The Student Professional Development (SPD) Star Awards 2026 brought together some of the brightest students and recent graduates from Brunel University of London for an evening of recognition and celebration.
Held on Friday 22 May 2026 at the Eastern Gateway Auditorium, the annual ceremony highlighted the outstanding achievements of students and recent graduates across programmes including Employability Skills, Volunteering, Mentoring, and the Entrepreneur Hub.
A key highlight of the evening for us, was the recognition of winners from the Brunel Entrepreneur Hub competitions, including the Brunel Venture Competition 2026 and the Melete Social Impact Competition 2026. These competitions showcase innovative student-led ventures and socially driven ideas that demonstrate creativity, leadership, and real-world impact.
We were also thrilled to welcome back Anil Puri, a 2018 Product Design graduate, who returned to present the Entrepreneur Hub awards for the fourth consecutive year. Anil’s entrepreneurial journey began at Brunel when he won the Venture Competition in 2020, securing £5,000 in funding to further develop his business idea, Pet Instincts, which has continued to grow and flourish since.
Today, Anil is also Managing Director at WeSprint, a global venture-building agency specialising in advisory services for commercial, investment, and technology growth for startups, new ventures, and innovation-driven organisations. His return to the awards ceremony highlighted the lasting impact of Brunel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and served as inspiration for this year’s cohort of founders and innovators.
The ceremony welcomed student and recent graduate winners and university staff for an evening dedicated to celebrating career ambition and entrepreneurial excellence. Attendees enjoyed award presentations, networking opportunities, and refreshments while connecting with fellow innovators from across the university community. We were even joined by Councillor Reeta Chamdal, the current Mayor of the London Borough of Hillingdon as well as outgoing Mayor Philip Corthorne, making the evening an even more special celebration of student success and innovation.
The Entrepreneur Hub section of the awards reflected Brunel’s continued commitment to supporting student entrepreneurship and empowering emerging founders to turn ideas into impactful ventures. Winners were recognised not only for their business potential, but also for their resilience, innovation, and contribution to social and economic change.
A huge congratulations again to our Outstanding Entrepreneurs:
The SPD Star Awards is a fantastic opportunity to honour the dedication and achievements of students who have gone above and beyond throughout the academic year.
The 2026 ceremony once again demonstrated the strength of Brunel’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and the growing impact of student-led innovation across the university.