Marking the achievements of UCL’s young alumni leaders and entrepreneurs

Coal Office, in the heart of London’s King’s Cross regeneration project, recently played host to a UCL alumni event celebrating the outstanding achievements of over 40 recent graduates who are making waves in their careers as leaders and entrepreneurs.

The evening brought together a varied group of trailblazing alumni who have made significant contributions to fields ranging from technology to finance to creative industries to social entrepreneurship. Many attendees had set up a business while studying at UCL.

Several guests had previously appeared in Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 List. This accolade celebrates the power of young entrepreneurs and leaders to transform business and society on the global stage. Nearly 90 UCL alumni have made the list since it was established in 2011 - a testament to the remarkable impact that recent graduates are having around the world.

Speaking at the event, Kimeshan Naidoo (MSc Computer Science 2016), Chief Technology Officer at Bx and Co-Founder of online university student recruitment platform Unibuddy, spoke about  his experience studying and working in London:

“The city was quite behind Silicon Valley when I joined UCL in 2015, but it was growing incredibly fast and today you see the result of the growth. Being in an ecosystem like UCL, in a city like London, helped me get to where I am today.

“Unibuddy has helped three million students around the world, we have 600 universities on board and we now employ 120 people in London, New York, Bangalore, and Singapore. Without coming to UCL and without coming to London, this journey would not have been possible.”

The importance of social enterprise was a common trend throughout the networking discussions. From alumni running their own sustainable water business to designing wearable vaccine tracking jewellery for individuals in developing countries, the room was full of many inspiring alumni endeavouring to be a force for good in the world.

PJ Hanard, Co-Lead of the UCL Entrepreneurship Community of Practice and Associate Professor at UCL School of Management, highlighted how the attendees were united by a shared ethos: “It was wonderful to see so many successful entrepreneurs and leaders in one room. Everyone who attended shared one thing in common - they have the drive to make a difference to the lives of those around them.”

Angharad Milenkovic, Vice-President (Advancement) at UCL, commented on why successful alumni leaders and entrepreneurs are an integral part of the university’s mission:

“2026 will be UCL’s bicentenary and we are incredibly excited to celebrate what UCL has achieved in 200 years, but also what the next 200 years mean for us. I’m sure some of the successes that will become hallmarks of what UCL alumni achieve will happen because of people who came to this event. As we move towards 2026 and beyond, we will continue to use our alumni community to support entrepreneurship and those alumni who are committed to being leaders and changemakers.”

The evening of celebration and inspiration served as a reminder of the strength of the UCL alumni community in London, the economic impact of UCL and its graduates on London and beyond, and our commitment to nurturing innovation and leadership among its students and graduates.

Are you an entrepreneur or leader and would be interested in attending similar future networking events? Please email Andy Stirups (a.stirups@ucl.ac.uk), Alumni Relations Manager