Max Dowling is building a startup while leading an MBA cohort

Alliance Manchester Business School — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:08:00 +0100

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.

⏱️ Chapters

(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

Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/alliancemanchesterbusinessschool
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/alliancembs
TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@alliancembs
Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/school/alliancembs

Find out more about our MBA programmes: https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/mba/

Community over capital, saying yes strategically & saving the planet (with Gloria Cherono)

Alliance Manchester Business School — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 15:43:08 +0000

Welcome to the podcast!

To mark the beginning of Women's History Month, host Riya Malik sits down with entrepreneur and MBA candidate Gloria Cherono from Alliance Manchester Business School to explore what it really takes to build a purpose-driven business as a woman. From her upbringing in a Kenyan farming community to founding sustainability venture Envirofly, Gloria shares how resilience, ambition and community shaped her leadership journey.

Together, they chat about the realities of female entrepreneurship, how the MBA influenced their leadership styles, and how partnerships can be just as valuable as funding when starting a business.

⏱️ Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction to Gloria Cherono
(02:48) - How Gloria’s upbringing in a Kenyan farming community shaped her ambitions to pursue an MBA
(04:33) - Why she chose AMBS when looking for business schools
(07:20) - The sustainability problems her business Envirofly helped solve
(09:52) - Challenges of being a woman in entrepreneurship
(12:40) - The MBA’s impact on leadership styles
(17:11) - How the Forté scholarship helps women looking to do an MBA
(22:10) - Entrepreneurship and the myth of work-life balance
(24:57) - What’s the Venture Capital Investment Competition?
(29:27) - What would Gloria tell her ‘month one MBA’ self?
(32:34) - The Manchester Quiz
(35:49) - Key takeaways for Women’s History Month

Find out more about our MBA programmes: https://www.alliancembs.manchester.ac.uk/study/mba/

Manchester MBA Voices

Max Dowling is building a startup while leading an MBA cohort

Community over capital, saying yes strategically & saving the planet (with Gloria Cherono)