This blog is part of our campaign to showcase our diverse and talented alumni members.
Cat Price studied with us in 2017 shortly after she was made redundant whilst on maternity leave. When her baby was small Cat was inspired by the versatility of muslin baby products, but frustrated by the lack of designs available in good quality organic muslin. So she decided to start creating her own. And Pattie & Co was born. She also wanted to find a way to give something back so she decided to support Tommy's baby charity which funds research into stillbirth, premature birth and miscarriage, and providing information for parents-to-be. She has just celebrated Pattie & Co.'s first year and has raised over £5,000 for Tommy's. Check out Pattie & Co here.
I did the Digital Mum’s Advanced Diploma in 2017, shortly after I was made redundant, and whilst having CBT for my postnatal anxiety. It was almost part of my therapy.
Zoe Fraser studied in the summer of 2017. She started freelancing as a social media manager but yearned to start her own business and to apply the skills she gained with us and her background in traditional marketing to growing her own venture. Having suffered with eczema she had become aware of the chemicals inside many of today’s mainstream products and what they could do to her skin. She used this experience and her passion for quality, natural products and beautiful scents to build an online space in which men and women could buy beautiful natural products free from dangerous chemicals. And so ZoCo. was born.She is now loving every single minute of her new adventure. Check out ZoCo here www.zocowellbeing.com.
I can’t say that the journey has been easy, and I still have a long way to go, but I’m loving every single minute of the adventure. The satisfaction in giving my customers a curated list of my favourite products and the feedback I get from them is really wonderful.
Emma Colbeck studied with us in 2017. She now uses her skills to grow her fashion business Playground. She set up Playground with her friend Jess who she met whilst hanging out in the playground, in East London. Both had successful pre-parenthood careers in fashion and media and dreamed of creating a brand that felt relevant to them now as parents but also reflected their previous identities. Playground offers sustainable streetwear for all the family. Their business plans for 2020 include their first collaboration to be The NYC Playground with Aygness Deyn and her sister Emily Deyn and plans to move into stores. Check out the Playground range for yourself.
Kylie Dunn had a background working in the advertising industry before studying with us in 2017 but she always had a love for making. She had set up her jewellery company Jack and Freda in 2015 while on maternity leave and creates and sells her unique range of earrings, necklaces and more. Her tassel earrings have become quite the rage with our team, both our CoFounders have some, and her new range of alphabet necklaces are on our wish lists for this summer. Check out her full Jack and Freda range.
Kate Peers worked in agencies as an account manager before joining our Advanced Diploma in Social Media Marketing. She worked as a social media freelancer for a while but now runs Department Store For The Mind which was one of her first social media clients. It’s a fantastic business selling gorgeous products with a mental health focus. In 2020 and beyond Kate hopes to launch and grow the section for young people and also start donating some money to mental health charities. Check out their lovely ranges at the Department Store for The Mind here.
I love everything that they do and am passionate about mental health. I struggled hugely after the deaths of my parents and have a son with autism and ADHD, it is so important we talk about our mental health.
Claire McNutley studied with us in 2016. She built a career in marketing and e-commerce but didn’t return to work after she took maternity leave in 2012. Our Advanced Diploma gave her a route back into work so she could start saving for her dream - to build her own business. She now runs Eveco, which sells reusable makeup pads. The idea for the business came from Claire’s own desire to lead a more earth kind lifestyle and they’ve been very popular with our own team. To try them for yourself visit the Eveco website.
We are proud of the achievements of all our alumni but we're particularly proud of everyone that has stepped out of their comfort zones to start commerce businesses.
