Making a Difference - Organisation testimonials
EY Foundation 
Our project looked to build on the findings of our AI and Social Mobility Report. This report outlined the key opportunities and challenges that artificial intelligence presents for social mobility. We tasked the students with exploring the academic research landscape in this area, specifically identifying any significant gaps where further academic inquiry could provide valuable insights.
One of the aspects I particularly enjoyed about working with Oxford students was the diverse range of disciplines represented within the project team. This diversity brings a wealth of perspectives that make for rich discussions and a stronger outcome as a result.
For other organizations considering offering projects through this programme, my advice would be to think critically about how you plan to utilize the students' work once it is completed. Being clear about your expectations and preferences for focus areas or presentation will help guide the students effectively and ensure that the project meets your objectives.
Freya Mumford – Digital Manager at the EY Foundation
Leukaemia Care
Making A Difference is an innovative and engaging programme which is clearly providing an outstanding opportunity both theoretically and practically for the students involved. The charities and other organisations associated with the programme are also deriving great benefit from their interaction with the students, and the quality of their work on the short, real-life projects they are running. It is a privilege to be involved.
Colin Dyer – Chief Executive Officer of Leukaemia Care
Aquaful
Aquaful is an early-stage social enterprise founded by Oxford alumnus Ludovic Claude and based in Geneva, Switzerland. Our mission is to transform how people access WHO-standard safe drinking water, starting in West Africa. For us, this work goes far beyond financial returns. Access to safe drinking water is foundational to the social, cultural, and economic well-being of communities. By deploying a locally led model in which ownership is shared with local entrepreneurs, we aim not only to serve consumers but to empower communities to build resilient, inclusive water systems.
Through Oxford University’s Making a Difference Programme, we had the invaluable opportunity to collaborate with a multidisciplinary team of exceptional students. Their project delivered a rigorous market-entry analysis for West Africa, covering macroeconomic dynamics, socio-political considerations, and business development. Importantly, the students did more than validate our strategy: they challenged our assumptions, identified gaps, and provided critical insights that enable us to strengthen and accelerate our execution.
We have been particularly impressed by the students’ dedication. Despite demanding academic schedules, they brought outstanding commitment, analytical depth, and a genuine desire to contribute to Aquaful’s mission.
For an early-stage organisation such as ours, partnerships that bring fresh thinking and diverse expertise are essential to scaling impact. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with Oxford students and the University in the years ahead.
Ludovic Claude – Founder, Aquaful
Ocean Generation
This year the students at Oxford University conducted a feasibility study into paid membership of Ocean Generation. For a while we’d considered whether this might bring both financial and other advantages to the charity but did not have the staff resource to prepare our own review.
The project, conducted under the Making a Difference programme, analysed the costs of benefits of enrolling members, supplying goods and services and maintaining a membership scheme.
The student team working on the project were thorough in their review, curious in their questioning and even conducted primary data collection to support their analysis.
Throughout the short project, the students were a delight to work with – attending meetings promptly, asking for reasonable supporting information and at all times showing real enthusiasm for and dedication to the project.
At the final presentation, we were thrilled to receive an interesting proposition from the team, with some really creative and original ideas
The overall experience was very positive and took up little of our time. The Careers Service at Oxford were extremely accommodating to our needs and made everything work very smoothly. The benefit of having a bright team working on the project absolutely outweighed the cost of any input on our part. And it was fun have new people contributing to our work!
I would not hesitate to engage with the Making a Difference programme again and commend it to other organisations.
Dr Victoria Edwards OBE – Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Generation until December 2025.
ABALOBI
My name is Chris Kastern from Cape Town. I am the Director of Growth at ABALOBI, a hybrid social enterprise.
ABALOBI aims to give fishers more agency and visibility, especially through restaurants, which are key interfaces between fishers and consumers. Chef buyers and front-of-house (FoH) teams are crucial links. ABALOBI explores effective collaborations with restaurants, focusing on having chefs feature ABALOBI products and enabling FoH staff to share fisher stories with patrons.
In the Making A Difference programme, students collaborated with ABALOBI to find ways to inspire FoH teams to communicate ABALOBI's values and facilitate direct engagement between restaurants, patrons, and fisher communities. [...] Working with the students in the Making A Difference programme was a pleasure - they were enthusiastic, curious, organised, and diligent throughout our collaboration. ABALOBI typically uses #Slack for project communication and coordination; although some students were new to the platform, they adapted quickly, providing regular updates and seeking input at key moments to keep the project relevant and practical. It was also clear that the students were personally committed to the programme and well-prepared for the engagement, which helped ensure the participation was not burdensome for the ABALOBI team.
The preparation sessions and project set-up support offered by the Making A Difference team are key. The more you invest in them, the more likely you are to attract the right students for your project and enable them to hit the ground running.
Chris Kastern – Director of Growth at ABALOBI
Oxford Strategy Challenge - Organisation testimonials
TrialeX
We co-founded TrialeX whilst balancing our postgraduate studies at the University of Oxford, so we have always been on the lookout for fresh perspectives and creative solutions to help us overcome the various challenges of running a healthcare business on a tight budget and schedule. That’s where the Oxford Strategy Challenge (TOSCA) came in.
Engaging with student consultants through TOSCA has been invaluable for our team. The students brought insights and solutions to challenges like marketing strategy, weighing up pros and cons of new business model ideas, competitor analysis, summarising regulatory frameworks, and pulling key insights from our market analysis. Read the TrialeX article
Cheryl Tan, CEO & Co-founder; Jasmine Reese, COO & Co-founder; Serena Vales, CMO & Co-founder; Kim-Shen Pang, CTO & Co-founder – TrialeX
High Flyers Oxford
The programme provided us with a unique opportunity to collaborate with emerging talent whose out-of-the-box thinking has truly invigorated and inspired our business. As part of the programme, we set a challenge for the participants to help re-create a new business model aimed at supporting and growing our business. [...]
I wholeheartedly endorse the TOSCA programme. It is a worthy initiative that offers significant benefits to both the participants and the companies involved. For businesses seeking to inject new prospective or different ideas to think about, I can only recommend taking part. The programme is inspiring, practical, and, most importantly, it creates a dynamic environment where innovative ideas flourish. Read the High Flyers article
Alison Ighani – Founder and Director of High Flyers Oxford
The Churches Conservation Trust
The students from start to finish were professional and engaged with the brief. They asked informed questions in advance of the final meeting and led a very interesting presentation. The presentation itself was well pitched, and they clearly demonstrated an understanding of our financial restrictions and how competitive the market currently is. There were several recommendations made that we would look to pursue as we start to make plans for the next Financial Year. We very much look forward to continuing our partnership with the programme over future challenges.
Olgas Fine Foods
In 2024, Helen Ujvary hosted Oxford students as part of the Oxford Strategy Challenge (TOSCA). Helen said afterwards:
I would highly recommend any business taking part in the TOSCA programme: as the client we gained real insight and valuable, important, actionable recommendations, and of course the students gained invaluable experiences and exposure to real businesses.
As Chief Strategy Officer, Helen commissioned a TOSCA project on the ESG strategy for Olgas Fine Foods, a South Australian family-owned food manufacturing business established in 1978, which produces a range of high-quality products available in retail outlets around Australia. Helen commented:
A key focus for us during this challenge was to enhance our Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) efforts. We were delighted to have been selected for South Australia’s Food SA’s ESG Pilot Program, marking a significant milestone in our journey towards sustainability and responsible business practices.
The insights gained from working with the Oxford student team during the Oxford Strategy Challenge will play a pivotal role in refining our ESG roadmap, ensuring we continue to lead with purpose and making a positive impact on our community and the environment. As part of the TOSCA programme, the Oxford student team made several key recommendations for the initial year of Olga’s Fine Foods' ESG venture. These recommendations, focusing on energy efficiency, sustainable packaging, and waste reduction, were identified as top priorities.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Oxford students for their innovative approaches and strategic thinking. Collaborations like these are essential for fostering growth, learning and development in the food industry.
Helen Ujvary – Chief Strategy Officer of Olgas Fine Foods
COCO
The students that worked on COCO’s project through the Oxford Strategy Consultancy were extremely impressive. In a very short space of time, they researched extensively and produced recommendations that we would have expected from a charity consultant with many more years’ experience. The students demonstrated passion and enthusiasm, worked together as a team and used their skill sets and interests to ask difficult questions. The results produced tangible suggestions to assist COCO with the development of our social impact process. I would highly recommend this programme and hope to use it again in the future.
Lucy Kendall – Chief Executive Officer of COCO
