The Hatchery

The room includes:

• A large wall-mounted monitor for presentations and projects
• An innovation board for brainstorming
• A spacious table and comfy seating for creative work

"During one of her lectures, Dr. Sandra Obiora mentioned that LBU's Centre for Entrepreneurship & Knowledge Exchange (CEKE) is an excellent resource for students who want to start their own businesses. That prompted me to get in touch with the CEKE team, as I did want to explore entrepreneurship. However, I did not have a clear business idea yet.

"The first piece of advice I received from CEKE was to clarify and refine my idea and get back in touch with them. A few months later, and after graduating, I reconnected with CEKE, with a much clearer business idea: promoting financial literacy for parents who want to teach their kids about money through MoneyParents.com.

"My idea was warmly received, and I was offered support quickly. I had a very insightful business lab mentoring session with one of CEKE's Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, with whom I'm still in contact. I was even invited to participate in the Eureka! competition 2026.

"The guidance I received, and continue to receive, from CEKE has been and still is invaluable. It helps me connect with like-minded entrepreneurs, refine my business vision, and gain confidence in developing my small but ambitious venture."

"The Hatchery is easily the best space on campus and the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange is incredibly welcoming and worth interacting with. As a neurodivergent commuter student, my time was always best spent in these spaces and made my student experience special, practical and worth it.

"I always felt welcomed, understood and supported which made me egar to return and enhance my own entrepreneurial journey alongside my studies and beyond, all due to the openness of everyone involved and their expertise. My interactions with the CEKE were the highlight of my degree, not only because of the cash prizes or biscuits available but the people and environment that make up the CEKE community as a whole."

"University doesn't often give any chances to be entrepreneurial, lots of theory and not many rooms where you can test real ideas, so finding the Centre for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Exchange felt like someone finally switched the lights on. That first session made it clear this wasn't more coursework, it was a space to try, to get feedback from people who've actually built things, and to turn an idea into action with proper support and structure. That shift from learning about entrepreneurship to doing it changed my confidence, my decision making, and perspective.

"The competitions were a great way to really test yourself and grow further. The social enterprise and green enterprise challenges gave me deadlines that forced clarity, and judges' questions that cut straight through to the 'why this, why now, why you?'. Pitching then stepping up to a longer slot and a bigger crowd at EUREKA pushed my public speaking, problem solving, and ability to stay calm under pressure in a way no classroom can.

"Those experiences didn't just test the idea, they built entrepreneurial competence and belief. Winning Eureka was great but what I'll be most thankful for was the people. It never felt transactional, it felt like a community that actually cared, with tutors and mentors who showed up when it mattered and helped turn stress into a plan. That kind of mentorship doesn't just solve a moment, it changes what feels possible the next day.

"If anything, my only regret is not finding CEKE sooner, the mix of honest feedback, shared experience, and real opportunities made entrepreneurship possible at university. Most people leave university debating whether the degree was 'worth it', but finding spaces like CEKE is where the real learning happened, more than any module, and that's what made it feel like there was something special to take away."