The UK’s largest student-run entrepreneurship conference, Sparks, will be held at LSE this weekend, featuring some of the world’s most inspiring business leaders.
More than 450 students, including 20 from underprivileged backgrounds, will hear from a line-up of outstanding speakers, as well as take part in 10 different masterclasses.
The conference will provide an insight into a wide range of industries, both established as well as start-ups, including innovative apps.
Speakers at this year’s LSE Sparks 6.0 conference, held on Sunday 28 February, include:
The Sparks Inspire initiative, run in conjunction with IntoUniversity, is building on last year's success, offering 30 disadvantaged students from London state schools plenty of opportunities to network with the speakers and gain an insight into developing a successful business from scratch.
Sparks President Charlie Bullock, an LSE Accounting and Finance student, said: “We want to bring together like-minded individuals from across the country and encourage them to stretch their imagination and explore a career path outside traditional graduate schemes.”
Sparks 6.0 will be opened on Sunday 28 February by former Secretary of State for Business, Sir Vince Cable, ahead of keynote speakers, including Dragon’s Den investor Rachel Elnaugh, Judy Naake, founder of the £70 million fake tan brand St Tropez and Lord Karan Bilimoria, co-founder and CEO of Cobra Beer.
A panel discussion will also be held: “How to Fund Your Start-Up,” including venture capitalist Hussein Kanji from Hoxton Capital, named Europe’s most influential technology investor by The Telegraph. Also sitting on the panel will be Andrei Brasoveanu from Accel Partners, nominated for Forbes Magazine’s 30 Under 30 award.
Other entrepreneurs delivering masterclasses include former Red Bull marketing head Huib van Bockel, 2009 Apprentice winner and LSE alumna Yasmina Siadatin, and Chris Chabit, former Head of Developer Relations at Google and Twitter.
The conference, which is organised by a team of 15 LSE students, has hosted more than 50 global entrepreneurs since its inception 2010, helping to consolidate LSE’s work in promoting entrepreneurship and providing a platform for students and successful speakers to connect.
Full details of the programme, speakers and ticket purchases can be found at: http://2016.sparkslse.com/
Notes to editors
For more information contact Charlie Bullock, Sparks President on 07712613465, email c.bullock@lse.ac.uk or Candy Gibson, LSE Press Office on 020 7955 7440 or c.gibson@lse.ac.uk
February 26, 2016