Over the past four years, LSE Generate has awarded over 40 students funding and support to grow their enterprises. Students have developed their dreams all over the globe and we thought it would be exciting to get in touch with some of the winners and see where they are now!

Last week we spoke to Elliot O’Connor, one of the founders at Code at Uni (winners of the 2014 cohort) whose coding school helps students across the country to develop their tech skills. This week we have Alexander Lushnikov from the Chainy team!

1. Tell us about your business!

Chainy (chainy.com) is an online platform that empowers artists to work with the world’s leading brands and icons.

2. What was it like winning the Generate funding competition?  How did it encourage you as a young entrepreneur?

It felt great – it allowed me to secure a Tier 1 Graduate Entrepreneur visa, stay in touch with LSE and work on developing my venture. Also, support from LSE Generate is great – from paperwork to advice – the Generate team is here to help. It still encourages me to work hard and execute – whenever you mention you are one of the LSE Generate Entrepreneurs on the Tier 1 here in the UK – it blows people away.

3. What’s been the biggest high and the biggest low of your journey so far?

Biggest high – upon the start itself, securing business partnership with Front Row Group, working with world-renowned Alexander James on his Artist Residency in partnership with Saatchi & Saatchi and UAL. And of course now, making the dream happen – executing world’s largest video competition on migration with LSE Institute of Global Affairs sponsored by Geroge Soros’s Open Society Foundations with judges from Cannes Lions and The Guardian.

4. You have a very strong team ethic. What is your key to a successful and strong founding team?

Culture. It is the most important factor in business success. Like in martial arts – it’s all about having the right philosophy and mindset.

5. Tell us about your biggest learning experiences this year

Marketing. How do you reach out to thousands of filmmakers all over the world? The answer – there’s no simple way. Create social media storms, get in touch with film-related universities and organisations, ask friends and influencers to spread the word.

6. What would you tell an incoming student looking to consider entrepreneurship as a possible career path upon graduation?

Start as soon as possible – today or even yesterday if you can. You will regret you have not started now. Take all the risk in the world – you will be thankful to yourself later on. And work more with other people – you never succeed on your own.