Entrepreneurs Society: Director of Venture Fund

I love ideas, innovation and impact. More than anything I want to fuel that spirit at UCL and do my best to create an environment of entrepreneurship and enterprise. In the past, I have had experience working in VC firms and I learnt to have an eye for startups and ideas and moreover understand ways in which they can excel in what they do. I want to bring that knowledge and experience to the Venture Fund and be a part of the change that can take place right here in UCL. I want founders at UCL to know they have a chance at funding but moreover have constant guidance and support from the UCLe community. I hope to ensure every founder, anyone with an idea, has a shot to do something big. I have many goals and aspirations for this fund but mainly I want to focus on startups that are doing good and creating change in areas of climate-change, social inequality, knowledge disparity and so many of the areas that we need help in. Although this might seem small in the grand scheme of things, I feel it’s never too early for support and guidance and who knows what can be achieved with a little push. I’m extremely excited for what’s to come and what we can do. I’m Raghav, a 2nd-year Electrical Engineering student and would love to be the Director of the Venture Capital Fund this year.

Hi there! My name is Zaki Siddiqi and I am currently a second-year Economics and Business student. For the past couple of years, entrepreneurship has represented a major part of my life. As Co-Founder of a fitness app start-up, I have had the pleasure of first-handedly experiencing the huge highs as well as the deep lows of having a start-up. Through receiving investment as well as being part of a team that won a prestigious UK Start-Up competition, I wish to share my knowledge and experience of this gruelling process to benefit the future ambitious entrepreneurs UCLe has. Should I be accepted as Director of the VC fund at UCLe, I plan to improve the fund’s current startup screening process to encapsulate not only the strength of the idea but also the person or team behind the idea. After all, as George Doriot, founder of one of the first VC funds said 'any day of the week I'll take an A-Team with a B-idea over a B-team with an A-idea.' After accidentally stumbling upon entrepreneurship, I realised it was the greatest decision I have probably ever made. Through being director of the VC, I wish to share my passion and hopefully motivate as well as assist other students to make the incredible leap into entrepreneurship and one day have their own successful start-up!