Incubation+

Nihal Shah joined Incubation+ in Janaury 2019, having completed a graphic design degree at Ravensbourne in 2018. He has since launched a successful business designing and making wooden homeware pieces. 

Nihal learned the skill of woodworking through up-cycling secondhand furniture while studying for his degree. Through Incubation+, Nihal was able to access prototyping facilities to produce sample runs, as well as advice from professionals in his field, and support in developing his concept into a viable business model. Nihal’s eponymous brand has been featured in the press and is now available through the designer’s website, as well as Etsy and at renowned London locations such as Greenwich Market and Canopy in Kings Cross. 

www.nihalshah.com 

Offset Collective is a creative agency set up in January 2019 which delivers design, production, post-production and motion design projects to commercial clients. The three directors met in 2016 while studying at Ravensbourne and formed Offset Collective, joining Incubation+ in September 2019 shortly after graduation. 

As well as being among the winners of the Incubation Lite Award 2019, Offset Collective’s directors have benefitted from the business support resources and finance training offered by Incubation+. With a focus on mentoring and employing young talent, the company was shortlisted in the Workforce Development Category at the Best of Royal Borough of Greenwich Awards in February 2020. Connecting with CreativeLab led to projects with O2, Warner Records and Creative Nature HQ.

https://offsetcollective.co/

Abeni Carvalho graduated from Ravensbourne in 2018 with a degree in Fashion Buying and Brand Management, with the aim of turning her final degree project into a commercial brand. Project Panda, her concept for a sustainable, educational childrenswear label, was one of the winners of the Incubation Lite Awards 2018, and Abeni subsequently joined Incubation+.  

With one-to-one advice and guidance from Incubation+, Abeni developed a business plan and won a pitch for £8000 in funding from the London Start-Up Loan Company. Since then, Project Panda has gone from strength to strength. With nominations for the Mothercare Childrenswear Award and the Levis x Vivienne Westwood Sustainability Award at Graduate Fashion Week, Abeni aims to expand the business beyond online sales and into department stores. 

www.projectpanda.co.uk 

Stitch & Story was founded by Ravensbourne alum Jen Hoang and her friend Jennifer Lam, with a mission to reinvent knitting as an aspirational, contemporary skill by “bringing out the artisan in everyone”.

From its conception as a kitchen table startup, Stitch & Story has expanded to encompass all-in-one knitting kits, online tutorials and in-person workshops. The business has been based at Incubation+ since 2017, where mentoring, outside investment and access to creative professionals has allowed the founders to grow the company to 11 full time employees. 

In a recent interview, Jen Hoang told the BBC: 

The flexibility to use the existing facilities, a range of creative professionals, ie. photographers, graphic designers and the ability to grow our team fast with less operational hassle make Incubation a supportive environment for the growth of the company.  

www.stitchandstory.co