Max Dowling Is Building a Startup While Leading an MBA Cohort | Manchester MBA Voices | Ep 2

Why It Matters

By marrying MBA‑driven leadership with a tech‑focused safety venture, Max demonstrates how academic ecosystems can accelerate solutions to a £15 billion public‑safety challenge, setting a precedent for socially impactful entrepreneurship.

Key Takeaways

• Max leveraged MBA resources to launch safety startup Vigil.
• Student council initiatives fostered inclusion and recognized peer contributions.
• Vigil targets public safety with tech, citing £15bn UK cost.
• Manchester’s entrepreneurship center provided grants, accelerators, and mentorship.
• Balancing council duties, coursework, and startup demands disciplined time management.

Summary

The Manchester MBA Voices episode spotlights Max Dowling, a mathematics graduate turned serial entrepreneur who now serves as class president at Alliance Manchester Business School while building a stealth‑mode safety startup called Vigil. His dual role illustrates how an MBA can function as both a leadership laboratory and a launchpad for high‑impact ventures.

As student council president, Max prioritized cultural cohesion across a highly international cohort. He instituted a budget‑free model for vice‑presidents, subsidized a major sports competition to boost participation, and created a council‑wide recognition scheme that celebrated informal contributions—from photography to peer mentoring—thereby strengthening inclusion and morale. The council’s efforts helped the Manchester team finish fifth in the Embat competition, punching above its weight against larger schools.

Vigil emerged from a harrowing late‑night assault Max witnessed in Manchester’s Fallowfield district. Citing 1.9 million violent incidents and a £15 billion annual economic burden, he argues that public safety requires a technology‑enabled, community‑driven platform rather than sole reliance on policing. The venture has secured Innovate UK funding, a £6,000 grant from the university’s Accelerate Me accelerator, and entry into a social‑impact accelerator, leveraging the school’s entrepreneurship centre for mentorship and networking.

The story underscores the symbiotic potential of MBA ecosystems: they can nurture inclusive student leadership while providing the resources, mentorship, and capital pathways needed to spin out socially conscious startups. Max’s experience offers a blueprint for future entrepreneurs seeking to translate personal insight into scalable, market‑addressable solutions.

Original Description

In this episode, Riya Malik sit down with Max Dowling, Manchester MBA candidate, Student Council President, and founder of a public‑safety startup Vigil.

Max reflects on the real‑world experience that inspired his current venture – a moment that made him confront the scale of public safety challenges and ultimately pushed him to build a technology‑led solution with social impact at its core. He also opens up about the realities of founding a startup in stealth mode while juggling MBA projects, leadership responsibilities, and personal wellbeing.

Timestamps:

00.00 Introduction

00:35 What led Max to pursue an MBA?

02:19 Max's experience as Student Council President

08:46 Vigil, Max's public safety technology venture

14:28 How AMBS helped Max's entrepreneurship journey

18:18 Challenges of entrepreneurship

22:20 The Manchester Method

27:19 Max's advice to his month one MBA self

35:34 The Manchester Quiz

38:12 How the MBA will help Max with his future

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