Fritz Heinzle - BSc International Business

Fritz Heinzle is an Enterprise Scholar and Spark business competition winner. His time at the University of Leeds has seen him develop two successful business concepts, secure start-up funding, and build an invaluable network of local entrepreneurs.

Choosing the University of Leeds from a global pool

“I always wanted to study abroad,” Fritz says. “I’m from the USA, my dad is from Austria, and my mum is from Leeds, so I hold three citizenships! But despite having an enviable choice of universities across the world, the University of Leeds was always my first choice.

“I have immediate family in Leeds, and I like that it’s close to Sheffield (where I’m a member of the city’s semi-professional ice hockey team). But my choice to study here wasn’t just a personal one. I wanted the opportunity to gain my degree from such a well-respected international business school, with both academic and practical modules. Everything came together perfectly, and I was accepted to study BSc International Business. I’m currently in my second year and have already taken part in student enterprise events and entrepreneur networking opportunities provided by Leeds University Business School.”

Entering the entrepreneurial world, thanks to Spark

Fritz joined the university’s award-winning business advice service, Spark, during his first year of study, looking for guidance, support and mentorship. Yet his entry into a Spark-led business competition in early 2025 quickly propelled him further into the world of enterprise.

“The competition was split into categories, and I entered the trading stream,” explains Fritz. “I created a short-summary business plan to show how my business idea – an ice-hockey related concept – would work. These entries were passed on to the judges, who shortlisted only seven submissions to progress to the next stage: a presentation to a panel. I prepared a slideshow to explain everything, from finances and expansion plans to why I was the right person to take on this challenging business. It seems like the judges agreed I could do it, as I won!”

Adapting business ideas to secure scholarship

After winning the Spark competition, Fritz began exploring the Enterprise Scholarship, available through Spark. The scholarship is designed not only to provide start-up grant funding but to help young entrepreneurs at the University of Leeds through mentorship, professional networks, and intensive business bootcamps.

“Though I knew my idea for an ice-hockey business was viable, it wasn’t something I could progress at this stage of my studies,” Fritz says. “However, I’m a licensed real estate agent in my home state of California, which led me to my second business idea: an agent connection network designed for the American property market. It has a much-lower start-up cost, and revenue from referral fees. This was the idea I put forward to successfully secure an Enterprise Scholarship.”

Accessing bootcamps and building business connections

“As part of the scholarship, I attended a two-day business bootcamp to progress my real estate idea,” Fritz says. “It was intensive, but I learnt more than I could’ve imagined about running a business. Plus, I found it so encouraging to meet my entrepreneurial peers and make connections across the strong start-up community we have here in Leeds.”

At the end of the scholarship year, Spark put on a gala dinner, inviting current Enterprise Scholarship students and business owners. “I sat between two company founders, whose organisations couldn’t have been more different,” Fritz says. “One was Dave Tucker, the CEO of education tech company Genio. Dave was looking for someone to help with content creation and, after chatting a while, he felt I’d fit well in his team. I’m now employed at Genio on a part-time basis.”

Expanding concepts as the scholarship ends

“The Enterprise Scholarship year has technically ended, but I can use Spark’s facilities for a further year, such as the Nexus workspace,” concludes Fritz. “I still believe in my ice-hockey related business, and I’m actively looking for investors, but I’m focused on pursuing the real estate business as a global marketing venture.

“I’m progressing my business with so much confidence thanks to everything I’ve learnt as a Spark member and Enterprise Scholar. The learning and connections I made in the bootcamp have, without doubt, been the most valuable, but the whole business-school experience at the University of Leeds has been so informative and rewarding. My choice to study here was, without a doubt, the right one.”

Photo Credits: Mark Webster