Four entrepreneurs who studied with De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) have been nominated at the same business awards.
A selection of graduates and current students who have all founded start-ups have won recognition at the 2025 East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Awards.
The news comes as Universities UK – the organisation which lobbies on behalf of higher education – launches a new national campaign to show the impact universities have in helping support and motivate students to set up their own businesses.
An analysis by Universities UK (UUK) has suggested that by 2028, about 27,000 new start-ups, with a predicted turnover of about £10.8 billion, could be established at institutions across the UK with the right support.
And many of these will be supported at DMU, which, according to figures collated by Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), helped students found 104 businesses in the 2022/23 academic year, the ninth highest total among UK universities and the highest in the Midlands.
The four finalists have been nominated in a range of categories in the competition, created by the East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Club to recognise and celebrate enterprise in the region. Here’s a little about each nominee:
Simon Sansome
Journalism graduate Simon is a finalist in the Entrepreneur for Good category. During his time at DMU, Simon joined the university’s Crucible business incubation programme.
He is the creator of the mobile app called Snowball Community, described as ‘Trip Advisor for the disabled community’. Snowball allows users to see, and rate the accessibility of more than 100,000 business, venues and other locations across the UK. Since founding the app Simon has won a number of major awards, including the £25,000 Santander X award.
Sallyanne Kirk
Sallyanne made the cut in the Start-up Entrepreneur of the Year category. Sallyanne, who studied Fashion Communication and Styling at DMU, is the founder of the community interest company, Leicester Fashion District, which aims make ethical fashion accessible for all by championing emerging designers through seasonal fashion shows in the city.
Jane Hearst
Jane Hearst is in the mix for the Entrepreneurial Collaborator award. Jane, a PhD student at DMU’s School of Humanities and Performing Arts, is an entrepreneurial researcher specialising in Arts-for-Health. Her work examines how we measure and assign value to arts-for-health services within the UK health market.
Rhys Everquill
Drama graduate Rhys is among the finalists in the Young Entrepreneur of the Year category. After graduating from DMU, Rhys, together with fellow DMU graduates Emma Guy and Megan Lupton founded local news site the Leicester Gazette.
The inclusion of four entrepreneurs connected with DMU is further evidence of efficacy of university’s award-winning Crucible business incubation programme, which has now been running ten years, and has helped hundreds of students and alumni bring their business ideas to life.
Percy Emmett, senior lecturer in Enterprise and director of the Crucible, said: “At DMU, we’re not just helping students launch businesses, we’re supporting them as people, developing their confidence, resilience, and leadership skills.
“Our incubation programme provides hands-on support, mentorship, and funding guidance to help students take their ideas forward.
“The fact that DMU is in the top 10 UK universities for start-ups the strength of our entrepreneurial community. But for us, it’s not just about numbers—it’s about empowering students to build sustainable businesses, create jobs, and make a lasting impact.”
The winners in each category of the of the East Midlands Real Entrepreneurs' Awards 2025 will be announced at a ceremony on Thursday, April 10.
Posted on Thursday 20 March 2025