King’s E-Lab welcomes five Medwards students to entrepreneurship programme

This year, Murray Edwards College is delighted to announce that for the second year in a row, five students have been selected to take part in the King’s E‑Lab programme - a high-impact entrepreneurship programme that equips students with practical skills, mentorship, funding opportunities, and access to a vibrant entrepreneurial network. It's a major opportunity, helping to turn ambitious ideas into investable ventures, backed by institutional and alumni support, and it reflects Cambridge’s broader push toward building a forward-looking innovation culture.

Launched in 2021 and backed by major philanthropic support, E-Lab offers a selective, cross-disciplinary programme that empowers students to develop real-world entrepreneurial skills - everything from market research and pitching to ethical business design. With its flagship year-long residential, targeted social venture tracks, and hands-on workshops, E-Lab bridges academic excellence with startup know-how.

With limited places available and growing prestige, being accepted onto the E-Lab programme is both a mark of distinction and an exceptional opportunity to develop an idea or venture aimed at making tangible, ethical impact.

The five successful students are:

Jazmin Labra Montes

Jazmin is a PhD student in the Department of Engineering, exploring how intellectual property can support innovation and value creation. Alongside her research, she has developed an international career at the intersection of education, innovation, and organisational transformation. 

"As someone interested in how intellectual property can help unlock the value of innovation, I see King's E-Lab as an ideal environment to broaden my entrepreneurial thinking and gain practical insights into how ideas are developed, commercialised, and scaled to create sustainable value.  I'm particularly excited to explore how entrepreneurship can turn ideas and knowledge into ventures that create meaningful impact in a rapidly changing technological and business environment."

Leila Salem

Leila is a second year Human, Social, and Political Sciences student with a background spanning social anthropology, political theory and feminist thought. She is currently exploring how digital platforms can reshape everyday social habits through developing Feedz, a personalised dinner suggestion app that fuses behavioural design with a social layer of community engagement and sustainability.

Alongside her degree, Leila leads Murray Edwards Politics Society and is a senior member of Murray Edwards FemSoc, reflecting both her intellectual commitments and dedication to building communities around ideas that matter.

“I applied to the Kings E-Lab programme for the opportunity to be surrounded by a drive, energy and ambition that is both truly inspiring and transformative. I look forward to collaborating with other innovators, challenging my own thinking and learning from likeminded others. I am equally excited to develop my own venture and grow as an entrepreneur.”

Sasha Erskine

Sasha is a third year History student at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, having previously studied Spanish and Portuguese in Modern and Medieval Languages. She was awarded the Elsa Maud Travel Grant for Languages at school to research the preservation of flamenco in post-Covid Andalusia. Alongside her degree, she is Events Lead for Cambridge RAG, a Gateway Advisor, and a Student Ambassador, and hopes to pursue Management Studies at Cambridge Judge Business School.

“I applied to the King’s E-Lab programme because I wanted to challenge myself to think beyond my academic environment and develop a more practical understanding of how ideas can become meaningful ventures. With my desire to continue my studies through the Management Tripos at Cambridge Judge Business School, I’m particularly excited to gain an insight into entrepreneurship, and I feel incredibly grateful to be surrounded by people with different perspectives and experiences. I hope this programme will encourage me to think beyond the norm, challenge my assumptions and approach problems in new ways.”

Shuang Wu 

Shuang Wu is a second-year Natural Sciences (Physics) student at the University of Cambridge with a strong interest in entrepreneurship and emerging technologies. Her experiences span quantum hardware, AI, and scientific research. Alongside her studies, she enjoys building community-driven initiatives, from promoting English literacy at a young age to helping older adults adopt AI tools through educational content and peer support.

“As a Natural Sciences student, I’m used to approaching problems from a scientific and analytical perspective, so I’m particularly interested in learning how that way of thinking can be applied to entrepreneurship. I’m looking forward to meeting people from different disciplines, exchanging ideas, and learning how an early-stage idea can be developed into something with real-world impact.”

Sienna Hardie 

Sienna is a second-year Biological Natural Sciences student at Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, specialising in chemistry and cellular biology. She is passionate about applying scientific research to address real-world challenges, particularly in sustainability, healthcare and clean technologies. She is currently developing the concept for an app that aims to improve the accessibility and affordability of electric vehicle charging.

“I applied to the programme because I was excited by the opportunity to take the problem-solving skills I’ve developed through Natural Sciences and apply them in a completely different way. I think it’s a great chance to develop my entrepreneurial skills while working alongside students with different perspectives and skill sets.”

King's Entrepreneurship Lab