Careers Support
With a growing interest in entrepreneurship at Merchant Taylors’ School, we were delighted to extend an invitation to OMTs to participate in our first Entrepreneurship Convention recently.
Our volunteers represented an impressive range of industries, from influencer marketing and modelling agencies to digital FinTech and AI services across multiple sectors, as well as wealth management, baby food production and private GP surgeries. We even had a Dragon’s Den winner in the mix!
Sanjeev Ghandi (1984–1989), parent, Jinesh Vora, Lex Deak (1993–2000) and Kory Sun (2010–2015) formed a panel discussion hosted by Paddy Willis, founder of several businesses and a member of the Worshipful Company of Entrepreneurs. They were joined by Luke Aikman (1995–2002), Tobias Appaya-Bagot (2009–2016), Nik Chopra (1994–2001), Zain Lodhi (2014–2021), Max Nimmo (2011–2017), Rushab Shah (2008–2013), Harjot Singh (2010–2015), and parent, Matthew Isherwood, at an informal networking ‘marketplace’ with boys and parents afterwards.
If entrepreneurship can seem like a path for those who prefer to work alone, the speakers quickly dispelled that notion, emphasising that investors rarely back individuals and instead look for strong, well-balanced teams. One founder highlighted the importance of self-awareness, noting: ‘If I’d tried to do this on my own, I would have fallen apart,’ underlining the value of surrounding yourself with people whose skills complement your own.
The panel discussion also emphasised the importance of identifying real-world problems and having the conviction that they can be solved. Many ideas evolve significantly in their early stages, and all the speakers stressed the need to remain flexible and adaptable, alongside core qualities such as resilience, teamwork, and a willingness to learn — along with knowing when to seek the right support. Indeed, it seems the OMT entrepreneurs were particularly adept at finding that support when given the opportunity to network with one another!
