Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
CEKE
Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange
The Leeds Business School’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange combines research, business support and engagement, student enterprise, and pedagogy.
The Leeds Business School’s Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange combines research, business support and engagement, student enterprise, and pedagogy to ensure the fostering of entrepreneurial mindset and entrepreneurship within the university community and the local economy.
Academic Director of the Centre, Professor Lebene Soga argues that while entrepreneurship may have elements of science or art, what we must pursue is that entrepreneurship is a practice.
Whereas it is okay to say that not every student at university desires to be an entrepreneur, our philosophy is that all students must develop an entrepreneurial mindset. This is because entrepreneurial students, compared with their non-entrepreneurial counterparts…
- Are more employable
- Possess stronger problem-solving skills
- Are more innovative
- See opportunities in failure
- Are more opportunity aware
- Are more intrapreneurial within organisations
- Deliver change more readily
- …inter alia!
The Leeds Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange supports students and the university community in a number of ways as part of its activities. These include our Business Lab, which is open to all Leeds Beckett University students and graduates! Take advantage of this opportunity to launch your own business ideas.
Leeds City Challenge
Have an idea? Turn it into something real and make an impact on Leeds.
The Leeds City Challenge is your opportunity to take an idea and turn it into a real solution for real problems facing the city.
No experience needed. No perfect idea required.
Just curiosity, ambition, and a willingness to act.
- Work on real challenges affecting Leeds right now
- Get hands-on support through expert-led workshops
- Build skills that employers and investors actually value
- Connect with entrepreneurs, leaders, and changemakers
- Pitch your idea at a high-profile final in June
- Structured guidance to develop your idea from scratch
- Feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and experts
- A chance to win funding and recognition
- A platform to turn your thinking into action
- £10,000 seed funding to be won to start your business!
- Be setup for life with your business; your passion needed!
- All Leeds Beckett students (any course, any level)
- Recent graduates (up to 2 years after graduating)
- Applications close: Sunday 3 May 2026
- Workshops: May–June 2026
- Final Pitch & Awards: 18 June 2026
CEKE Enterprise & Knowledge Exchange board
A threefold scope is proposed as part of the board’s oversight on Enterprise and Knowledge Exchange activities at Leeds Business School. The focus is enhancing enterprise activities, increasing funding and boosting knowledge exchange through partnerships. The board meets every couple of months.
-
Professor George Lodorfos
Dean of School / Leeds Business School -
Professor Lebene Soga
Professor / Leeds Business School -
Olga Munroe
Head of the Retail Institute / Leeds Business School
CEKE Enterprise & Knowledge Exchange board
-
Professor George Lodorfos
Dean of School / Leeds Business School -
Professor Lebene Soga
Professor / Leeds Business School -
Olga Munroe
Head of the Retail Institute / Leeds Business School -
Natalie Allen
Head Of Business Partnerships / Knowledge Exchange -
Lucile Allen-Paisant
Senior Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Dr Adalberto Arrigoni
Senior Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Dr Catherine Ashworth
Senior Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Stephanie Dawson
Senior Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Dr Nick Halafihi
Head of Subject / Leeds Business School -
Andy Lima
Senior Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Faresh Maisuria
Founder and Managing Director of Blueberry Marketing Solutions -
Zoe McClelland
Head of Subject / Leeds Business School -
Dr Julia Morgan
Head of The Leadership Centre / Leeds Business School -
Dr Sumona Mukhuty
Reader / Leeds Business School -
Kyran Parker
Senior Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Dr Razaq Raj
Principal Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Saskia Roskam
Co-founder of The Biskery -
Lisa Shepherd
Co-founder of The Biskery -
Professor Ralph Tench
Director of Research & Knowledge Exchange / Leeds Business School -
Dr Karen Vollum-Dix
Senior Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Shane Wright
Senior Lecturer / Leeds Business School -
Julian Farrell
Business Development Manager / Knowledge Exchange -
Christine Robinson
Employability Interdisciplinary Engagement Manager / Beckett Careers -
Robert Scheffrin
Finance Director, Atome Plc -
Fiona Bolam
Head of Economic Policy, Leeds City Council -
John Dammone
Entrepreneur In Residence -
Colin Hill
Advisory Board Member -
Barney Mynott
Regional Business & Stakeholder Manager, Federation of Small Businesses
Quote by Academic Director of the Centre Professor Lebene SogaWhile entrepreneurship may have elements of science or art, what we must pursue is that entrepreneurship is a practice.