Flare Ignite finalists 2021
Our enterprise ideas challenge, Flare Ignite, is a highly competitive annual competition giving budding Herts students and alumni entrepreneurial support and training to bring their business ideas to life. Each year finalists compete for prizes and attendees of the awards ceremony have an opportunity to cast their vote for their favourite business in the People's Choice Award, which has a cash prize of up to £500.
The winner of the People's Choice and our highly coveted award categories are announced at a celebratory awards presentation.
2021 Award Winners
Scalable business award supported by Santander Universities UK
- Sophia Roberts, for her business Wisdom Equestrian.
Engineering in business prize x 2 supported by Engineers in Business Fellowship
- Eseroghene George Esiri for his business Herts Drone Solution
- Sidney Barasa and Madung Ayuba for their virtual reality business, Situal Cave.
Innovation and impact award
- Rosie Grant, Olivia Phillips, Jenny Brennan and Bethany Arnold for their digital platform Uplifted Magazine.
Lifestyle business of the year
- Shola Odusanya for her bespoke fashion business SIDIKATU.
Social impact award
- Kim Everitt for SENDplan.
People's choice award
- Ammar Malik and Shujaat Khan for their start-up agency Stenrock Recruitment.
Meet the finalists
Bishal Saha - Hertfordshire Business School. A non-profit, AI-featured online learning and job-seeking platform developed to teach programming to people with visual impairment.
Vonetta Ragwar - School of Life and Medical Sciences. A social enterprise initiative with a mission to support early childhood learning for vulnerable and marginalised children.
Eseroghene George Esiri - School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science. An innovative business using cutting edge drone technology to deliver bespoke aerial solutions.
Kim Everitt - School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science. A special education service helping parents on their journey to supporting their children’s development throughout their lives.
Sidney Prince Barasa and Madung Dung - School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science. A virtual reality company with a goal to seamlessly integrate simulation and virtual reality technology.
Ammar Malik and Shujaat Khan - Hertfordshire Law School. A start-up agency who aim to empower, transform and upskill candidates in order to address current unemployment issues.
Rosie Grant, Olivia Phillips, Jenny Brennan, Bethany Arnold - School of Humanities. A free, digital platform that empowers a community of women living with life challenging illnesses.
Ben Lowe - School of Creative Arts. Providing music, sound and licensing solutions in one unique production package to the film, TV, gaming and advertising industries.
Sophia Roberts - School of Humanities. An equestrian shapewear brand for women that creates the illusion of an hourglass figure, in a high-performing product that is practical for horse-riding.
Family Impressions
Shoshana Rose Stern - School of Creative Arts
Family Impressions is a well-being related plaster sculptor product, developed to facilitate art therapy sessions. It has been shown to be particularly beneficial to clients with sensory disorders and identity issues.
Sidikatu
Shola Odusanya - School of Creative Arts
Sidikatu is a fashion brand offering bespoke plus-size evening wear in luxurious and sustainable fabric, designed and produced in Shola’s home-based studio.