Digital impact mentorship competition

Empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs 

Our Enterprise Service from the University of Derby collaborated with JDR Group by launching the Digital Impact Mentorship Competition, celebrating their 20th anniversary. This initiative marked two decades of JDR Group’s excellence in digital innovation while embodying the university’s commitment to fostering talent and promoting innovation. 

Through this collaboration, entrepreneurial students and graduates from the university were invited to pitch their business ideas to a panel of experts from JDR Group. The competition provided a unique opportunity for the participants to showcase their vision, with the ultimate prize being bespoke mentorship from the panel, to help transform their ideas into thriving enterprises. 

Samantha Deakin-Hill, Head of Enterprise at the University of Derby expressed,

“The Enterprise & Entrepreneurship Service (EES) highly values its partners time & expertise and it is these partnerships which add true industry engagement alongside the Civic agenda”. 

JDR Group Digital Impact Mentorship

JDR Group's support goes beyond mentorship, offering a comprehensive branding package for a student or graduate start-up at the very beginning of their entrepreneurial journey. This package includes setting up a brand, logo, website, and social media presence to establish the right image. Additionally, the winner receives educational guidance on launching effective marketing strategies and sales initiatives. 

The winner, Millie Crabtree, received: 

Will Williamson, a Director at JDR Group, remarked,

"There was a viable market for every idea we saw, and considerable innovation in the solutions presented. The University of Derby is clearly producing people with an entrepreneurial spirit, and their pitch process is well-refined. We appreciate the university's role in facilitating this competition so professionally, giving their students a fantastic opportunity." 

Mentorship that transformed ideas into impact

Millie Crabtree has now embarked on an exciting journey, working closely with the JDR team to develop and implement a tailored digital strategy. Their mentorship extended beyond digital marketing, providing invaluable insights into business growth, digital excellence, and operational success. The mentorship focused on scaling business growth, digital marketing mastery, sales and financial acumen, and team building and operations. 

Kerry Baker, Head of Social Media at JDR Group expressed her admiration:

"It was an absolute honour to be part of the judging panel. The exceptional talent and innovative ideas presented by the entrepreneurs were deeply impressive. On a personal note, it was incredibly inspiring to see four strong and dynamic female entrepreneurs in the final. We are excited to start working with the winner to help them achieve their goals."

JDR Panel at the table

Millie’s business venture: Sugarloaf

Millie’s creative brand, Sugarloaf, stood out among the finalists for its innovative business model and social impact. The brand offers handmade, high-end illustrative products, including stickers, badges, t-shirts, and bags, aimed at young women aged 16–28. Their commitment to donating a percentage of profits to global charities demonstrated a powerful alignment with JDR’s values of innovation and giving back to the community.

Millie's presentation captivated the panel with their business’s existing success—a thriving online presence, a strong social media following, and an established customer base—paired with their vision for scaling the brand further.

Millie felt honoured to have won the competition and incredibly pleased that others recognised the passion and potential in their art and business.

Millie's stall

As an introverted artist I was nervous about doing the pitch at first, but my passion for my business helped me through it and it was fun answering all of the questions at the end as it really made me think about some things I may have never thought about before.

Millie Crabtree
Winner of the Digital Impact Mentorship Competition

Empowering entrepreneurial visionaries

The competition also highlighted the creativity and ambition of other exceptional finalists:

A legacy of impact

The Digital Impact Mentorship Competition reflected the shared values of the University of Derby and JDR Group: innovation, opportunity, and community impact. It demonstrated the university’s mission to inspire and enable students to realise their potential while empowering them to become leaders in a competitive world.

As part of celebrating its 20th anniversary, JDR Group underscored its commitment to giving back. A representative from JDR Group said,

"Over the past two decades, we’ve built our business by helping small business owners grow and achieve their goals. To mark this milestone, we wanted to give back to someone who is at a similar stage to where we were 20 years ago."

This initiative not only celebrated JDR Group’s 20 years of excellence but also created a platform for students and graduates to shape the future of UK businesses. Millie’s journey, supported by JDR’s mentorship, stands as a testament to the power of collaboration, innovation, and mentorship to create lasting impact.

Millie appreciates the opportunity and feels incredibly supported by the mentorship they are receiving from JDR Group, including gaining valuable insights into business management and marketing. Millie looks forward to building on this knowledge and growing their business even further.

"I am excited for the future of my business and to see how JDR Group will help me grow and I can't wait to continue this journey and peruse it full time once I finish university later this year."

 

Millie with JDR