Business and innovation partnerships

Find contact information for business and innovation partnerships staff.

UCL Innovation & Enterprise’s Business and Innovation Partnerships team are specialists who partner with academic and industrial leadership to develop and deliver highly impactful knowledge exchange programmes and collaborations that transform people, places and sectors.

View members of the team by sector or specialism:

Creative industries
Pharma and healthcare
Technology, engineering and built environment
Public sector and the professions
SMEs

Dr William Lovegrove

Director of Business and Innovation Partnerships

Email: w.lovegrove@ucl.ac.uk

Will leads the development and implementation of UCL's overarching strategy for engagement with business and innovation partners, coordinating efforts across various departments within UCL. He collaborates closely with key internal and external stakeholders to actively support the creation of sector and ecosystem-focused strategies and engagement plans. These plans combine and leverage resources and expertise from within UCL and our innovation partners to create lasting social and economic benefits.

UCL colleagues can contact Will to:

discuss and design an innovation strategy tailored to your responsibility portfolio, maximising opportunities for growth and impact
explore avenues for funding and executing large and complex knowledge exchange projects, ensuring appropriate risk mitigations are in place for successful delivery

External organisations can contact Will to better understand UCL’s strategy for creating productive innovation partnerships and explore where best to engage with our world-class researchers.

Will previously worked for the University of Surrey as Director of Innovation Strategy: a role which encompassed technology transfer, pre-seed venture funding, strategic partnerships, impact acceleration, strengthening industry-cluster ecosystems and trusted research.

Before this, Will worked in a global media and entertainment company before co-founding a tech start-up which pioneered the electronic transfer of financial data between payroll software and pension providers. He has a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Nottingham and is a member of the Money and Pensions Service 'pensions dashboard' steering group.

Creative industries

Kristina Glushkova

Principal Partnerships Manager (Creative Sectors)

Tel: 020 7612 6512
Email: k.glushkova@ucl.ac.uk

Kristina leads on innovation and partnership initiatives that bring industry and UCL experts together to develop strategic collaboration opportunities in the creative and cultural sectors. Kristina’s focus is on multidisciplinary collaborations that apply UCL research strengths to address real-world needs of organisations in creative technology, the arts, media, performance, heritage, publishing, video games and other creative domains.

Contact Kristina to:

discuss innovation and knowledge exchange opportunities strategies in the creative and cultural industries
explore partnership development for different areas of UCL expertise applicable to these industries, including cross-department and cross-faculty initiatives
find out more about UCL’s current collaboration with the creative and cultural industries

Kristina previously worked in innovation, development and strategy roles at StoryFutures, Royal Holloway, Ofcom, mySociety.Org and Nokia. She was also co-founder and co-director of Markerhood CIC and Impact Hub Brixton CIC.

Rebecca Robinson

Partnerships Manager (Creative Sectors)

Tel: 020 3108 6625 (internal: 56625)
Email: rebecca.j.robinson@ucl.ac.uk

Rebecca manages, supports and develops collaborative partnerships between UCL and the cultural, creative and heritage industries.

Contact Rebecca to:

discuss potential strategic partnerships with UCL researchers
identify and develop innovation and enterprise partnerships
discuss potential projects and new ideas

Prior to this role, Rebecca managed the delivery of UCL’s portfolio of awarded Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) projects. This involved working closely with external partners and UCL academics to support the delivery of their innovative, collaborative projects.

Before joining UCL, Rebecca held international roles in public and private sector organisations, specialising in research, communication and languages.

Pharma and healthcare

Dr Laura Ciccolini

Principal Partnerships Manager (Pharma and Healthcare)

Mobile: 07564 580771
Email: l.ciccolini@ucl.ac.uk

Laura focuses on the development of strategic partnerships between external organisations and UCL researchers in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.

Contact Laura about:

opportunities to partner with UCL researchers (if you’re a commercial or not-for-profit organisation)
opening a dialogue with an external organisation about a research project or idea (if you’re a UCL academic)
exploring an academic-industrial collaboration (if you’re unsure how to start the process)
strategically developing your academic-industrial partnership

Laura spent over 15 years working in the life sciences, engineering, and physics industries, holding roles across commercial and business functions, in small and large corporations. She gained practice in sales and business development, contract management, licensing deals, and team management. She’s supported businesses expanding and generating value, fundraising, and going through mergers and acquisitions. She also became a physics teacher and spent a couple of years teaching A-level students.

Laura completed her undergraduate, master’s and PhD at UCL, in biochemical engineering, and spent a number of years as research assistant and research fellow at the Institution. She then embarked on her career in industry, before returning to UCL.

Technology, engineering and built environment

Andrew Huddart

Principal Partnerships Manager (New Technologies, Energy & Engineering Sectors)

Mobile: 07976 673435
Tel: 020 3108 6980 (internal: 56980)
Email: a.huddart@ucl.ac.uk

Andrew focuses on developing significant innovation partnerships between UCL and companies or civic partners that use digital or operational technologies. His areas of specialisation include digitisation, energy transformation, niche manufacturing and using engineering creatively to tackle unmet needs across society.

Andrew also leads the Innovation & Enterprise team’s support for UCL East.

Contact Andrew about:

opportunities to partner with UCL researchers (if you’re a business or civic sector organisation), across all campuses, including the PEARL and UCL East developments
opening a dialogue with an external partner about some applied research (if you’re a UCL academic)
strategically developing your existing academic-based innovation partnership
exploring an academic-industrial collaboration (if you’re unsure how to start the process)

Before joining UCL, Andrew managed partnerships for innovation for over 15 years, working in the UK, New Zealand and United States across public, private and higher education sectors. His professional background includes over a decade as a financial journalist for Reuters, and business reporting in the shipping sector. His first degree is a BSc Maritime Studies, and he holds an MSc in Medical Device innovation from Cranfield University.

Dr Laura Bovo

Senior Partnerships Manager (Enabling Technologies)

Tel: 020 3108 6985 (internal: 56985)
Email: l.bovo@ucl.ac.uk

Laura focuses on developing significant innovation partnerships between UCL and companies or civic partners that use digital or operational technologies, especially transformational technologies that will enable societal and economic impact. She specialises in the space sector, quantum technologies, sustainable chemistry, clean energy and applied physics in medicine.

Contact Laura about:

opportunities to partner with UCL researchers (if you’re a commercial or not-for-profit organisation)
opening a dialogue with an external organisation about applied translational research or an innovation idea (if you’re a UCL academic)
ways to stimulate innovation and facilitate external partnerships (if you’re unsure how to start the process)
developing multi-stakeholder partnerships, and strengthening the links between science, policy and the public
advice on the range of knowledge exchange pathways and opportunities available to develop innovation partnerships and other collaborations for impact

Before taking this role, Laura was responsible for supporting a range of innovation-related programmes, including innovation networks across different disciplines at UCL.

Laura is a chemist by training, with almost a decade’s experience of academic research in magnetism. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Padova, Italy, and worked as a researcher at the London Centre for Nanotechnology at UCL from 2011 to 2018. Laura is a member of the Institute of Physics and of the Royal Society of Chemistry, and sits on group committees for both institutions. More information about Laura's publications is available on IRIS.

Dr Ann Thorpe

Senior Partnerships Manager (Advanced Urban Systems)

Mobile: 07447 561030 (preferred)
Tel: 020 3108 6740 (internal: 56740)
Email: ann.thorpe@ucl.ac.uk

Ann focuses on facilitating relationships with UCL’s partners in the realm of urban services, particularly smart and sustainable cities and sectors such as transport, built environment, and infrastructure.

Contact Ann about:

finding partners, whether looking from outside UCL in, or from UCL out
tools and techniques for developing partnerships
agreements, such as non-disclosure or heads of terms
networking and connections in the realm of smart and sustainable cities

Before joining UCL Innovation & Enterprise, Ann worked in several groups around UCL, including the Transport Institute, the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy, and the Bartlett School of Architecture. She also has experience developing partnerships while holding roles in government and in businesses. She studied at University of California Berkeley, Stanford and the Open University and has expertise in sustainable design and development.

Polly Van Alstyne

Senior Innovation Networks Manager

Mobile: 07826 958382
Tel: 020 3108 7967 (internal: 57967)
Email: p.vanalstyne@ucl.ac.uk

Polly focuses on the creation of multidisciplinary innovation networks, bringing together UCL academics with industry, government and third sector parties to realise impact around a particular theme. Networks cross a diverse range of sectors and current affairs, such as AI, climate change, innovation in media and the arts, equity in healthcare, sustainable technologies, green infrastructure and responsible innovation.

Contact Polly about:

best practice for forming and maintaining an innovation network
engaging across disciplines within UCL around a central theme
developing multi-stakeholder networks and partnerships by making connections with relevant industry, government and third sector actors
applying for funding to scope or run your innovation network

Before joining UCL, Polly was a founder and Chief Operating Officer of a biotech startup in Scotland, where she was responsible for developing and deploying the company’s growth strategy. While in that role, she helped to build a knowledge exchange framework within the organisation, leading sponsorship of PhD and Master's studentships, KTP placements and other funded collaborative research projects.

Polly currently sits on the commercial advisory board of the Industrial Biotech Innovation Centre (IBioIC) and previously served on the industry advisory board of the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh.

She holds an MBA from the University of Strathclyde and a BSc Foreign Service from Georgetown University in Washington, DC.

Dr Maria Mediero

Innovation Development Manager

Tel: 020 7679 5079
Email: maria.mediero@ucl.ac.uk

Maria works closely with academic staff and business/civic partners to develop ideas emerging from UCL research into new innovations and applications. She helps to build institutional partnerships with industry partners through initiatives such as the Innovation Challenges and Challenges Explored programme funded by EPSRC Impact Acceleration Account (IAA).

Contact Maria about:

applying UCL’s academic expertise to create impact across industry and non-profit sectors
developing innovation and enterprise partnerships
routes to innovation and business development support available at UCL
organising events and workshops to promote and exchange knowledge between UCL and business/civic partners

Maria is on secondment from the Faculty of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, where she’s Innovation and Enterprise Coordinator and primary contact for staff interested in enterprise activities. In this role, she’s facilitated innovation opportunities, supported cross-departmental collaborations, managed knowledge exchange and funding initiatives, and strengthened connections with external partners.

Before joining UCL, Maria was a Research Fellow at Imperial College London and held a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship at University of Nottingham. She’s a Chemical Engineer by training and earned her PhD in Materials Science from the University of Cambridge.

Public sector and the professions

The Public Sector and Professions (PSP) team specialises in developing partnerships with public sector organisations, social enterprises and the third sector (charitable, voluntary and community groups and organisations).

James Jennings

Senior Partnership Manager (Public Sector)

Tel: 020 2108 6606 (internal: 56606)
Email: james.c.jennings@ucl.ac.uk

James helps build and maintain partnerships and relationships with a range of public sector organisations.

Contact James about:

building links and interactions with local government (and entities that sit within it)
collaborations with third sector and organisations with a strong footprint in the public sector arena
public policy work in London, UK and overseas
secondment opportunities to bring public sector staff into UCL to work with academics

James has extensive experience working in local government. He’s led on economic development and business growth, regeneration, housing, and policy and strategy for three local authorities in London and Essex. This included change management, international links and embedding equality, diversity and inclusion policy and practice. He also has experience in the third sector, chairing a charity and a community development trust in south east London. In all these roles James developed and maintained relationships with a range of statutory bodies, businesses and education providers.

James joined UCL from London South Bank University where he worked on complex change management projects and developing new ways of working through innovation. He has an MSc in Politics & Government and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Dr Helen Tsui

Partnership Manager (Public Sector)

Tel: 020 3108 9096 (internal: 59096)
Email: helen.tsui@ucl.ac.uk

Helen supports the delivery of innovation and enterprise partnerships that leverage, in a systematic manner, UCL academic expertise into the public sector. She’s also responsible for UCL Innovation & Enterprise’s engagement with local authorities.

Contact Helen about:

bringing UCL academic expertise into the public sector
developing innovation and enterprise partnerships
helping UCL faculties and professional services to support partner organisations to be innovative and enterprising
organising communications and events to promote and exchange knowledge between UCL and local authority partners

Helen previously managed UCL’s knowledge exchange funding. She’s also worked in UCL Public Policy, promoting engagement and interaction between UCL research activity and external stakeholders, in particular those working in public policy and in public sector.

Before moving to UCL, Helen worked at Imperial College London where she managed the EPSRC-funded National Service for Computational Chemistry Software, supporting research groups at universities across the UK. She has a PhD in Computational Chemistry from UCL and is trained in project management (PRINCE2 practitioner).

SMEs

Kemil Thomas

Principal Partnerships Manager (High Growth SMEs)

Tel: 020 3108 7934 (internal: 57934)
Email: kemil.thomas@ucl.ac.uk

Kemil is responsible for identifying and developing strategic partnerships between UCL researchers and external commercial partners, with a focus on high-growth SMEs.

He previously managed UCL's Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme and other knowledge-exchange initiatives across faculties within UCL. Before moving to UCL, he worked as a Project Manager with the University of Wales, supporting their enterprise activities. He has experience supporting Innovate UK, European-funded (ERDF, ESF) and other external-funded projects for business engagement and support.

Kemil holds a Master’s degree in Finance from Swansea University and is also trained in project management (PRINCE2 practitioner).

Dr Joe Welch

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Programme Manager

Tel: 020 7679 9933 (internal: 39933)
Mobile: 07917 923689
Email: j.welch@ucl.ac.uk

Joe manages UCL’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) programme. The KTP scheme offers a co-funded mechanism through which academics can put their research into practice and businesses can innovate and grow. Joe works with businesses and academics to scope potential KTP projects and apply for funding from Innovate UK. He then works with academic departments to set them up and oversees them.

Contact Joe if you want to:

explore if your idea or project could be eligible for the KTP programme
apply your academic expertise in business/industry environments
embed new capability in your business/organisation
strategically develop your academic-industry partnership

Joe joined Innovation & Enterprise from UCL’s Impact team, where he was responsible for developing and supporting impact activities across the Maths & Physical Sciences and Engineering faculties. He also supported strategic institutional impacts through the Office of the Vice-Provost (Research).

Joe currently maintains his role as a Senior Research Fellow at the London Centre for Nanotechnology’s Diamond Electronics Group (UCL) one day a week. Joe has worked in the Diamond group since 2007, performing the role of Lab Manager between 2014 to 2021. Each research project Joe has worked on has been in close collaboration with industry, across a wide range of applications.

Learn more about the benefits of a KTP for company partners or UCL academics.

Dr Aysha Chaudhary

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Project Coordinator

Tel: 020 3108 5536 (internal: 55536)
Email: a.chaudhary@ucl.ac.uk

Aysha manages the delivery of UCL’s Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) projects, from award through to completion. This involves being the first point of contact for company partners, KTP Associates and UCL academics for queries about KTP projects.

Contact Aysha if you’re:

a UCL academic, company partner or KTP Associate with a query about a KTP project in set-up or live phase that you’re working on at UCL
unsure who to contact about your KTP-related enquiry

Aysha has a research background in electronic engineering and previously worked in the London Centre for Nanotechnology at UCL, before moving to professional services. She also has experience in the publishing sector.

Learn more about the benefits of a KTP for company partners or UCL academics.

Tom McCormick

Business and Innovation Partnerships & Knowledge Transfer Partnerships Administrator

Tel: 020 7612 6117 (internal: 56117)
Email: t.mccormick@ucl.ac.uk

Tom provides administrative support to the wider Business and Innovation Partnerships (BIP) team. In particular, he supports UCL’s Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) programme portfolio.

Contact Tom if you’re:

a UCL Research Services or Professional Services colleague with a finance, HR or project management query about a KTP project in your department
unsure who to contact about your KTP-related enquiry

Learn more about the benefits of a KTP for company partners or UCL academics.

Innovate UK Business Growth

The Innovate UK Business Growth team provides specialist innovation advice and facilitates international partnerships for high-growth SMEs, innovative startups and R&D intensive spinouts.

Jonathan Grinbaud

Programme Manager

Tel: 020 3108 6688 (internal: 56688)
Email: jonathan.grinbaud.15@ucl.ac.uk

Jonathan manages the Innovate UK Business Growth programme at UCL Innovation & Enterprise. The programme empowers innovation-driven small and medium-sized enterprises to grow and achieve their industry- and society-transforming ambitions.

Jonathan is responsible for the strategic oversight and management of UCL’s role in Innovate UK Business Growth.

Contact Jonathan if you want to:

find out more about Innovate UK Business Growth
strategically engage with the Innovate UK Business Growth programme and team as an internal or external stakeholder

Jonathan initially joined UCL Innovation & Enterprise in 2017 as a Project Officer and then as an Innovation & Growth specialist, supporting London-based SMEs and university spinouts with innovation management and internationalisation.

Jonathan has a Modern European Studies MA from UCL, and a French Master’s degree in European Affairs and International Relations from the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Lyon (Sciences Po Lyon).

Lesley Rubenstein-Pessok

Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 3108 5839 (internal: 53839)
Mobile: 07702 124292
Email: l.rubensteinpessok@ucl.ac.uk

Lesley helps London-based technology- and innovation-led companies to grow and scale.

As a Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist, she also line-manages a team of Innovation and Growth Specialists, and works with the Programme Manager on strategic projects to enhance the delivery of Innovate UK Business Growth.

Contact Lesley about:

business strategies
business development
go to market strategy
her masterclasses on topics such as leadership and negotiations
mentoring C-suite executives

Lesley has spent her career helping businesses go from concept to commercialisation, get into better shape, problem-solve, strategise and scale-up.

Lesley has established and managed, as a Managing Director or Chief Executive, three organisations, raising public and private funds to do so. She led the privatisation of one of these organisations from a non-profit to a for-profit, raising $2.3 million to do so. She's also established a consultancy to support SMEs in local and international business development and mentored clients in sectors including medical, fintech, regtech, chatbots, electronics, large format printing, LED lighting fixtures and controls, hospitality, enterprise software and apps.

Marius Stancu

Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 3108 7934 (internal: 57934)
Email: m.stancu@ucl.co.uk

Marius offers advice to London based SMEs, supporting their development. He helps companies improve their growth strategy, refine their business plans and funding applications, and identify new opportunities to commercialise their IP.

As a Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist, he also line-manages a team of Innovation and Growth Specialists, and works with the Programme Manager on strategic projects to enhance the delivery of Innovate UK Business Growth.

Contact Marius about:

accessing funding and finance
making global connections
improving how you manage innovation
identifying sector specific opportunities to develop your business
accessing and doing business in new markets

Marius has a decade of experience supporting SMEs and the London ecosystem. He’s acted as mentor and advisor on various UK and international programmes, managed the business incubator for City, University of London and has been a Visiting Lecturer for Bayes Business School.

Marius holds a BA in International Relations and Politics from Coventry University and has completed the Mastering Design Thinking executive programme with MIT Sloane School of Management.

Dr Dylan Banks

Innovation and Growth Specialist

Email: d.banks@ucl.ac.uk

Dylan works with London-based technology and innovation led SMEs to help them grow and scale.

He supports companies by helping them access funding, writing funding applications and business plans, strategy and planning for go-to-market, financing, intellectual property, operations and product.

Contact Dylan about:

accessing funding and finance
business model development
innovation management
IP
strategic planning

Dylan has over a decade of experience of supporting and building companies, through inception to Series A and B fundraises. Dylan founded a technology consultancy and incubator in 2012 and has been working in the technology innovation and entrepreneurial space since.

Prior to 2012, Dylan was an academic with a research group specialising in biomedical engineering. He holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering, a MSc in Nanotechnology and a BSc in Physics.

Mariana Carranza Alanis

Ecosystem Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 3549 5224
Email: mariana.carranza@ucl.ac.uk

Mariana oversees relationships with external partners for UCL and Innovate UK Business Growth. She also collaborates with London-based startups, focusing on fundraising, business development, and expanding internationally.

Contact Mariana about:

access to innovative startups in multiple sectors
preparing and executing your fundraising strategy
making global connections
international expansion

Before joining the team, Mariana spent over six years in the venture capital and private equity sector. She invested in companies ranging from pre-seed to Series C stages, and in VC funds in London through a private equity firm. She holds an MBA from Oxford University and a BA in Marketing from Universidad Iberoamericana. Originally from Mexico, Mariana now resides in London.

Emilio Cuevas

Ecosystem Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 7612 6129
Email: e.cuevas@ucl.ac.uk

Emilio manages relationships with external stakeholders for UCL and Innovate UK Business Growth. He also works with London base startups on fundraising, business development and international expansion.

Contact Emilio about:

access to innovative startups in multiple sectors
preparing and executing your fundraising strategy
making global connections
international expansion

Before joining the team, Emilio supported startups with raising seed and Series A funding. He also set up and runs one of the biggest Latin tech communities in the UK.

Emilio holds an MSc in Entrepreneurship from UCL and a Law degree. While originally from Mexico, where he worked as a corporate lawyer at Holland & Knight and was part of the founding team of a law firm, Emilio is now based in London.

Molly Foulger

Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 3108 8957 (internal: 58957)
Email: m.foulger@ucl.ac.uk

Molly works with London-based SMEs and university spinouts to advise and support them on their growth journeys. She helps companies to identify and explore new markets, access funding and investment, and develop their intellectual property. She has a particular focus on international growth and expansion

Contact Molly about:

accessing and doing business in new markets
accessing funding and finance
identifying sector specific opportunities to develop your business
making global connections

Before joining UCL, Molly worked on London & Partners accelerator programme, supporting London-based start-ups and scale-ups on their growth journeys, both domestically and internationally. She has particular experience working with companies within the creative and urban sectors.

Molly has a degree in Modern Languages (Spanish) and Business & Management from the University of Manchester.

Stuart Hartley

Innovation and Growth Specialist

Email: s.hartley@ucl.ac.uk

Stuart provides bespoke support to London-based startups and scale-up businesses.

Contact Stuart about:

creating strategic growth plans
defining critical short-term and long-term goals and objectives
creating and implementing marketing strategies
identifying new opportunities, sectors and locations
obtaining funding and finance

Stuart has been advising high growth startups and scale-ups for nearly 20 years, initially at De Montfort University and then with a boutique management consultancy organisation. He has spent the last 8 years running his own consultancy organisation supporting some of the fastest growing technology and engineering businesses in the UK.

Stuart holds a BSc(Hons) in Sports Science from the University of Greenwich and an MBA from De Montfort University.

Alexandra Isevski

Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 3108 9399 (internal: 59399)
Email: a.isevski@ucl.ac.uk

Alexandra works with London-based SMEs and university spinouts, providing tailored support to help them with their growth potential. She helps companies access funding and investment, develop their intellectual property and identify and explore new markets.

Contact Alexandra about:

accessing funding and finance
writing business plans
entering new markets (UK and internationally)
marketing coaching
business development
IP issues
making global connections

Before joining the team, Alexandra managed the UCL Hatchery Incubator Programme, supporting UCL startups and scale-ups on their growth journeys.

Alexandra holds a Bachelor’s degree in Marketing and an MA in Entrepreneurship from London South Bank University. She's also won an award for ‘Exceptional Entrepreneurship Education’ and a grant for her startup idea at university.

Prashant Lagisetti

Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 3108 9844 (internal: 59844)
Email: p.lagisetti@ucl.ac.uk

Prashant works with London-based innovative SMEs and spinouts to help them grow and scale. He supports companies on various aspects of building a business, with particular expertise in accessing funding and finance.

Contact Prashant about:

creating strategic growth plans
business models
financial modelling
accessing funding and finance

Prashant holds law and commerce degrees as well as a diploma in financial planning. He worked as an investment portfolio manager in wealth management for 11 years before moving to startups in 2013. After building his own startup and working for others, he started supporting innovative startups, building and running high-profile accelerator programmes. Since 2020 Prashant has directly supported businesses as an Innovation and Growth Specialist for Innovate UK Business Growth.

Anya Lyon-Fraser

Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 8103 8339
Email: a.lyon-fraser@ucl.ac.uk

Anya offers bespoke support for London-based ventures at various growth stages. She's experienced in collaborating with founders and senior management, and can help you with commercialisation challenges, including product-market fit, growth strategy, IP, fundraising and deal execution.

Contact Anya about:

strategy development
business development
investor strategy
partnership collaboration

Anya comes from a consulting background with a proven track record of providing strategic insights and solutions to diverse clients. Anya is skilled in conducting thorough research, analysing data, and offering actionable recommendations. She's passionate about driving growth and helping businesses achieve their goals.

Dr Stefan Nardi-Hiebl

Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 3108 7937 (internal: 57937)
Email: s.nardi-hiebl@ucl.ac.uk

Stefan provides tailored advice and support to London-based SMEs, including UCL startups and spinout companies. This includes helping them access funding for innovation, write business plans and funding applications, develop and diversify products, plan new markets, and exploit and protect intellectual property.

Contact Stefan about:

finding trusted business, research or technology partners internationally
accessing funding and finance
making global connections
improving how you manage innovation

Stefan has more than a decade of experience in healthcare and life sciences in various managerial positions, from multinational enterprises and consulting to the startup sector.

Véronique Rapetti

Innovation and Growth Specialist

Tel: 020 3108 2449 (internal: 52449)
Email: v.rapetti@ucl.ac.uk

Véronique works with London-based SMEs looking to grow and scale up their businesses locally, nationally and internationally.

Contact Véronique about:

commercial and business strategies to support growth
product innovation and development for better product market-fit
pitching skills (and pitch deck) and successfully accessing funding and finance
capabilities building (leadership, people’s performance development)
international collaboration

Véronique has been involved with the entrepreneurial eco-system in London for the last 15 years. She’s worked with over 400 founders and corporates executives, through acceleration and corporate innovation programmes. She continues to support founders through her pro-bono activities and is on the Board of Directors of OWIT UK (Organisation for Women in International Trade UK).

Véronique also has decades of commercial and consultancy experience. She launched a b2b training business within the pharmaceutical sector, and was involved in the launch of the first French radio in London. She’s worked across various sectors including pharmaceutical, financial services, media, charity, professional services, edtech, energy and more. Véronique is trilingual, speaking English, French, and Italian.

Véronique holds a European Master’s in Law and Economics from Oxford and Hamburg University. She received the highest award France gives to its citizen for her entrepreneurial and cultural endeavours: in January 2022 she became a Knight of the French Legion of Honor (Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur), and in December 2018 received the Freedom of the City of London.

Isabelle Etheridge

Events, Communications and Marketing Coordinator

Tel: 020 7679 8196 (internal: 08196)
Email: i.etheridge@ucl.ac.uk

Isabelle oversees the events, communications and marketing activities of the Innovate UK Business Growth team. She's responsible for coordinating all aspects of events and contributes to the design and production of marketing materials and web communications.

Contact Isabelle about:

events organised or co-organised by the team
internal and external communications relating to Innovate UK Business Growth

Suha Nizami

Business Development Specialist

Tel: 020 3108 3762 (internal: 53762)
Email: suha.nizami@ucl.ac.uk

Suha supports the delivery of UCL’s Innovate UK Business Growth portfolio by building and maintaining relationships with key internal and external partners and stakeholders. She also monitors and analyses trends and fresh opportunities in the dynamic small and medium-sized business environment.

Contact Suha about:

the Innovate UK Business Growth programme, its eligibility criteria, and how your business may be able to strategically leverage and benefit from the programme
sharing opportunities and building relationships with the Innovate UK Business Growth team as an external innovation ecosystem stakeholder
reporting and project outputs for the Innovate UK Business Growth team

Emilie-Kate O’Mahony

Project Officer

Email: e.o'mahony@ucl.ac.uk

Emilie-Kate provides project management and support for the Innovate UK Business Growth programme at UCL Innovation & Enterprise.

Contact Emilie-Kate about any queries relating to the Innovate UK Business Growth programme including:

eligibility criteria
reporting and monitoring procedures

Before joining UCL, Emilie-Kate worked in universities supporting student entrepreneurship, innovation incubators, enterprise events, and startup development programmes.

Emilie-Kate has a Bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and a MBA from Munster Technological University in Cork City, Republic of Ireland.