BSc Management Science alumni Udit Singhal was named in Forbes India’s 30-Under-30 list in recognition of his work founding the zero-waste initiative Glass2Sand. Just 21 years old at the time of publication, Udit was the youngest to be named in the cohort and hopes that his organisation will continue to play a part in tackling the world’s many environmental issues.
In addition, BSc Information Management for Business alumna Elizabeth Dlha was named in Forbes Slovakia’s 30-Under-30 list thanks to her work in the tech start-up industry. With a background in consulting, Elizabeth has made significant contributions as a founding member at Deepnote and as Business Development Manager at Notion. Finally, Marta Gasik, also an IMB alumna, was named in Forbes Poland’s 30-Under-30 in recognition of her incredible achievemnts within the world of tech. Marta has played a vital role in the implementation of major projects, such as the company’s cloud strategy in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region - an investment worth $1 billion.
bsc information management for business alumni rashid aliyev raises £1 million for startup
UCL School of Management alumni and entrepreneur Rashid Aliyev has recently secured over £1 million in funding for his business in a recent investment round. Currently the CEO and Co-Founder of Stackt, a technology startup developing innovative moving and storage systems, Rashid graduated from the School’s BSc Information Management for Business programme in 2019 and co-founded Stackt in 2021.
In this latest round of investment, Stackt secured funding from a range of new and existing investors, such as Zaka VX, Metropolis Ventures, StartUp Gym, Syndicate Room and Blue Lake VC, and has seen a year on year growrth of 456%. While the business has firmly found its feet within the UK market, it is also looking to expand into the European and US markets, where it hopes to continue to provide stress-free and low-cost solutions for those looking to move.
three school of management students finish placement years at global organisations
During the summer, three undergraduate students completed their placement years at major global organisations. BSc Information Management for Business students Gurshaan Sethi and Radu Gradinariu completed their placement years at L’Oréal Paris and Accenture respectively. Gurshaan served as L’Oréal’s Digital Marketing Intern and played a fundamental role in the development and maintenance of website content, while Radu spent the year working as a Business Analyst for Accenture.
In addition, BSc Management Science student Jocelyn Chen completed her placement year at Samsung, initially as a Product Management Associate before transitioning into a Business Analyst role within Samsung Electronics UK. During this time, Jocelyn operated as a Product Lead on an £800,000 smart home project.
imb alumna features in perspektywy’s top 100 women in cloud computing
In May, UCL School of Management alumna Marta Gasik was named in Perspektywy Women in Tech’s Top 100 Women in Cloud Computing list. Designed to recognise and celebrate the women that are driving cloud-based technologies across the globe, the Perspektywy list also hopes to inspire the next generation of female professionals within cloud computing, which is currently a male-dominated industry.
Since graduating from UCL School of Management’s BSc Information Management for Business programme in 2016, Marta Gasik has gone on to take the tech industry by storm. After being introduced to Microsoft’s grad scheme by an IMB alumni, Marta joined the company as Project Manager in the EMEA Consulting Division and currently serves as the Data Centre Lead at Microsoft Poland.
ucl mba students finish in top three in global universities challenge in dubai
Earlier this year, UCL MBA students finished in the top three at the Shaping Future Governments: Global Universities Challenge held in Dubai. The annual challenge is part of the World Government Summit, an event that brings thought leaders, global experts and decision-makers together to develop the tools, policies and models that are essential to shaping future governments.
Discussing the competition, Professor Paolo Taticchi told us, “Participating in the competition against some of the world’s top schools and collaborating on a significant undertaking like crafting a Digital Human Rights charter was an unforgettable experience for all of us. The dedication demonstrated by UCL MBA students who worked day and night tirelessly on this project was a true reflection of the values and entrepreneurial spirit that define our School.”
ucl school of management students go to lisbon for hult prize 2023
In July, a determined team of UCL School of Management students travelled to Lisbon to take part in the Hult Prize 2023 and joined forces with a common vision to reduce their environmental footprint. Their innovative business solution aimed to recycle wasted clothes into comfortable and affordable mattresses, benefitting not only the planet, but also those in need.
The Hult Prize, named after Bertil Hult, is an annual competition dedicated to addressing critical social challenges, including food security, water access, energy, and education. It grants college students the opportunity to compete for an esteemed prize often referred to as the “Nobel Prize for students.”
ucl school of management alumni and localmeal co-founders launch first-ever app
In the final year of their BSc Management Science programme, Isabella Mandich, Derin Mutlu and Noah Deron founded LocalMeal, a restaurant discovery platform that promotes smaller and independent businesses that are often overlooked by consumers for more established chain restaurants. Now just two years later, LocalMeal have not only gained thousands of followers on social media, but they have also officially launched their first-ever app, allowing customers to instantly access restaurant recommendations in London.
Designed specifically to filter out chain restaurants, the LocalMeal app is centred upon authenticity and provides visibility to the independent hidden gems that don’t always receive the spotlight that they often deserve. Since its conception, LocalMeal has gone on to receive thousands of followers on Instagram and has even been selected by Innovate UK EDGE as a startup with IP/Commercialisation potential.
double dutch founders and msc entrepreneurship alumnae shortlisted for great british businesswoman awards
In November, UCL School of Management alumnae and twin sisters, Joyce and Raissa de Haas, were shortlisted for the Great British Businesswoman Awards 2023 in the Young Businesswoman category!
While studying MSc Entrepreneurship at UCL School of Management in 2014, the sisters founded Double Dutch Drinks and their vision was clear: disrupt the market and redefine people’s expectations of mixers. In addition to their shortlisting for the Great British Businesswoman Awards, the founders were honoured as Food & Drink Women of the Year in 2022.
ucl mba student and designer wren loucks publishes piece in geberit’s hotel guest report
Earlier this year, UCL MBA student (now alumna) Wren Loucks published an article in Geberit’s Hotel Guest Report to share her tips on sensorial design and social sustainability in the hospitality industry. Entitled, ‘Stimulating Wellbeing: Ritual, Sensory Rich Experiences and Social Sustainability in Hotel Design’, Wren’s piece also notes the importance of ensuring inclusivity in design.
In 2020, Wren founded Be-Kin, an award-winning interior design studio that focuses on creating spaces that stimulate wellbeing and purpose. Encompassing Wren’s passions, Be-Kin’s mission combines mental health advocacy with luxury interior design and supports social sustainability, concepts that she has incorporated into her article for this year’s Geberit’s Hotel Guest Report.
UCL SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT STUDENTS TRAVEL overseas for summer schools
During the summer, BSc Information Management students Isabella Grant and Allen Ilica travelled overseas to enhance the skills and knowledge that they have learned on the programme, whilst also developing their personal and professional growth.
Isabella spent the summer in Singapore with Singapore Management University and enjoyed a number of activities in the country, such as a visit to the Walt Disney offices, a sustainability talk at Singapore’s leading energy and urban solutions provider, Sembcorp, as well as a visit to the SMU-Sydney-HKU Law & Sustainability Conference Series. Meanwhile, Allen travelled to Morocco with ESSEC Business School, and told us all about his Integration Trek across the Atlas Mountains, as well as his start-up tour in Marrakech.
Read more about what Isabella and Allen got up to on their travels.
