Graduate entrepreneurs from Anglia Ruskin return to university for 'Question Time'

Three former-students from Anglia Ruskin University will share their experiences of starting their own businesses with members of the public and current students on 28 October, at the Mumford Theatre, Cambridge campus.

The Alumni Office at Anglia Ruskin University has invited the three graduates, who have established their own successful businesses since leaving the University, to return to Cambridge campus to take part in an informal 'Entrepreneurs Question Time' event. The former students will be sharing their knowledge and experience while answering questions about how they started and developed their businesses, and what they are planning to do in the future.

Hosting the event will be Anglia Ruskin University's Vice Chancellor, Professor Michael Thorne, and Lester Lloyd-Reason, Professor of International Enterprise Strategy, from the Ashcroft International Business School.

The three alumni will be describing the pleasure and the pain and the ups and the downs of creating a business from just one simple idea.

Nicholas Juett, now a successful artist in Cambridge, studied at Cambridge College of Arts and Technology (CCAT), a forerunner to what is now Anglia Ruskin University. He took A Levels in Fine Art, History of Art and Computer Science and then went on to study sculpture and painting. Nicholas then moved to the USA and on his return he completed his PGCE in Cambridge, enabling him to divide his time between teaching children and his career as a painter. He currently multitasks using a wide range of software for all aspects of marketing, targeting, exploring, and creating 'One-of-a-Kind Painting'. He is based at Wysing Arts Centre on the outskirts of Cambridge.

Nicholas's paintings range from £45 to £3,000. His trademark vibrant colours and broad brush strokes are used to depict the streets of Cambridge.

Hilary Collins, Founder and Managing Director of Big Wave PR, graduated from Anglia Ruskin in 1995 with a BA Hons in Geography. While she was studying she got a job as an independent travel writer, travelled across Mexico and realised that she wanted to pursue a career in public relations. Determined to make it in the sector, she worked her way up to the post of Associate Director of a top 150 PR consultancy. After the birth of her daughter, she set up her own business, Big Wave PR which was highlighted by PR Week as a major player in the Eastern Region.

Chris Mitchell, founder of Audio Analytic, a company which is gearing up to shape the future of internet searches for audio sounds, started at Anglia Ruskin on a Science Foundation course. Chris progressed to study a BSc in Audio & Music Technology graduating in 2002 and gaining his PhD in 2007. Nearing the end of the end of his PhD Chris was shortlisted by the National Council of Graduate Entrepreneurship in a hunt for the UK's future entrepreneurial talent and was rewarded with a six months working trip to the USA.

He founded Audio Analytic in 2008 with the goal of making a product from the sound recognition technology he studied. His company has labelled sounds in order for them to be 'searched' and is exploring applications within TV programme archiving and security.

The Entrepreneurs Question Time evening begins at 7.00pm in the Helmore Building of Anglia Ruskin's East Road campus in Cambridge, moving to the Mumford Theatre for the main part of the evening. For further information or to reserve a space please contact the Alumni Office on 0845 196 4714 or by email.