New Deputy Director and Enterprise Outreach Manager for Converge Challenge. Dr. Claudia Cavalluzzo appointed as part of new team for Scotland’s leading company creation competition
Dr. Claudia Cavalluzzo has just been appointed as the Deputy Director of Converge Challenge and Enterprise Outreach Manager at Heriot-Watt University. Claudia will be responsible for supporting and developing collaborative partnerships with all Scottish Universities and Research Institutes, all stakeholders within the entrepreneurial eco-system in Scotland as well as advising Converge Challenge participants.
Claudia was previously Head of the Saltire Fellowship at Entrepreneurial Scotland. Also joining Claudia Converge Challenge as a new team member will be Lindsey Taylor, the new Marketing Manager and Adam Kosterka, the new Enterprise Outreach Executive. This year has been Converge Challenge’s most successful for so far, with over 212 applicants from 17 of Scotland’s universities for the country’s leading company creation competition and entrepreneurial development programme. Applications can be for a product or service, from any industry sector and at any stage of the development.
Dr Olga Kozlova the founder and Director of Converge Challenge said:
“We’re very excited to welcome our new team members who bring a wealth of experience and, most importantly, great enthusiasm to Converge Challenge. 2017 was our best year since starting in 2011 so we have an established and effective platform to build on. The team is already gearing up for the launch of Converge Challenge 2018 in January and we can’t wait to see what Scotland’s fantastic universities will be submitting.”
Dr. Claudia Cavalluzzo, Deputy Director and Enterprise Outreach manager for Converge Challenge said:
“It’s brilliant to be part of Converge Challenge, a programme focussed on encouraging, supporting and mentoring a new generation of entrepreneurial academics. Having experience of both the academic and the entrepreneurial sectors has given me first-hand insight to the challenges that staff, students and recent graduates of Scottish universities and Research institutes face when they have a great idea or product and want to take it to the next level. I can’t wait to start visiting all of Scotland’s Universities, hearing about some fascinating and innovative projects and working with Olga and her team as we prepare for Converge Challenge 2018.”
Converge Challenge 2017 winners were recently announced at an Awards Dinner at the Glasgow Science Centre, which included a speech from First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon MSP. The Converge Challenge winner was Dave Hughes, University of the West of Scotland with Novosound. Converge Challenge 2018 launches late January with three core categories:
- Converge Challenge: established idea
- KickStart: for early stage ideas
- Social Enterprise : positive impact on social and environmental issues
