Middlesex student wins What’s Your Big Idea: Pathway to Success entrepreneurship competition

First year film student’s online safety simulation idea takes £2000 top prize at annual contest for start-ups and business ideas

The What’s Your Big Idea: Pathway To Success competition final, held at Middlesex University and delivered in collaboration with Global Talent Solution Hub, was sponsored by Barnet Council and Brent Cross Shopping Centre and judged by a panel of eight business leaders and innovators, including tech CEO and entrepreneur Stephen Crampton.

Middlesex first year Film student Alina Shiraz was awarded top prize for her SafeStory platform, developed using her experience as a filmmaker and director. She devised the narrative video format to aid students in making spur-of-the-moment decisions about safety situations on issues including stranger awareness, online safety, cyberbullying, peer pressure, grooming, and mental wellbeing.

SafeStory brings together and improves on three elements that schools currently do separately: engaging, interactive lessons that children will actually remember; a confidential route for a child to reach for help if they need it; and the Ofsted-ready evidence schools need to show that safeguarding is working.

Alina created the tool to address the weaknesses in schools’ approach to teaching about risk, and in light of the shocking figures of the half a million children sexually abused in the UK every year, and the more than one in four people in England and Wales who experienced abuse as children or teenagers.

Explaining the idea, she said: “When safeguarding education is passive and unengaging, children freeze instead of acting safely… Because so many children never tell anyone what is happening to them, schools urgently need not just better teaching, but a low-pressure, confidential way for children to recognise risk, reach for help and know how to react when a situation turns unsafe”.

Reacting to her win, Alina said: “SafeStory started as something deeply personal, so having it recognised in that way, in front of a panel of eight judges including angel investors, was overwhelming in the best way.

“Beyond the win itself, what mattered most was knowing that people believed in the idea, and in the children it's built to protect.

“It gave me the confidence that this isn't just something I care about, it's something that could genuinely make a difference.”

Second prize of £1,500 was awarded to Middlesex Data Science Master's graduate Sai Raj Ali for MindHaven, a platform that helps neurodivergent people understand whether a venue will feel too crowded, noisy or overwhelming before they visit.

Together with MDX Psychology student Boudica Atheldene, who works as a Peer Supporter at Autistic Parents UK, Sai developed a ComfortScore system built on publicly available environmental data covering more than 197,000 locations across Greater London, validated across over 1,200 venues.

MindHaven also includes NeuroPassport, a private profile that helps users find activities and places that best match their individual sensory preferences.

"For many neurodivergent people, the hardest part of an outing is not knowing what to expect when you get there,” Sai said.

“MindHaven exists to address this invisible barrier. What's Your Big Idea programme gave us the financial understanding and marketing strategy to take it further."

Middlesex IT and marketing alumnus Jamie Easterman secured £800 in third place for How Very Dare, a platform for people contesting unfair penalties and rogue traders, using AI to marshal evidence and build a court-ready case.

The People’s Choice award worth £200, voted by the audience on the night for their favourite out of 28 semi-finalists, went to Middlesex Cardiology Master’s student Taiwo Akinyemi for her jewellery and accessories start-up, Beaded.

This year’s competition was developed by Middlesex Enterprise Lead Maria Olariu and entrepreneur Dr Jaya Sajnani of Global Talent Solution Ltd, who created a three-month Pathway to Success programme, taking entrants through all the aspects of starting and growing a business.

Commenting on the initiative’s success and benefit to students’ future career prospects, Head of Careers and Futures at Middlesex University, Jack Tims, said:

"Every year the What's Your Big Idea programme produces a range of diverse, innovative and inspiring ideas and this year was no different - clearly highlighting the entrepreneurial talent across our student, alumni and local resident community.”

The event received funding of £2000 from Barnet Council and £2500 from Brent Cross Shopping Centre, which also donated space for the finalists to promote their businesses on a free stand. Middlesex alumnus Josef Sucharevitz also donated £1000 towards the participant prizes.  

Barnet Council Small Business Champion, Councillor Philip Cohen, who attended the event said:

“Barnet Council is very pleased to be supporting this competition, as part of our commitment to supporting enterprise and education across the borough.

“Competitions like this are so important, giving students and local residents the opportunity to present their business ideas, take the initiative and build confidence in themselves.”