Enterprise and Entrepreneurship: Building Real-World Impact

On 11 February, we hosted Lingfield College’s second Insight Event, bringing together students, parents, alumni and guests. The theme of the night, Enterprise and Entrepreneurship: From Ideas to Impact: Building Real-World Solutions, explored what it truly means to create meaningful change in an ever-evolving professional landscape.

This year’s theme was chosen by our Sixth Form alumni representative, Alexander Nuth, who also acted as MC for the evening. It was an exceptional night filled with thought provoking discussion, and guests left feeling empowered to take risks, embrace failure as a catalyst for growth, and prioritise finding balance in an ever-changing professional landscape.

The response from students has been overwhelmingly positive. One student shared that he and his father continued discussing the event late into the night. Several meaningful connections were made on the evening itself, including offers of mentorship sparked by the conversations that took place.

A huge thank you to our phenomenal speakers: Eren Hasan, Kate Beare, Rich Martell, Leonora Martell Surtees, and Steve Bedford.

Below is a summary of each talk and the key messages shared:

Rich Martell

Rich spoke candidly about failure as an inevitable and essential part of growth. Encouraging students to “fail fast”, he challenged the audience to view setbacks not as barriers, but as opportunities to learn and adapt.

In a competitive and often unfair entrepreneurial landscape, Rich emphasised the importance of identifying and developing your “unfair advantage”. He encouraged students to take time to understand their unique strengths and consider how these can be leveraged to stand out.

He concluded with a powerful reminder that the “The best time is now.” So start exploring your interests early and build on existing strengths, to shape your entrepreneurial paths with confidence.

Steve Bedford

Steve reflected on the mindset shift that led him towards enterprise, drawing on his wide range of careers and experiences. Rather than seeing these changes as disconnected, he described them as a personalised toolkit of transferable skills, which is something we all develop over time.

This realisation, combined with the belief that it is never too late to start something new, ultimately led him to establish Detillens. Steve reinforced the idea that there is no such thing as failure, only learning, and reminded the audience that they are good enough.

What matters most is discovering your passions and having the courage to pursue them, even when success is not immediately visible.

Leonora Martell‑Surtees

Leonora focused on the importance of prioritising health and wellbeing within any career path, entrepreneurial or otherwise. She highlighted how maintaining physical and mental wellbeing underpins creativity, effectiveness and long‑term success, particularly in the context of burnout, an increasing challenge in modern working life.

She spoke practically about managing stress, nourishing the body with real and brain‑supporting food, moving daily (even through something as simple as a ten‑minute walk), and protecting time for rest and quality sleep.

“When we take care of ourselves, we are more effective, we are more creative, and we are more successful” Arianna Huffington

Kate Beare

Kate shared the journey behind the growth and development of her business, Wave: Speech and Language Therapy, and how she innovated within a traditionally structured sector.

Her talk explored the often-unexpected transition from university to professional life, demonstrating how creativity, adaptability and purpose can shape a career. Kate’s mission‑driven approach and commitment to delivering genuine impact for young people stood out as a powerful example of values‑led entrepreneurship.

Eren Hasan

Eren offered a distinctive perspective on success, centred around balance and intentional decision‑making. He spoke openly about how maintaining a balance between professional ambition and personal life plays a crucial role in his approach to scaling a business.

While driven and aspirational, Eren is clear that growth should not come at the expense of wellbeing, a reminder that success looks different for everyone. He also emphasised the importance of leverage: recognising opportunities, however small, and maximising their potential through strategic thinking.

It certainly was a thought-provoking discussion! A huge thank you to Alexander Nuth, and Grace Garrett-Bud who assisted in running the event!

Want to be involved in our next Insight Event? Get in touch at alumni@lingfieldcollege.co.uk.