Dwain Reid Email & Phone Number

Kingston Upon Thames, England, United Kingdom

Developing on my previous responsibilities, I now manage a growing team, including student interns, to deliver our enterprise activities. A key focus of my role is delivering Kingston University’s Future Skills ambition, embedding enterprise skills and entrepreneurial ability directly into the curriculum. I also work closely with academics and colleagues as part of the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre, helping them use technology to enhance their teaching and create innovative learning experiences.|Under my leadership, our Incubation Programme is now supported by a team of experienced entrepreneurs who volunteer their time to guide and mentor early-stage businesses. We’ve developed a robust online and hybrid programme that offers masterclasses and bootcamps to hundreds of students annually, including early-stage entrepreneurs and freelancers.|In addition, I continue to oversee the Bright Ideas Competition, which now attracts over 800 student participants each year, many of whom engage through embedded curricular activities. Our vibrant programme equips students with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world, blending enterprise education and entrepreneurial thinking.|Through strategic leadership and ongoing mentorship, I’ve been able to sustain and grow many of the initiatives from my previous role, while driving new innovations that align with the university’s ambition to provide meaningful entrepreneurial opportunities for students and graduates. Annually over 3,000 students have an enterprise education experience.

Kingston Upon Thames, England, United Kingdom

In my expanded role, I led the development, marketing, and implementation of both extracurricular and in-curricular student enterprise initiatives. I was responsible for managing a dynamic team, increasing engagement in our enterprise activities to over 1,000 participants.|One of my most rewarding accomplishments was launching the Student Incubator, which supported 20 early-stage graduate start-ups annually. We attracted sponsorship from key partners, including Santander Universities, and piloted a Living Wage scheme for founders and a Paid Student Intern scheme for our incubated start-ups.|In addition, I spearheaded the creation of a dedicated Graduate Entrepreneurs Support Programme, which became a vital platform for international students. This programme provided business validation and led to the endorsement of approximately 40 Start-Up Visas, with an impressive success rate—85% of participants transitioned to an Entrepreneur Visa or Skilled Work Visa. As a result, this programme is now firmly established as our annual Summer Business Validation Programme, serving 20 participants per year.|I was also instrumental in creating our own Dragons' Den-style Competition, investing £10k annually into a graduate start-up, funded entirely by alumni contributions. My leadership in this initiative strengthened our ties with alumni and furthered our commitment to nurturing entrepreneurial talent.My efforts contributed to Kingston University being consistently ranked No. 1 or No. 2 in the UK for Graduate Start-Ups, and the Bright Ideas Competition I implemented remains a flagship programme, recognized as exemplary by the Small Business Charter, engaging up to 600 students each year.|I enjoyed working with prominent networks such as NACUE, EEUK, NMN and NCEE, fostering collaboration and sharing best practices in entrepreneurial education.

Kingston Upon Thames, England, United Kingdom

I assisted with the marketing and co-ordination of three early stage business support programmes and enterprise education support including an ideas competition, ran by a consortium of universities. |Helped 20 early stage ventures through the ideation and validation process. In partnership with the West Focus universities, the Bright Ideas Competition, served over 200 students inspiring them to do something with their ideas. Through strategic marketing and mentorship, I helped these programs achieve its highest in participation rates and helped to develop the entrepreneurial capability of students and graduates involved.|Had fun working with networks Graduates2Business, Young Enterprise, WestFocus, HEEG, NCGE and SFIE.

London Area, United Kingdom

As the Entrepreneurial Engagement & Early-Stage Investment Lead at Forbes Family Group (FFG), I champion the Cap Table Pitch Competition—an impactful investment initiative designed to empower underrepresented founders in building scalable, successful ventures. From ideation to delivery, I manage every aspect of this competition, offering high-potential businesses access to our extensive network of seasoned entrepreneurs and industry leaders, along with tailored support and guidance.|Each Spring, the Cap Table Pitch Competition opens its doors, providing a unique platform for ambitious founders to showcase their ideas. In 2024 alone, we invested over £50k into four innovative early-stage companies, directly contributing to the growth of diverse ventures in the entrepreneurial ecosystem. I prioritize identifying tech-driven ventures with visionary leaders, helping them make invaluable connections within the competitive start-up landscape.|Beyond the annual competition, I lead a comprehensive review of applications each October, seeking out exceptional submissions that may have the opportunity to pitch directly to Dean Forbes or an elite FFG investment panel.|In addition to overseeing investment initiatives, I’m a strong advocate for entrepreneurial inclusivity, aiming to enhance the exposure and resources available to underrepresented entrepreneurs. My role at FFG allows me to actively support founders on their journey to scale, contributing to a more equitable landscape for aspiring businesses.

London, United Kingdon

As a business growth consultant, I support entrepreneurs and businesses in scaling their ventures, focusing on strategic growth, leadership, and accountability. I offer a tailored mix of 1-2-1 and group coaching, guiding clients from ideation to successful execution with clarity and purpose.Utilising proven coaching models, I enable clients to set meaningful goals, identify opportunities, and create actionable plans to achieve their objectives.|Beyond individual coaching, I collaborate with universities, incubators, and organisations to design and facilitate entrepreneurial programmes. These programmes focus on business validation, lead generation, and investment readiness, equipping participants with the tools and confidence to grow their ventures.|I’m also a sought-after keynote speaker, presenting at high-profile events, including the largest conference for Black entrepreneurs in the U.K. My talks deliver actionable strategies, inspire innovation, and make entrepreneurship accessible to diverse audiences.|Organisations frequently book me to lead expert workshops as part of their business programmes, drawing on my expertise to facilitate impactful sessions that empower participants to take the next steps in their entrepreneurial journey. Clients include/included The BBC, Hatch Enterprise UK, National Association of College and University Entrepreneurs, Prince’s Trust, Shell, The Business Show Media, and Virgin.|With a proven track record across diverse industries, I’ve helped businesses secure investment, build strong leadership teams, and implement sustainable growth models. Whether through group coaching, individual consultancy, or speaking engagements, my mission is to empower entrepreneurs and organisations to maximize their potential and achieve transformational growth.

London

Grew to being the largest provider of childcare in the borough of Lewisham, serving over 100 children a day across 3 sites and achieving over £150k pa revenue. Responsible for the strategic management of the business. Giggles provided outstanding childcare in Lewisham and the surrounding boroughs, successfully tendering for two of the largest afterschool club contracts. Offered childcare from 0 – 11 years; services include a B2B mobile crèche service, babysitting, after school service, play-scheme and a party organising service. If a child needed it, we provided it.

StuConnect is the UK’s no.1 online student networking platform for students and graduates. Students across the country from all levels and disciplines can locate each other and collaborate on business or study related projects