Founders Program

A comprehensive program designed to help you build and scale your ideal venture under the mentorship of professors and professionals from LBS, UCLA, and the University of Cambridge. Become a founder, grow your venture, and earn a Letter of Recommendation.

*Demonstrates innovation & real-world problem solving.

This 6 Month program is designed to be sector-agnostic and is suitable for founders from any industry, whether you're building a tech product, launching a service-based business, or entering niche markets. The personalized, live 1:1 sessions ensure that the guidance is tailored to your specific startup needs.

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MENTORS

Atul Banrajee Lecturer at London Business School About Educator: Atul Banerjee is a seasoned strategy consultant and academic lecturer, currently affiliated with London Business School. With over three decades of experience in the domains of healthcare, technology, and media, he has built a career around market analysis, business expansion, and product development. He is the founder of Transformity Health, an integrated healthcare advisory venture, and ABE Strategy, a consulting practice that helps firms break into new geographies, form partnerships, and design new products. He also teaches at UCL and is associated with BRiK Academy in India. Over the years, Atul has mentored entrepreneurs, led raising of funds for startups, and served as case lecturer for courses such as “The Entrepreneurial Edge” at LBS. He brings a blend of real-world consulting insights and academic rigor, making complex strategy and market challenges accessible to students and practitioners alike. Outside academia and consulting, he has also served on boards and contributed to charitable causes.

Atul Banerjee University College of Lond

Murray Johannsen Instructor at UCLA Murray Johannsen is an Instructor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he teaches courses focused on leadership development, personal mastery, and applied psychology. With decades of experience in higher education and executive training, he is dedicated to helping individuals and organizations cultivate the mindset, skills, and habits necessary for sustained success and meaningful impact. Professor Johannsen’s teaching blends theory with practical application, emphasizing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, motivation, and ethical decision-making as the foundations of effective leadership. His interdisciplinary approach draws from psychology, management, and neuroscience to help students understand human behavior and enhance performance in professional and personal settings. Beyond UCLA, Murray Johannsen is the founder of Legacee Academy, an organization devoted to leadership and skill development through online learning and coaching. His work has guided professionals, entrepreneurs, and students across industries in developing core competencies such as communication, influence, and strategic thinking. Passionate about lifelong learning, he continues to research and teach how individuals can master themselves to lead others effectively. Through his teaching and mentorship, Professor Johannsen empowers learners to transform potential into performance and cultivate leadership that drives both personal growth and organizational excellence.

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Philip Allmendinger Pro Vice Chancellor, University of London Phil Allmendinger has published extensively in the areas of property and planning, planning theory, policy and practice, land and property regulation, housing and local government. His research thus spans across several of the Department‘s interests, especially in planning, property and housing. Professor Allmendinger is a chartered planner and surveyor. He initially trained as a spatial planner and has also worked in local government. He is a member of the Economic and Social Research Council Research Grants Board and a member of the Communities and Local Government Housing Markets and Planning Expert Panel.

Soroush Saghafian Professor, Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government Associate Professor, Harvard University Core Faculty, Harvard Center for Health Decision Science Faculty Affiliate, Harvard Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government Faculty Affiliate, Harvard Data Science Initiative Faculty Affiliate, Harvard Ph.D. Program in Health Policy Faculty Affiliate, Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs Faculty Affiliate, Center for Public Leadership Associate Faculty, Harvard Ariadne Labs (Health System Innovation) Collaboration Appointment, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Dr. Soroush Saghafian is an Associate Professor at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a Core Faculty member at the Harvard Center for Health Decision Science. His research focuses on the development and application of operations research and data science methods to improve complex systems, with a particular emphasis on healthcare delivery and public policy. Dr. Saghafian also serves as a Faculty Affiliate with several leading Harvard institutions, including the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government, the Harvard Data Science Initiative, the Ph.D. Program in Health Policy, the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, and the Center for Public Leadership. In addition, he is an Associate Faculty member at Harvard’s Ariadne Labs for Health System Innovation and holds a collaboration appointment with Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH). Through his interdisciplinary work, Dr. Saghafian aims to enhance decision-making in health systems, optimize resource allocation, and design evidence-based strategies for improving patient outcomes and public well-being. His work bridges analytics, policy, and management, addressing some of the most pressing challenges in healthcare and governance. Dr. Saghafian’s research continues to guide policymakers and healthcare leaders in implementing data-driven solutions for global impact.

Edoardo Gallo Associate Professor, University of Cambridge Edoardo Gallo is an Associate Professor at the University of Cambridge, recognized for his contributions to the field of economics, particularly in behavioral and experimental economics. His research focuses on how individuals make decisions in strategic and social environments, often blending theory with empirical and laboratory-based methods. By examining cooperation, coordination, and incentives, his work sheds light on how economic behavior unfolds in real-world settings, from organizations to public policy contexts. At Cambridge, Dr. Gallo is actively involved in both teaching and research, mentoring students across undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His teaching approach emphasizes critical thinking, analytical rigor, and the application of economic theory to contemporary global challenges. He is also associated with various research initiatives and collaborates with international scholars, contributing to a broader understanding of economic dynamics in uncertain and complex environments. Dr. Gallo’s work has been published in leading academic journals, reflecting both depth and impact. Through his research and teaching, he continues to influence the next generation of economists while advancing knowledge at the intersection of human behavior and economic systems.

Pablo Olmos Assistant Professor in Economics, University of Cambridge Dr Pablo Olmos is a College Teaching Officer and Bibby College Assistant Professor in Economics at the University of Cambridge Faculty of Economics, affiliated with St Catharine’s College, Cambridge. His research focuses on understanding how individuals allocate time across activities and how this interacts with income dynamics, broader economic development, and welfare outcomes. Dr Olmos uses rich time-use datasets and empirical economic techniques to shed light on questions linking labour supply, leisure, consumption, and socio-economic inequalities, contributing to the empirical foundations of applied microeconomics and development economics. Dr Olmos earned his Ph.D. in Economics from Yale University, where he developed rigorous econometric and analytical skills that inform his current work on household behaviour and time allocation. At Cambridge, he teaches core economics courses, supervises student research, and engages with interdisciplinary collaborations exploring human behaviour and public policy. His work has relevance for understanding labour market participation, gender differences in time use, and economic policy design aimed at improving living standards and well-being. Beyond teaching, Dr Olmos contributes to the Faculty’s research environment and supports academic initiatives that bridge theoretical insights with real-world economic behaviour and development issues.

Mary Murphy Director of Studies, University of Cambridge Dr Mary Murphy is a Director of Studies in Economics and Tutor at the University of Cambridge, where she plays a central role in guiding and mentoring both undergraduate and MPhil students. She is a Fellow in Economics at Lucy Cavendish College, with responsibilities spanning academic support, supervision, and curriculum development in her field. Dr Murphy’s academic work reflects a deep engagement with environmental and social justice, sustainability, and the economic dimensions of equitable development. Her research explores the complex intersections of politics, economics, and society in sustainable development, and is informed by frameworks such as critical realism and social ontology. She has examined how issues of production, consumption, and environmental impact relate to broader social and economic structures, offering interdisciplinary insights into critical global challenges. As a Director of Studies, Dr Murphy is known for her commitment to student success, fostering rigorous analytical thinking and supporting academic progression through supervision and personalised guidance. At Lucy Cavendish College she also contributes to the vibrant intellectual community by supervising both undergraduate and postgraduate students and participating in college governance. Her professional background includes entrepreneurial experience in sustainable systems and environmental education, complementing her academic profile with practical insights into real-world economic and ecological issues.

Andonis Ragusis Researcher, University of Cambridge Andonis Ragusis is a Research Fellow and Director of Studies in Economics at the University of Cambridge, holding the Joan Robinson Research Fellowship in Heterodox Economics at Girton College. His interdisciplinary work spans political economy, social ontology, and ethical theory, engaging deeply with foundational questions at the intersection of economics, philosophy, and political thought. Andonis’s research builds upon the Cambridge tradition of political economy, drawing from critical realism and the Cambridge Social Ontology framework to rethink economic theory’s conceptual underpinnings. He is particularly known for contributions to Social Positioning Theory and Critical Ethical Naturalism, exploring how social structures, agency, and ethics shape economic life. His scholarly output includes influential articles on Amartya Sen, institutional economics, and the ontological foundations of economic reasoning. In his role as Director of Studies, Andonis oversees the academic progress of students in economics, guiding their studies from introductory to advanced levels. He also teaches courses on the history and philosophy of economics and the social aspects of economic theory. Beyond Cambridge, he has lectured at University College London and King’s College London and has received recognition for teaching excellence. Before academia, Andonis spent nearly a decade in the professional sports industry, where he held senior roles in international markets and investment. His broad intellectual and practical experiences inform a distinctive, socially grounded approach to economic inquiry.

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Donald Robertson Professor, University of Cambridge Professor Donald Robertson is a distinguished economist and Professor of Econometrics at the University of Cambridge, where he contributes to both teaching and research within the Faculty of Economics. His academic work centres on applied econometrics, macroeconomic dynamics, business cycles, and statistical inference, with an emphasis on empirical methods that inform our understanding of economic behaviour and policy. At Cambridge, Professor Robertson teaches courses in statistics and econometric techniques while also supervising graduate students and guiding advanced research projects. In his role, he has participated in shaping doctoral programmes and mentoring emerging economists, fostering rigorous analytical skills and robust empirical inquiry among students. His research portfolio includes influential work on panel data estimation, predictive modelling, and the implications of cross-sectional dependence in econometric structures. Through articles published in leading academic journals and contributions to Cambridge Working Papers in Economics, he has helped to expand methods for analyzing complex economic data and interpreting macroeconomic trends. Professor Robertson’s scholarship reflects a commitment to blending theoretical insight with practical relevance — advancing econometric tools that are widely used in academic and policy research. His work continues to influence how economists approach quantitative challenges in modern economic systems.

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Ruohan Qin Lecturer & Director of Studies, University of Cambridge Ruohan Qin is a Lecturer and Director of Studies at the University of Cambridge, where he is involved in both teaching and academic mentorship across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. His work focuses on advancing rigorous thinking at the intersection of theory and practice, with particular interests in analytical methods, formal reasoning, and their applications to modern computational and interdisciplinary problems. As Director of Studies, Ruohan plays a key role in shaping students’ academic pathways, providing close guidance on curriculum planning, supervision, and intellectual development. He is known for a teaching approach that emphasises conceptual clarity, critical thinking, and the ability to connect foundational theory with real-world challenges. His lectures and supervisions are designed to equip students with both depth of understanding and intellectual independence. Ruohan’s academic interests are reflected in his engagement with research-led teaching and collaborative scholarship within the Cambridge ecosystem. He actively contributes to departmental initiatives aimed at enhancing pedagogy and fostering a strong academic community. In addition to his university responsibilities, he supports students preparing for competitive academic and professional trajectories, drawing on Cambridge’s long-standing tradition of excellence in education.