Business School honours exceptional student and alumni impact through Dean’s Community Awards 2025
Celebrating the individuals championing diversity, inclusion and community through impactful initiatives and collaborative action.
Each year, Imperial Business School celebrates the remarkable ways in which our students and alumni shape our community. Whether it is championing inclusivity or driving social impact and sustainability, they have consistently carved a way to lead by example.
The Dean’s Community Awards honour those who have gone above and beyond to lead, inspire, and pioneer new initiatives that make a difference both within the School and beyond. These awards are an yearly reflection of our community of practice, voted for by our staff and students, recognising the work of students and alumni who excel in extra-curricular activities.
Join us in congratulating winners of Dean’s Community Awards 2025:
Improving Society Award
Mohammad Zaid Abid Dalla, MSc Strategic Marketing, received the Improving Society award for leading impactful community initiatives as VP of Societal Engagement, including the What the Tech?! digital literacy programme and a Christmas dinner for care leavers, both of which fostered social inclusion and student volunteerism.
Dhruv Syam, BSc Economics, Finance & Data Science, received the Improving Society award for revitalising the Effective Altruism Society at Imperial and launching initiatives such as the Intro Fellowship and Impact Research Groups, which promote ethical, evidence-based engagement and empower students to address global challenges.
Inclusive Business Award
IB Sunset Festival Student Committee comprising of Edward Lim, Kevin Alvaro Handoko, Zaid Abid Dalla, Omar Elali, Milan Koehler, Zhamilya Mukai, Sumitra Natesan, representing the courses MSc Business Analytics Online, MSc Global Health Management, MSc Strategic Marketing, received the Inclusive Business award for creating and delivering the inaugural IB Sunset Festival, an inclusive, culturally diverse celebration that successfully reimagined the School’s summer event and strengthened community engagement.
Aisha Qadi, MSc Management, received the Inclusive Business award for initiating and organising the School’s first Iftar event, which fostered inclusion, cultural understanding, and community among Muslim and non-Muslim students during Ramadan.
Inspiring Brilliant Minds
Paolo Stagni, MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management, received the award for Inspiring Brilliant Minds for launching Imperial’s first-ever Hult Prize On Campus Competition, mobilising over 100 students and coordinating a major cross-campus event that brought global social entrepreneurship to the heart of the university.
Andrea Martini, MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management, received the award for Inspiring Brilliant Minds for his leadership as Vice President of the Consulting Club, where he organised a diverse programme of events that enhanced student skills, broadened industry perspectives, and fostered meaningful professional connections.
Pioneering Practical Solutions
Sameeksha (Sammy) Sahni, Global Online MBA, received the Pioneering Practical Solutions award for launching the Global Coffee Connect initiative in Dubai and hosting online prep sessions that fostered meaningful connections and support among online students, alumni, and peers across programmes and geographies.
Laotan Faji, MSc Business Analytics and Maria Hayek, MSc Economics & Strategy for Business received this award in Pioneering Practical Solutions for organising the largest-ever School Intra-Programme Football Tournament, significantly improving participation, event structure, and promotion to deliver a highly successful and inclusive student experience.
Power of Innovative Thinking
Rhea Khanna, MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management, received the Power of Innovative Thinking award for founding and leading Medora, a venture addressing oral care in dementia through inclusive, user-driven innovation, while also advancing student entrepreneurship and healthcare accessibility through multiple interdisciplinary initiatives.
Lara Biter, MSc Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Management, received the Power of Innovative Thinking award for contributions to entrepreneurship, inclusive innovation, and student wellbeing at Imperial, including co-founding Medora, leading national startup initiatives, and advancing accessibility and policy reform through multiple high-impact projects.
Sustainable Business Thinking
The Analytics for Society 2025 Student Organising Committee: Laotan A Faji, Margaux Drochon, Elena Lickel, Emily Peters, representing the MSc Business Analytics, Full-Time MBA, received the Sustainable Business Thinking award for transforming Analytics for Society into a global, cross-institutional platform by securing strategic partnerships, expanding international reach, and establishing a financially sustainable model that significantly enhanced the competition’s impact and visibility.
Nicolas Muller, Abdul Amin & the Climate Investment Challenge Committee comprising of Arushi Wasan, Ellie Schofield, Jessica Nutt, Alessio Boggio-Chaibi, Ofure Iribhogbe, Shraddha Kalpathi Jaidev and representing the programmes MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance, MSc Finance & Accounting, MSc Global Health Management, MSc Strategic Marketing. The group received the Sustainable Business Thinking award for organising the 2025 Climate Investment Challenge, securing new international funding, expanding global participation, and delivering a high-impact, professionally run competition addressing climate-focused financial innovation.
Outstanding Contribution to the Business School
David Driskell and Tatiana Chang, Full-Time MBA, MSc Climate Change, Management & Finance, received the Outstanding Contribution to the Business School award for leading the creation of the School’s first student-authored EQUIS Student Report, coordinating diverse focus groups and delivering a high-quality submission that contributed significantly to the 2025 re-accreditation process.
Joanne Linder, Full-Time MBA 1996, received the Outstanding Contribution to the Business School award for chairing the Alumni Advisory Council for 13 years.
Dean’s Community Award for Alumni
Marc Richly, Business Analytics Online (2023), received the Dean’s Community Award for Alumni award for leading the development of a machine learning tool to improve UNICEF India's fundraising effectiveness and for sustained contributions to student initiatives and alumni engagement through the Gandhi Centre for Inclusive Innovation.
Yasmin Baker, Intercalated BSc (2024), received the Dean’s Community Award for Alumni award for setting up a buddy scheme connecting alumni with current students to enhance mentorship and support student wellbeing, and for establishing the non-profit “More than Medics”, supporting medical students to explore careers beyond traditional clinical roles including consulting, medtech and policy.
Subscribe to the IBK newsletter
Share
