Murray Edwards Enterprising Women: First steps into entrepreneurship

Welcome to She Starts – a dynamic new free programme for women from across Cambridge University who want to learn more about entrepreneurship and potentially found their own company.

We’re based at Murray Edwards College but open to all women undergraduate and postgraduate students, postdocs and researchers at the University, as well as recent graduates.

This free programme will help you find out if enterprise is for you as you join our exciting weekend intensive course (Friday evening to Sunday evening, 14-16 March 2025). You’ll work with other course members to form teams and develop and test out a business idea with the support of experienced mentors.

To give you practical insights into the minds of potential investors, you’ll present your pitch to a judging panel of top entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and business leaders from leading organisations including AstraZeneca. They will give you invaluable feedback and advice.

There will be great networking opportunities, too, as you mingle with fellow would-be entrepreneurs, specially selected mentors and senior business figures. After the course, we’ll offer regular support and advice as you pursue your start-up dream, and the chance to join further stages of the programme to help you make your idea a reality.

The focus of this launch programme will be enterprises linked to healthcare, health-related technologies and fem tech (technology tailored towards women’s health). However, if you have an idea for another kind of business, or are simply interested in enterprise in general, please do apply.

More information about the programme, eligibility and more is below. Applications are now open. To apply, please fill in our online application form and return it to enterprisingwomen@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk. Contact Lisa Brent or Paula Rogers-Brown on enterprisingwomen@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk with any enquiries.

What the weekend course will cover:

  • Creating a business concept
  • Building a team
  • Identifying a market for your proposed product or service
  • Researching the competition
  • Commercialising academic research
  • Pitching your business idea
  • Protecting your intellectual property
  • Networking effectively

By the end of the weekend, you will know the basics of founding a business, and you will have expanded your networks. If you are interested in going further along the path to being a female founder, you will be able to apply for our programme for those who have their business idea.

How to apply

Please complete this online application form.

We will be reviewing applications on a rolling basis, and we encourage you to apply early. Applications will close at noon on Wednesday 19 February 2025.

To attend or register your interest, contact: enterprisingwomen@murrayedwards.cam.ac.uk Event information

Get started

and make your idea a reality with the help of IE Cambridge