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Saïd Business School students are helping organisations navigate the pandemic

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The Entrepreneurship Centre's Liber Project is supporting an eclectic mix of organisations - from sports supplement manufacturers to computer game developers

Students at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford are helping businesses and charities navigate the pandemic through an initiative called the Liber Project, which has been created by the School’s Entrepreneurship Centre.

Oxford candidates come from all over the world to study at the School and must pass rigorous entry requirements. The Liber Project has assigned 129 student volunteers to work with 35 organisations in roles involving investor relations, marketing, and strategy. The Project also provides masterclasses and advice from Saïd Business School faculty as well as leaders from organisations such as Universal Music Group, Shell, Headspace, and Barclays.

The organisations will be supported by the students for two months, at which point tailored workshops and networking opportunities will be provided.

Founders4Schools, a London based charity that facilitates careers advice between business leaders and students, were accepted by the Liber project while undertaking a strategic review of its operations.

Michaela Eschbach, Managing Director of Founders4Schools stated: ‘Due to the pandemic, we have had to substantially change the way we facilitate student/employer encounters. The closure of schools forced us to introduce remote delivery. Businesses no longer operating within their offices brought work experience for students under 16 to a halt. This had a major impact on our ability to support students.’

Michaela described how the Liber Project assisted with the strategic review of the charity’s operations and praised the support of Oxford MBAs for their help in meeting targets and scrutinising decisions.

The Liber project has been invaluable during this time. The team connected us with brilliant Oxford University Professors, leading industry experts, world-class research and provided a host of useful free resources.

James Baits-Tomlin

CEO & Founder, BACX

Another business supported by the Liber Project is SoothSayer Games, which was paired with Oxford Executive MBA candidate and banking professional Mustafa Abbas. The company is developing a sequel to a critically acclaimed computer game on the theme of climate change, and Mustafa is helping the company to scale up.

‘The Liber Project is a practical application of all that we have learned on the MBA programme,’ he said. ‘We are better equipped to understand business problems and to explore creative ways of solving them. We are also able to help shape outcomes for the greater good.’

Plant-based sports supplement manufacturer BACX was on the cusp of launching their maiden products when the pandemic struck. ‘The marathon events that we'd lined up, to show case our products, had all been cancelled,’ said CEO and founder Jason Baits-Tomlin. ‘So we hunkered down, used the time to refine the product and think about how we might adjust our plans to cope through the crisis. The Liber project has been invaluable during this time. The team connected us with brilliant Oxford University Professors, leading industry experts, world-class research and provided a host of useful free resources.  We're emerging stronger from the crisis as a result.’

Social impact advisor and Oxford MBA Cynthia Haas is supporting an organic tea specialist named Blighty Brew through the launch of a new product. She recounted how her family ‘lost everything’ during the 2008 global recession. Motivated by this experience, she enrolled onto the Project to help small businesses in any way she could.

‘I worried for not only companies, but the people behind them and what this means for their life. Liber is proof that there is hope and there are people willing to help.’

Liber Project will be supporting the SMEs involved for the next two months by providing tailored workshops and facilitating networking opportunities. Students will also assist while completing their summer placements within the chosen companies.