University of Chester students with slip-stopping venture named finalists in UK enterprise awards

The students were crowned Young Enterprise (YE) Start-Up Awards UK finalists after impressing judges at the North West stage of the competition with their SlipStopper venture.

Two teams showcased the University’s emerging talent in entrepreneurship, after excelling at a Chester Business School event held to select who would represent the institution.

The teams were formed of students from the Business School who study the Entrepreneurial Thought in Action module as part of their programme, supported by students from across the Business School and wider University.

The SlipStopper team, led by Morgan Davies - who was also nominated for Student of the Year for the North West - and team members David West, Jack Emery, Courtney Fraser, and Ben Laughton, have developed an innovative aftersales shoe attachment aimed at reducing slips in the service and construction industries.

The DART team, led by Olesja Petriv, with team members Mac-Jonathan Onyemakon, Billy Johnson, and Matilda Isioma Igbinedion, presented a unique literacy card game designed for visually impaired individuals. The game promotes social interaction through dual Braille and English text on each card.

They were supported by Product Design student consultants Drew Dennis, Ollie Patten, and Chelsea Jones, who contributed significantly to the product's development, and 3D printed the product.

While the DART team did not go forward to the next stage, the students were praised for their dedication and the collaboration between Business School and Product Design students to bring the product to life.

The regional event involved an intense round of interviews with industry leaders, looking at specifics such as exporting and importing, marketing strategy, and overall development. In addition, teams operated a sales stand for the full day, and finally presented a pitch to more than 100 people, including industry professionals.

The competition featured universities from across the North West including the University of Liverpool, University of Salford, Manchester Metropolitan University and Edge Hill University.

SlipStopper is the second group in three years from the University of Chester to reach this far in the competition, with the winner of the next stage representing the UK within Europe.

Morgan Davies, SlipStopper team leader and Student of the Year nominee said: “The experience has been a fantastic way of developing my leadership and management skills whilst learning how the fundamentals of starting a business work. It’s allowed me to gain a better understanding of the areas which I may have previously overlooked, also giving a sense of determination that the products and services could actually be developed. It’s also been something I have been able to incorporate into written studies with the experiences I have undertaken.”

Lecturer and Joint Leader of the Entrepreneurial Thought in Action Module, Conor Dangerfield explained: “The achievements of our teams at the Young Enterprise competition reflect the growing strength and quality of entrepreneurial students at Chester Business School. This year's success underscores our commitment to fostering real-world entrepreneurial skills across multiple disciplines. Our students, including those from outside the traditional entrepreneurship modules, have shown incredible initiative and creativity, significantly contributing to our teams' achievements.”

Cheryl Sorensen, Lecturer and Joint Leader of the Module, shared that the Young Enterprise initiative was part of much wider activities developing creative entrepreneurs: “At the University of Chester, and Chester Business School, we strive to provide our entrepreneurial students with access to a range of development opportunities to hone their skills in a variety of ways.”

She added a thankyou to the Product Design team and Course Leader Rebecca Falcon for their support in the voluntary, extra-curricular challenge.

The North West YE Start-Up Awards Finals were hosted by the University of Liverpool at the end of February.

The UK Finals will be held on May 14 this year at the University of Hertfordshire.

For more information on Young Enterprise, please visit: https://www.young-enterprise.org.uk/