Zak Kushner - BA Music with Enterprise
Business idea: Domitive
Student and LUBS International Entrepreneur Award winner Zak Kushner combines academic study with real-world business planning and pitching, while exploring the breadth of opportunities available as a student at Leeds.
Expanding potential with a joint honours degree
Initially, Zak wasn’t sure he’d make it to university: “I finished my A-levels but, not expecting the grades I needed to progress in education, I took a year out to travel. When my results came through much better than I’d anticipated, I was living in Finland. I’d caught the travel bug and wanted to combine my degree with further opportunities to see the world and study. I discovered the University of Leeds offered business exchange and study abroad programmes, which heavily influenced my decision to apply here.”
“I chose to study BA Music with Enterprise, combining my passion for music with business development skills. This joint honours degree gives me crucial life skills alongside the chance to pursue what I love.”
Exploring real-world tools in a university setting
Zak spends around a third of his time in the HELIX learning innovation hub. “I can access so many resources, beyond anything you’d ever find in the library,” he says. “For example, I’ve used 3D printers and laser cutters to prototype products. It’s been brilliant to explore these tools at university, develop my skills and look into what I can do when I graduate.
I’ve taken part in really valuable workshops through Spark (the university’s award-winning business advice service) and the Business School’s International Entrepreneur Award,” Zak adds. “I love how I can pick and choose the areas that interest me most, such as marketing and website creation, alongside those offering really practical advice on finance and taxes. I particularly enjoyed Steve Baker’s Essentials of Business Planning session and Tim Chapman’s pitching workshop.”
Developing a business idea into a concept
“The LUBS International Entrepreneur Award is held annually – I saw it advertised on posters around the Business School, and during lectures,” Zak explains. “I’d already had a business idea – Domitive: a toppling domino-style children’s toy sold in LEGO-like sets. I liked the sound of spending my free time learning how to plan and pitch this concept.”
Zak also had the chance to connect with business owners and Enterprise Ambassadors, who give their time to support the students. “The university runs networking events where enterprise students, like me, can meet industry professionals,” he says. “I was fortunate to connect with people who’d previously worked in plastic product manufacturing and marketing, who provided advice and mentorship.”
Entering – and winning – an entrepreneurial award
For his LUBS International Entrepreneur Award entry, Zak needed to submit a video explaining his idea for Domitive for the judges to review. “I was one of the ten shortlisted finalists,” Zack explains. “I had to pitch my concept in person to a panel of industry expert and Business School members.
“The pitch was intimidating, but an incredibly valuable experience to take part in as a student. It was a safe environment, with very little to lose but so much to gain. Of course, it’s amazing to get to the final itself, and competition was fierce. But I’m proud to say I won.”
Finding unexpected opportunities from awards success
Zak received a small cash prize when he won the LUBS International Entrepreneur Award. But the best outcome from his win wasn’t something he’d anticipated. “After the ceremony, Rebecca Padgett (Senior Teaching Fellow/Assistant Professor, and one of the awards judges) contacted me and some of my fellow finalists,” Zak says. “She’d been impressed by our entries and was keen for a group of us to set up a new content creator team for the LUBS department.
Primarily, our job is to create Instagram reels to increase student engagement and build a bridge between students and staff. These range from explanatory content and live vlogs of university events to just-for-fun videos, such as rating the Business School buildings! The department sometimes gives us specific topics to cover, but we have a lot of autonomy over the footage we produce.”