Meet Kartik Jambur - entrepreneur and Innovation Fellow

In an occasional series focusing on our undergraduate entrepreneurs, we hear from Kartik Jambur, Warwick Enterprise Innovation Fellow, about his work to embed innovation and entrepreneurship at every level of the university and beyond.

Kartik Jambur (BSc Economics and Industrial Organisation) - Innovation Fellow

Currently in his second year studying Economics and Industrial Organisation, Kartik is one of six Innovation Fellows chosen to help promote entrepreneurialism and innovation across the University of Warwick.

As a fresher Kartik got to know Warwick Enterprise through working alongside them as part of entrepreneurship societies on campus. After meeting the previous cohort of Innovation Fellows at a careers fair hosted at The Shard in London he was keen to become more closely involved.

“I was instantly intrigued by the role,” Kartik says. “It seemed like the best opportunity to be at the forefront of the student entrepreneurship community at Warwick and help scale up the innovation culture. I’m excited to be making innovation accessible to students across the University.”

As an Innovation Fellow Kartik’s role includes raising awareness, liaising with departments, and promoting a range of events and challenges. He leads on building collaborative partnerships with Warwick’s student societies, and raising awareness of the resources available at the Warwick Innovation Space, housed in the Junction Building.

“A lot of students never visit the Junction except for exams and we’re working to change this,” he jokes. “Working with student societies helps me spread the word about Warwick Enterprise more efficiently. My goal is to connect students with entrepreneurial ambitions to the huge range of resources available to them.

“We have programmes and resources for students at every stage of the start-up journey. And we create opportunities to test those new problem-solving skills, such as the Warwick Secret Challenge, where students work to solve real-life problems that departments in the University are facing.

“I’d encourage everyone to take part in at least one of these challenges as they boost your ability to think innovatively and also introduce you to the whole enterprise ecosystem.”

Kartik credits his early years in Bangalore, “the start-up city of India,” for inspiring his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.

“I was surrounded by entrepreneurship from an early age. Members of my family built their own companies and my interest in innovation was really sparked when some of them failed. This might sound counter-intuitive but it was that experience which taught me the importance of resilience and of critical thinking.

“The idea of building something of value from the ground up, and scaling it to the next level, is something that philosophically attracts me.”

Asked what skills entrepreneurs need, Kartik doesn’t hesitate. “Work ethic,” he says. “It is resilience and work ethic that distinguishes great entrepreneurs from good ones.”

Curiosity is also high on Kartik’s list. “You need to be curious about every single thing in your industry. It completely boils down to asking enough questions in your specific area that you become an expert. This is the best way to build credibility for yourself – when you stand in front of an investor they want to know whether you’ve put in the work and whether you are an expert in your market.”

Kartik believes strongly that his background in economics gives him an advantage when it comes to innovation. “I might be biased but I truly believe that no-one understands products and markets better than economists – this is the core skill that drives entrepreneurship and I’m looking forward to exploring the intersection between economics and entrepreneurship throughout my life.”

Warwick Enterprise

Warwick Enterprise was created in 2019 with the vision of promoting a culture of innovation at every level of the university.

The Innovation Fellows make a vital contribution to the delivery of this vision. The all-student team works to boost knowledge about Warwick Enterprise throughout the student and staff body. “Our focus is now on embedding innovation as part of the curriculum in every department,” Kartik explains.

“We want the University of Warwick to be synonymous with innovation and entrepreneurship, and to be renowned for our entrepreneurial culture. And we are expanding our reach by collaborating with universities across the UK and around the world.”

Kartik’s top tips for student entrepreneurs:

• The most important thing is to understand the resources available, whether it be through Warwick Enterprise, your department or through joining appropriate student societies.

• Take part in at least one of the innovation challenges like the Warwick Secret Challenge, the Global Think Tank, Ingenuity, society challenges or challenges run by individual departments.
• If you do have a start-up idea, speak to one of the Innovation Fellows or the staff at Warwick Enterprise to receive guidance and support to build on it and explore any funding opportunities available.
• If you want to build up your knowledge and skills, sign up for the workshops and take part in the Warwick Enterprise Pathways Programme.
• Make sure you attend student society events that are focussed towards entrepreneurship as you’re guaranteed to meet students who are equally interested in entrepreneurship and you’ll help strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurship community at Warwick.

Related content

Find out more about these opportunities at Warwick EnterpriseLink opens in a new window 

We're organising a bespoke innovation workshop for Economics students on 22 February 2023. Invitations will be sent out w/c 23 January 2023.