Rizwan Makda

My Graduate Story

My name is Rizwan Makda, and I completed a MSc in Advanced Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham.

I currently as the CEO and Founder of Mumkin, a company dedicated to offering premium products with 20% of profits going to charity.

A Day in my Life

Every day is different with new challenges to solve and new opportunities to take hold of. Each day, I try to be as creative as possible, thinking of new ideas to innovate within the business.

I work on everything from product launch to market. This entails working with suppliers, designing and testing products, showcasing products at events, networking with influencers, creating social media content, podcasting, and charity work.

I also focus a lot on digital marketing, from SEO to drive organic traffic, to content creation via social media. It’s a constant learning curve, but it’s exciting to build something meaningful from the ground up.

My Journey to Mumkin

I always stayed busy by working filler jobs in between since leaving university. I was working 7 days a week with two jobs, always looking for the next best job, until I landed my graduate job in Newcastle. I know!!! Very far from my home city Leicester.

It wasn’t always easy, but it kept me moving forward and helped shape my mindset and work ethic.

My Birmingham Experience

A mix between coursework and exams were vital in working within tight deadlines, independently and in teams to ensure the work was carried out successfully.

Birmingham's Impact

A mix between coursework and exams was vital in working within tight deadlines, independently and in teams, to ensure the work was carried out successfully.

Presentations!!! I actively chose modules which allowed me to do presentations to build on my confidence and presenting skills. Now I’m doing my own podcast to inspire the community to also do impactful work!

I loved the:

• Independent and team working

• Project work

• Opportunities

• General engineering rather than focusing on the very technical side, which I really enjoyed

Skill building through project work and presenting skills!

My Achievements

I actually chose two internships, Severn Trent and Mars, which were amazing opportunities to have on the CV.

The project work proved to be successful, as we needed to problem-solve and be creative. These experiences gave me a great foundation for what I do now.

Advice for Students

Live, learn and laugh! Say yes more times than no! Never reply without thinking!

Transitioning from education life to professional life’s not easy. The job you may think is the dream may not be. Make your own decisions, it could be that graduate job in Newcastle, which wasn’t the best decision, but the main thing is… it was my decision and I don’t regret it.

Once you start working you’ll think you’re rich, but budget, budget and budget!!!