BETA Business Mentoring

The BETA Enterprise programme provides pre-start-up and start-up support to current Plymouth University students from all Faculties, which includes free business mentoring sessions, entrepreneurial guest speakers, networking events and pitching opportunities(with individual support from a student’s Faculty) between October and May each year.

It is highly beneficial to meet with a business mentor regularly if you have a business idea, want to develop one or are in the process of starting a business. It is essential to register for an appointment to see a business mentor. BETA Business mentoring sessions are free and unlimited for current PU students. If a student fails to attend more than one booked mentoring appointment in a row their account will be suspended.

Please email amber.strong@plymouth.ac.uk  if you become unable to attend a business mentoring session that you have booked. Appointments take place in Mast House building Cafe unless otherwise stated.

Visit Plymouth University’s BETA Enterprise webpage for the full programme, conditions and eligibility regarding the BETA Enterprise Programme within Plymouth Business School’s Futures Entrepreneurship Centre.

Raphael Dennett

After graduating from Plymouth University, Raphael launched his media design company AE Group. Raphael Dennett has expertise in technology, graphic design & marketing.

Raphael believes that the key elements to success are to maximise and refine your natural skills, work on your natural weaknesses and aim for noble success criteria. His success criteria are: improving the bigger picture of ethical issues, build working relationships founded on trust and excellence and injecting enthusiasm into everything he does.

Raphael studied at Plymouth University and started several successful businesses in the South West with a global list of clients. Raphael is now also an Entrepreneur in Residence at Plymouth University’s Futures Entrepreneurship Centre.

Gareth Hart

Gareth is the Social Entrepreneur in Residence attached to Futures Entrepreneurship Centre. He supports the University around social enterprise strategy and policy and advises students and staff on social enterprise development.

Gareth is the co-founder of Iridescent Ideas CIC - a social enterprise that helps other ethical businesses to thrive. I'm a business adviser with over twenty years’ experience of working with the social enterprise, voluntary, public and private sector. I have worked at a strategic level with national organisations and at a grass-roots level providing business support and advice on a diverse range of subjects and themes.

Gareth has a wealth of knowledge and experience of; funding and commissioning, business planning, governance and legal structures, research and evaluation and, in particular, social enterprise development. He is a SFEDI accredited business adviser with a specialist qualification in working with social enterprises.

Tony Parry

A Chartered Engineer, Tony has worked in divisions of transnational blue chip companies such as GKN, Burmah Castrol, and Henkel AG & Co KgaA of Düsseldorf. Primarily in the manufacturing operations of the speciality chemicals field at Director level in General, Sales and Marketing Management in Mexico, UK, Europe, Japan and Korea for over forty years.  

He is a member of the Institute of Cast Metal Engineers. He is a Director of the Devon & Cornwall Business Council, and a Trustee of educational and arts organisations. He is a former Chairman of the Plymouth, UK, Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Plymouth Manufacturer’s Group and a former Governor of Saltash, Cornwall, Community School.

He has worked in national and International sales and market development in Japan, Korea, where he started the UK’s first manufacturing JV, Mexico, Venezuela, India, Russia, Turkey, East Asia, Central America/Caribbean, Western Europe, Eastern Mediterranean and South Africa.

Starting in 1969, Tony has also worked with the manufacturing industry in India as well as many other countries.

Scott Gould

Scott is a management consultant, speaker and psychologist, specialising in community engagement and experience design / event production. Formerly a church minister, whose start-up church quintupled in size under his leadership, as well as an ILM lecturer on the psychology of influence.

As a consultant, he led a team of 15 marketing executives to create Finland’s tourism social media strategy, and has worked with a range of organisations to engage their communities, including Exeter City Council, Somerset County Council, Nokia, Quilliam, Church of England, ARM, and F&W Media.

Over his career thus far, Scott has delivered 500 talks including TEDx Plymouth 2017, carried out over 20,000 hours of community building, and run over 400 events. He is a life mentor, and also the facilitator of Ampersand Club, a peer-mentoring group in South West England. Scott is a Practitioner Member of the Association of Business Psychologists, Member of the Institute of Consulting, Member of the Chartered Management Institute, and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.