Sooner than expected after my last judging experience only a few weeks ago, I pulled out my Dragon alter ego after I was invited along to consider the university students who had reached the final of this years Students! Make Your Mark Challenge. The 2007 challenge, ‘Make it pay in a globalocal way’, was designed to get the teams thinking about solutions to the world’s social and environmental issues.

The teams had to come up with an idea and develop a business and marketing plan to show how it would be successful, and then pitch their idea to a panel of judges including:

Entrepreneur Seb Bishop, who starred in Channel Four’s Millionaire’s Mission

Levi Roots, the entrepreneur who made his name by winning the investment he needed for his product Reggae Reggae Sauce on the BBC’s Dragons’ Den

Matt Littler, the actor who plays Max Cunningham in Hollyoaks.

And me – Co-Founder of studentbeans.com. It was a fantastic day and great to see so many ideas being presented.

For the announcement of the winners, once the judging was over I found myself at the front of the room sitting sandwiched between Levi Roots and MOBO award-winning hip-hop artist Akala who hosted the finals.

As an entrepreneur it is fantastic to see so many other students following their ideas and developing them. Speaking to so many students – a lot of people perhaps don’t develop their ideas as they do not think it is an option. Make Your Mark as a campaign is fantastic in bringing like minded people together and helping them to build the foundations that really can make the difference between ideas that are just a thought and then helping people take those ideas and making it happen!

What idea do you have and what are you going to do about it?

Matt Littler from Hollyoaks on stage announcing one of the awards alongside Akala