Case Study Dr Saumya Sood
Dr Saumya Sood had always been interested in pursuing the commercial application of academic research, but it wasn鈥檛 until she took part in the YES competition that she acquired the tools she needed to accelerate her own career in the world of industry.
With a professional background in food and nutritional science in India, Saumya Sood came to the 澳门六合彩开奖记录 to study for a PhD with a clear idea of what she wanted to do with her career. She knew she wanted eventually to return to industry, but she first needed the tools and knowledge to apply her own academic research to the field in which she was interested. It was halfway through her PhD that Saumya first heard about the YES competition.
鈥淲hile I鈥檇 previously worked in commercial settings, I鈥檇 always been on the science side of product development, so I had a limited understanding of how things like finance and marketing worked,鈥 she explains. 鈥淚鈥檓 very interested in entrepreneurship, so the YES competition seemed like a good opportunity to develop my business management skills.鈥
Despite having some initial reservations about the time commitment and about how to manage any potential clashes within the team, Saumya quickly adapted to the pace and demands of the YES competition and, together with her team, threw herself into the process. 鈥淚 was surprised at how fast-paced it was at first 鈥 it proved to be a very accurate insight into what an actual start-up is like!鈥 she explains. 鈥淲orking in such a high-pressure situation is very different to most roles I鈥檝e had working in science, so I learned a lot about myself.鈥
Saumya and her team were supported throughout the YES competition by staff at Reading鈥檚 Henley Business School, including the director of the Henley Enterprise Lab, Jurek Sikorski. 鈥淭he training and mentorship we received from Jurek and others at Henley Business School, as well as from Reading鈥檚 Entrepreneur in Residence Bill Kilgallon, and of course from the KTC itself, was invaluable,鈥 Saumya says. 鈥淗aving direct access to in-house support and expertise around business planning and pitch development definitely gave us an advantage over the other teams in the competition.鈥
The value of the skill set that Saumya developed during YES has extended far beyond the competition itself. 鈥淓verything that we learned about developing a business, from the language that鈥檚 used by investors to the way presentations should be prepared and delivered, has been really useful in helping me get to where I am today,鈥 she says.
After taking part in YES, Saumya was able to apply her new business skills during a short role as an Associate for an Accelerated Knowledge Transfer Partnership between Reading and A&R House (BCL) Ltd, on a project designed to extract oil from fruit waste. She is now moving onto a full KTP Associate role, this time with the University of Nottingham and food giant Unilever, to work on a project exploring the sensory aspects of ice cream.
Saumya plans to combine the experience she gains over the next few years with what she has learned during YES, to one day become an entrepreneur herself. 鈥淚鈥檇 always been interested in the idea of starting a business, but taking part in YES solidified this ambition,鈥 she says. 鈥淏efore, I had no idea how to make it possible, but now I have the knowledge and contacts to turn my dream into a reality. All I need to do now is find a great business idea!鈥