Based at the college’s newly-opened Mansfield Ambition Exchange, Vic is working with students and staff to inspire entrepreneurial thinking, mentor budding business founders, and strengthen connections between the college and local employers.
The part-time role, created as part of the college’s ongoing commitment to promoting enterprise and employability, sees Vic draw on her extensive experience as a highly-successful entrepreneur, author and marketing strategist, to help students develop the confidence and know-how to turn their ideas into reality.
During the first term, Vic has been working with business students to promote the Mansfield Ambition Exchange, briefing around 200 learners on a live branding competition that challenges them to apply their creative and commercial skills to shape the identity of the new hub, located on the Chesterfield Road campus.
She is also mentoring level 3 learners who are developing their own start-up ideas, and delivering specialist masterclasses on branding and building a professional online presence.
In the new year, her focus will expand to other curriculum areas – including hair and beauty, and later, construction – bringing enterprise education to more students across the college.
Vic, who runs Touchpoints Marketing Academy and several other successful ventures, combines this role with leading educational programmes such as SixFigureNiche.com, supporting business owners to grow to £100,000 turnover, and Young Hustle Hub, which provides enterprise resources to colleges nationwide.
She has built and scaled six businesses, three of which have surpassed six-figure turnovers, and took one venture from a Kickstarter campaign to being stocked by Selfridges within a year. Her achievements include being named Marketing Strategist of the Year for the UK and Ireland by Enterprise Nation. Vic’s career also spans corporate marketing roles with major brands such as Thorntons, BMI Airline, and JCB.
As a passionate advocate for Mansfield’s business scene, Vic is also a sub-board member of the Mansfield and Ashfield Business Network, and Mansfield Place Board, and is lead ambassador for the forthcoming Mansfield Ambassador Programme.
Although Entrepreneur in Residence roles are well-established within many UK universities – supporting students, academics, and start-ups through mentorship and innovation projects – they are far less common in the FE sector, with Vic’s appointment reflecting the college’s progressive approach to embedding enterprise across its study programmes.
Vic said: “Since the start of term, I’ve been working alongside students with truly fantastic ideas for their own businesses. They already have a strong grounding in business from their teachers, so my role as Entrepreneur in Residence is to add that extra layer of real-world support to help bring their ideas to life.
“Each week I mentor business students who are further along in their start-up journey – we’ve discussed everything from trademarks and contracts to HMRC registration and business banking. Beyond that, any student can contact me for advice, and I’m always happy to help.
“After Christmas I’ll be working more closely with hair and beauty students, and later with construction learners across the campuses. All students also have access to the Young Hustle Hub – a set of 20 videos I’ve created to guide them through the process of launching a business.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing how all students apply what they’ve learned and develop their own entrepreneurial ambitions.”
Hayley Wood, head of business and professional studies, said: “We’re absolutely thrilled to have Vic on board in this groundbreaking role. Her experience, passion and energy for entrepreneurship are already inspiring our students to think differently about what’s possible after college.
“Having someone of her calibre working directly with learners is an incredible opportunity – not just for our business students, but for the wider college community.”
The college’s Entrepreneur in Residence role is designed to foster a culture of innovation and enterprise across the organisation, building stronger connections between education and industry. Working collaboratively with staff, Vic will help embed entrepreneurial thinking into the curriculum, create real-world learning opportunities, and guide students as they translate their ideas into viable ventures.
This forward-thinking approach aligns closely with the mission of the Mansfield Ambition Exchange, which serves as a hub for innovation, collaboration and skills development, connecting students with local businesses and professionals.