‘Caring’ comes tops at this year’s AEA

“From caring comes courage,” is a quotation often attributed to Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, and indeed caring for people is a phrase which comes very much to mind when speaking about the two courageous winners of this year’s Institute of Entrepreneurship and Private Capital (IEPC) Accomplished Entrepreneur Awards (AEA).

Award winners Sharan Pasricha, founder & co-CEO of Ennismore, a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with creativity and purpose at their heart, and Oriol Fuertes Cabassa, founder of QIDA, a social impact start-up aimed at "keeping elderly and chronically ill patients at home, for longer", both offer top-notch ‘care’ for their customers.

The awards, hosted by IEPC, recognise some of the most remarkable entrepreneurially-minded alumni of LBS. They reflect on the critical period in these individuals' lives when they first incubate and then build extraordinary businesses. As such, AEA aims to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

“These individuals exemplify the spirit of innovation and courage. They have not just envisioned a better tomorrow but have diligently worked towards it, inspiring others to believe that the impossible is achievable. Their success is testament to the power of collaboration, the celebration of determination, and the belief that the entrepreneurial journey, though challenging, is incredibly rewarding,” said Jane Khedair, Executive Director of the IEPC.

Established in 2010, each year AEA recognises and honours two categories – early and later-stage ventures and the talented individuals who created them. ‘Early-stage’ are ventures that have been in existence for approximately five years – long enough to have perfected a product, developed a robust business model and are on the cusp of rapid growth. ‘Later-stage’ are ventures that have been operating for around a decade, by which time they will be well into growth and on their way to becoming established, perhaps with an exit in sight.

The winners are honoured with a plaque in the Ratcliffe Building at LBS’s main Regent’s Park campus.

This year’s early-stage winner, Oriol Fuertes Cabassa, is the founder of QIDA, a social impact focused B corp venture which offers innovative, timely care for the chronically ill and the elderly.

"Keeping elderly and chronically ill patients at home for longer is our primary objective," says LBS alumnus Oriol (MBA 2015).

“We do so through three main business lines. The first is through our technology-enabled care: we provide personalised, at home, high-quality support for the chronically ill and elderly, by leveraging tech and data to scale while keeping the quality of our care set at the highest standards possible. Then we partner with leading life insurers to prevent and promote healthy-lifestyle amongst seniors. We have now launched our first-ever Alzheimer, Parkinson and Multiple Sclerosis prevention insurance product. Lastly, we have a one-stop shop – a marketplace - for everything people need to remain at home (bathroom refurbishment, sensors at home, speech therapy, and so on),” adds Oriol.

“We believe that if people have the right care, with access to funding and the products and services to remain at home, we will achieve our mission: "Triple M" is our motto, meaning ‘More People, live More time, with More quality of life, at home’."

This year’s ‘Later-stage’ winner is Ennismore, a creative hospitality company with a global collective of entrepreneurial and founder-built brands with purpose at their heart. And although their sphere of business could not be further removed from QIDA, Ennismore’s culture is similarly rooted in the provision of excellent care, not only terms of its high standards of service delivery but also in terms of the pastoral care it provides for employees and the communities in which the company operates.

“The most challenging time the business has ever faced was during COVID-19. As with many sectors, and especially hospitality, the business completely closed. The first focus was to ensure the teams felt supported while at home, after which the business turned its attention to supporting local communities, offering hampers of food, helping school children with meals and donating iPads to local schools,” says Sharan Pasricha (MBA 2011), founder & Co-CEO at Ennismore.

Ennismore is made up of three business units: a lifestyle collective rooted in culture and community, iconic luxury venues pioneering the art of French hospitality, and immersive resorts creating havens for escapism and entertainment. Ennismore has 18 globally renowned brands with more than 140 hotels and resorts, 300 restaurants and bars, as well as branded residences, co-working and venues. Ennismore’s mission is to create experiences that inspire discovery.

“Our hearty congratulations go to both very worthy winners whose success we look forward to following as their respective journeys continue,” said IEPC’s Jane Khedair.

For more information about the annual Accomplished Entrepreneur Awards, read here