Four alumni business owners judged The Big Pitch, an annual ‘Dragons’ Den’ style competition where entrepreneurial students vie for capital to fund their business venture.

The panel of judges included Liam Bradford, owner of Melting In Productions; Oghomwen Adeyinka-Edward, founder of Esopip Children’s Media; Ria Munshi, artistic director of Ri Ri’s Dance Academy and Tom Parson, director and founder of web agency Huddle Digital.

The student finalists of The Big Pitch with the alumni judging panel

Nine finalists were selected from over 100 applicants and each awarded between £1,500 and £6,000 to kick-start their business, resulting in a combined prize of £26,500. The winning pitches championed sustainability and wellbeing, with innovative business ideas ranging from skincare products, sustainable children’s toys and environmentally friendly travel solutions to wellbeing services tailored for men and neurodivergent women.  

Liam said: “I’m incredibly proud to be a University of Salford alumnus and to see the impressive things being done by both the university and its students is fantastic. After a tough competition, I wish all the finalists well with their eclectic range of ideas.”

If you would like to find out how you can be a judge at The Big Pitch, or learn more about the opportunities for you to get involved, please get in touch at alumni@salford.ac.uk.

Our alumni can access a range of support from our Careers team to develop budding business ideas, including specialist entrepreneurship training courses and one-to-one support. Please get in touch if you would like to find out more.

Our alumni judges – Ria Munshi, Tom Parson, Liam Bradford and Oghomwen Adeyinka-Edward