Leeds First Whopathon Event

On May 7th, the University of Leeds held its first Whopathon challenge, where students had the opportunity to develop real digital businesses and receive live feedback from a panel of industry experts. The event, delivered in partnership with HELIX and the Center for Enterprise and Entrepreneurship Studies, was the first of its kind to be hosted in the UK, marking the beginning of a new partnership between Whop and the University.

It was led by Whop's senior executive, John Hill, who traveled from Boston, United States, to orchestrate the 3-hour hackathon. Whop is an e-commerce platform that enables creators to sell access to digital products, memberships, tools and online communities.

The hackathon guided the students through the key stages of building a digital venture: choosing their idea, defining their customer, setting up their business, building their product, and securing their first customer.

Ideas ranged from a tennis community locator app to a website connecting musicians to creative work opportunities. The goal was not only to foster students' development in their business endeavors but also to invest in selected opportunities to help fund participants' ventures.

Three groups were awarded first, second, and third-place prizes, receiving funding to further develop their business initiatives. Winners Zak Kushner and Matthew Kanjama walked away with £200, with Kushner emphasising that,

The whopathon was the push I needed to turn my business project into an actual prototype. It gave me an opportunity to get personalised advice from business professionals, in all just three hours!

The Whopathon was highly successful, with Hill planning to introduce more Whopathons at other universities across the United Kingdom in September. The event highlights the university's ongoing commitment to empowering student entrepreneurs and fostering innovation across campus.