Alumni Spotlight: Adam Cragg (2018, EMBA)

After an Executive  Master of Business Administration (EMBA) degree, Adam Cragg went on to co-found Osney Capital, a venture capital fund focused on investing in cyber security businesses which recently announced that it had closed one of the largest ever debut seed funds in the UK. We caught up with him to find out more about what he is doing now and his memories of Harris Manchester.

Explain a bit more about what you are doing now?

I am a Co-Founder of Osney Capital, the UK's only cyber security seed VC. We started the firm to back cyber security entrepreneurs who want to build globally relevant startups for the benefit of the British economy. The UK and its universities produce exceptional entrepreneurs, but they have historically lacked access to the capital needed to scale. My career has been spent in and around universities, supporting entrepreneurs as they build and scale their businesses. I've always found meaning in a university's power to do good on a global scale as well as in the lives of its students. My hope is that supporting entrepreneurs speeds up the adoption of new technologies so they can be brought to bear for global benefit. 

What are your best memories of Harris Manchester?

My favourite memories are dinners in Arlosh Hall. Good food and interesting conversation with people whose expertise lay in areas I knew nothing about was always eye-opening. The college's focus on mature students made it even better: everyone brought real lived experience to their studies, and it made Harris Manchester a community unique from any other college.

How did Harris Manchester shape you?

I met my two Co-Founders during my studies, and for that alone I will always be grateful that Harris Manchester welcomed me into its community at the world's best university. It felt very late at the time to be going back to university, but taking time to develop new skills and connections is something few people regret. Now, six years on from leaving, I am even more thankful for my time at Harris Manchester.

What advice would you give to current students?

Invest in yourself. Take that degree, start that business, make that move. As the college clock tower says, it's later than you think, so there is no time like the present to start building the life and impact you want.