On 18 February 2025, the Creative Entrepreneur Society (CES), a student society at Arts’ Student’s Union (Arts’ SU), partnered with sondr, the online platform connecting Gen Z creatives with the industry, to host an unforgettable pitch competition that celebrated creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
Held at the LVMH Theatre at Central Saint Martins, the event gathered 100+ students and industry movers and shakers for an evening of insights, networking, and high-stakes pitching.
The panel of judges included industry trailblasers such as:
- Hilary Xherimeja – Founder & CEO of sondr
- Outlander Magazine – Founder of Outlander Magazine
- Tega Akinola – Multidisciplinary Artist & Designer
- SOLDIER – Fine Art
20 to 9 final creative business pitches
The event saw over 20 ambitious student founders pitch their creative business ideas, with the top 9 ideas being selected for final presentation. These pitches spanned a wide range of industries including creative tech, publishing, circular fashion, and community-driven initiatives.
Top winners
- Seize Magazine – Founded by UAL graduates Lucinda Siegler and Nataliya Belova (CSM Graphic Communication Design graduates, BA), Seize Magazine is a collaborative publication covering the cutting edge of London’s young creative scene.
- Data Vision by Omar Aldakheel – An MA Applied Imagination graduate from Central Saint Martins, Omar Aldakheel is a multidisciplinary data scientist and designer.
- His project, How Can I Design Data to Help You Design, aims to humanise data through an interactive, data-driven design tool. Data Vision offers a transparent lens into machine learning and object detection, empowering designers—both professional and amateur—in conceptualising their ideas.
- Witness this game-changing innovation here.
- Creator's Vintage Department by Jaycee Pang – A BA Design Management graduate from LCC, Jaycee Pang founded Creator’s Vintage Department.
- This second-hand redistribution community at UAL offers students a platform to give away and swap second-hand clothes for free, promoting sustainability and circular fashion.
- Be part of this fashion revolution on their Instagram.
This all matters: changing the game
The explosive CES x sondr collaboration shatters traditional barriers between young creatives and industry titans. The event's mission was to demolish obstacles between students and the professional world, creating an unparalleled platform for young visionaries to showcase their extraordinary talents and secure vital support to transform bold ideas into world-changing impact.
CES, a three-time Arts’ SU Communities Awards-winning society, continues its unstoppable mission of empowering creatives to claim their rightful seat at the decision-making table. Building on incredible partnerships with global giants like TikTok (Lemon8), Camden Council, and PROSPECT100, CES continues foster a culture of entrepreneurship at UAL.
Powerful voices
Jolyn Yin, President of CES, stated, “’CES is proud to bring the creative industry to the heart of UAL, spotlighting and celebrating the thriving entrepreneurial creatives across our community. This event marks the beginning of something greater—a testament to the power of cross-industry, cross-college creativity and collaboration. We look forward to forging more impactful partnerships to champion the next wave of visionary talent at UAL. Moving forward, we’re excited to unite the top universities for interdisciplinary innovation, including our upcoming collaboration with Techstars Startup Weekend alongside King’s, LSE, and UCL Entrepreneurs Society”.
About CES: the creative revolution
The Creative Entrepreneur Society (CES) brings together ambitious creatives to collaborate, innovate, and transform the UK’s university startup ecosystem through creativity-driven, cross-university, industry, and interdisciplinary competitions, workshops, and social events.
In its first 10 months (2023-24), CES engaged over 2,000 students, organised more than 10 events, distributed over £2,000 in funding, and was voted ‘Society of the Year’ at the Art’s SU Communities Awards.
Working closely with university and industry powerhouses, as well as UAL departments, CES aims to foster a culture of entrepreneurship, launching creative talent to new heights.
About sondr: the next-gen platform
sondr is an online platform connecting Gen Z creatives to the industry through purpose-driven projects, a network of 100,000+ emerging creatives, and partnerships with the world’s biggest brands. sondr is a launchpad for students, equipping them with the tools needed to make their mark in the creative world.