In this special episode of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, we’re joined by Professor Sir Jim McDonald, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Strathclyde, as he reflects on 16 transformative years of leadership and his legacy as a champion of innovation and entrepreneurship.

A three-time Strathclyde graduate with involvement in the creation of five spinout companies, Sir Jim shares insights from his journey, from engineer to university leader to his new role as Chair of Scottish Enterprise.

We discuss the rise of Strathclyde as Scotland’s leading entrepreneurial university, as well as Sir Jim’s perspectives on leadership, research commercialisation, public-private partnerships, and the future of innovation in Scotland.

In this episode of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, we were delighted to be joined by Dr. Will Drury, CEO of the Power Networks Demonstration Centre (PNDC) and former director at Innovate UK. With a career at the crossroads of engineering, policy, and entrepreneurship, Will shares insights from leading national-scale programmes, driving net-zero innovation, and building partnerships across government, academia, and industry.

Watch our latest episode featuring global sustainability expert, host of the Do One Better! podcast, and Visiting Professor at the University of Strathclyde Business School, Alberto Lidji. He shares what drives meaningful change, the role of universities in shaping impact-driven leaders, and how Scotland can support the next generation of entrepreneurial thinkers.

In this episode, we’re joined by Holly Butler, Co-Founder and Chief Technical Officer at Dxcover, a University of Strathclyde spin-out pioneering clinical-stage liquid biopsy technology for the early detection of multiple cancers.

Holly shares how effective communication has been a key factor in securing funding, building partnerships, and leading a high-growth spin-out. She also discusses the role of mentorship in navigating the transition from academia to entrepreneurship, along with the challenges and rewards of scaling an innovation-driven business.

In this episode of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, host Katy McNair speaks with Gillian Docherty, Chief Commercial Officer at the University of Strathclyde, who was recently awarded a CBE in the New Year’s Honours list.

They discuss Gillian’s inspiring career journey, her leadership insights, and her perspective on the future of entrepreneurship—particularly in relation to AI, collaboration, and building thriving ecosystems.

For this special live episode of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, held on Women's Entrepreneurship Day, we were joined by a panel representing a wide range of perspectives and experiences: Bayile Adeoti FRSA, Founder of Dechomai Ltd; Kayla-Megan Burns, Founder of Podplistic; and Ruby Allan, University of Strathclyde student and Inspire Ambassador.

Strathclyde Inspire Marketing Manager Katy McNair spoke with the panel about their journeys to discovering their career paths and future visions, how they use forward-thinking strategies to achieve success, balancing the demands of running a business with other priorities, the importance of championing female and non-binary entrepreneurs, and how we can collectively work to empower these groups.

In part 2 of this episode of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, host Katie Woods continued the conversation with Dr. Kate McKenzie, Co-founder, Director, and CEO of Strathclyde’s first social enterprise spin-out, C2LI, and Manish Joshi, Professor of Practice for Social Innovation at the University of Strathclyde and non-executive Director at the Scottish Government.

They discuss ESGs, the importance of collaboration, how small changes can make a big impact, employing local talent, and the definition of social impact. They also offer their advice to social entrepreneurs who want to tackle big issues such as climate change.

In this episode of Inspiring Entrepreneurs, host Katie Woods spoke with two remarkable change-makers in Scotland's social innovation landscape: Dr. Kate McKenzie, co-founder, Director, and CEO of Strathclyde’s first social enterprise spin-out, C2LI, and Manish Joshi, a Professor of Practice for Social Innovation at the University of Strathclyde and non-executive Director at the Scottish Government. Together, they discuss how purpose-driven entrepreneurs use their ventures to spark social change, the unique challenges they encounter, and the innovative strategies they use to build lasting impact in their communities.

Stay tuned for Part 2, coming Wednesday 6th November.

On this episode of Inspiring Conversations, our host Katie Woods spoke with an extraordinary panel of female leaders: Ana Stewart, tech entrepreneur, investment partner at EOS, and co-author of the Pathways Pledge; Elizabeth Pirrie, CEO of AccelerateHER; Genna Jodie Masterton, founder of Kinoro; and Nasreen Hasan Ashkanani, Inspire supporter and doctoral researcher at the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship. 

Together, they explored the challenges and opportunities facing female entrepreneurs, focusing on how the Pathways Pledge can help create a fairer landscape going forward.

In this special episode, we review the 'best bits' of season one of Inspiring Entrepreneurs. Thank you to our guests - Daniel Rae, Founder of Hydrogen; Strathclyde lecturers Lucrezia Casulli and Suzanne Mawson; Chloe Carmichael, Founder of Chloe's Deal Club; and Sarah Jardine, CEO of epipole for your inspiring insights!