After five years working in architecture, Loughborough University offered the chance to realign my career with the impact I wanted to make. I loved creativity but became increasingly drawn to how buildings and technology influence people’s health and wellbeing. To make the contribution I aspired to, I needed a stronger understanding of how ideas scale, how systems work and how to lead projects beyond architectural practice.
Loughborough appealed to me for its practical, applied approach to business education and strong entrepreneurial ecosystem. The MSc Management felt like the perfect bridge between the discipline I had developed in architecture and the world of strategy, leadership and innovation, allowing me to translate my skills into a broader commercial context.
My brand, Freeater, grew from personal experience. My dad is gluten intolerant and vegetarian, and my gran is lactose intolerant, so I saw first-hand how confusing food information can be. Many tools felt limited or difficult to use, and I wanted to build something that genuinely helped people make safe, confident choices. That mission became the foundation of Freeater.
Balancing early app development with my MSc was demanding, but the two journeys naturally supported each other. The programme became a real-time testing ground where theory fed into practice - from market research to systems thinking to digital strategy. I never felt like I had to choose between studying and running the business; each strengthened the other.