Running a business can sometimes be a lonely experience, with the burden of decision-making often falling solely on the founder. Seeking an external perspective can be refreshing and, having seen a social media post about the Project Partners initiative, Cat Rainey connected with the University of Liverpool Management School.
Speaking with Hazel Kennedy, External Engagement Manager at the Management School, Cat Rainey offers a candid account of scaling two businesses simultaneously, and the value of inviting fresh thinking into the process.
Cat is the founder of Eventuelle, a corporate travel and events agency, and Nomad Coffee Company, a business that has grown from a canal-side coffee van into two train station coffee shops in Worcestershire. It is a trajectory shaped by organic growth, but one that has brought inevitable challenges.
“Both businesses are going through growth stages,” she explains, reflecting on the decision to engage with students. As Eventuelle gained momentum and Nomad continued to expand, the opportunity for new insights became clear.
For Cat, the appeal of Project Partners offered access to external viewpoints at a critical stage of development. It also provided an opportunity to contribute to student learning in a way that goes beyond theory.
“I thought what a great opportunity… to provide some interesting business case studies that aren’t from a textbook,” she says, emphasising the value of “real life business scenarios”.
That emphasis on practical application sits at the heart of the Project Partners approach. As Hazel Kennedy notes, the collaboration allows students to apply their academic learning directly within a real-world context, bridging the gap between classroom understanding and professional practice.
The experience itself was largely delivered online, with structured touchpoints across the project lifecycle. While geography limited face-to-face interaction, Cat remained closely engaged with the students through briefings, mid-point reviews and final presentations. The result, she reflects, was a process defined by strong communication and genuine curiosity from the students.
“They asked lots of questions and took a genuine interest in the businesses,” she says.
Importantly, the collaboration yielded tangible business outcomes. Students recommended a digital loyalty app for Nomad Coffee Company, challenging an assumption that such systems were complex or costly to implement.
“It took a younger person to identify that for me,” Cat admits, highlighting the fresh perspective that can emerge from student engagement. The project also prompted a broader reassessment of social media and marketing strategy, offering a valuable external benchmark against which to measure current practice.
Looking back, Cat is positive about the experience. “Definitely would do it again,” she says, whilst noting that future iterations could benefit from more in-person interaction and even deeper immersion in the business environment.
Her reflections extend beyond the immediate project to a wider point about employability. Drawing on her own experience of working alongside her studies, she argues that practical exposure of work experience is essential. Theory alone is not enough; it is the combination of knowledge and application that prepares graduates to add value from day one.
For businesses, engaging with university programmes is not simply an act of corporate social responsibility. It is a strategic opportunity to access insight, challenge assumptions and uncover new ideas.
The University of Liverpool Management School’s Project Partners initiative connects organisations with students to tackle live business challenges. Partners gain fresh, evidence-based perspectives, while contributing directly to student development.
For organisations navigating growth, change or simply seeking a new lens on familiar challenges, becoming a Project Partner offers a structured, free, and low-risk way to access external insight.
To explore how your organisation could take part, contact the External Engagement team at the University of Liverpool Management School at busdev@liverpool.ac.uk and discuss how a student-led project could support your next stage of growth.