Deborah Meaden visits MAS
On Wednesday 26th April, Mulberry Academy Shoreditch were very excited to welcome Deborah Meaden – businesswoman, Dragon on Dragon’s Den and entrepreneur to our school. Year 12 students, Sarunas Andrijaitis and Aiman Shafiq, interviewed her and the audience enjoyed hearing about her inspirational career, her experiences at school and her thoughts on the environment and biodiversity. Deborah spoke about her first business opportunity during a trip to Spain and gave some insightful tips for students about being successful in business such as not being afraid to make mistakes, being resilient and that opportunities come along when you least expect them.
When asked about her ability to spot a great investment in the Den, she explained that one of the things she looks for is clarity about what the business is about.
Deborah’s passion for the environment was clear and students admired her commitment to spreading the message to businesses about the importance of reducing our impact on the planet. It was also great to learn about her love of nature and animals, and her enjoyment of horse riding. When asked about her goals for the future Deborah said she has no plans to slow down in business but is increasingly focused on environmental issues, emphasising the scale of work needed to make positive changes. The talk was really interesting and it was such an amazing opportunity to learn from someone so successful and famous, but also open and engaging.
Here’s what Year 12 students said:
“It was very inspirational and insightful and has reminded me to remain resilient at all times” Shakera
“It was motivational.” Jennie
“Deborah was very inspiring and she was surprisingly down-to-earth. She told us to embrace mistakes which is a valuable life lesson.” Tajwar
“I look forward to applying these crucial skills in the future.” Radia
Year 10 students said:
“We were reassured that making mistakes is a good thing, but to make sure we learn from them.” Anisa.
“Anyone can achieve their dreams.” Ruth
“Resilience is the most important thing to have in life.” Chaya
A very big thank you to the fantastic charity, Speakers for Schools, for enabling us to meet Deborah Meaden.
