“Don’t wait for change, create it!” - A Journey through the MICL Programme

“The master’s in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership (MICL) invites you to open your mind because you find yourself doing things that you don't expect to in a business school.”

This is how 2023 graduate Daniel Liendo describes the MICL programme – an interdisciplinary master’s that helps you think differently and lead positive change.

“It's kind of surprising at the beginning, but by the end of the course you understand how it broadens your perspective of business.”

In a complex and chaotic world, the aim of the MICL is to inspire and enable students to drive the future and change things for the better. The course takes a practical, reflective and values-based approach that brings theories to life, drawing on disciplines including business, the arts, psychology, law, design and digital technology. Students learn from a multi-disciplinary team of academics and practitioners, to develop their skills as a creative leader and learn how to unleash creativity within others.

A different approach to leadership development

Daniel’s bachelor degree was in Economics, but for his master’s degree he was looking for a leadership course which took a non-traditional approach. He researched courses at several universities, but it was the Bayes programme which really stood out:

“Bayes offered a different and fresh perspective on it. This course was about creativity, innovation and leadership, and that was something I was missing in my previous studies. It was a very interesting way of seeing management and the business sector, because as an economist, we tend to have a square mindset - very structured, very rigid.”

Many students see the course as an opportunity to change direction after successful first careers. For Daniel, relocating from Venezuela to London was truly transformative.

“I define it as a life changing experience. The fact that London is so multicultural and diverse, I've never had the opportunity to be in a city like this. It was my first time, and I was really impressed. London is such a welcoming city for international students because on my course we had representation from different continents, different cultures. It gave me the opportunity not only to gain academic knowledge, but also to connect with the world through the people I met.”

“It’s a different mindset and perspective, and that is challenging, but it is so enriching.”

“When I came to London, I was worried that maybe I would feel lost at a UK university, or that I didn’t have as much to offer. Yet I quickly realised that I have my own experiences to share and have faced challenges and difficulties, which give you skills that others do not have. I felt I could offer a perspective to my classmates and lecturers and could contribute to the course.”

Daniel studied full-time and cites the support he received from Course Director, Dr Sara Jones, as pivotal to his success:

“Sara is a source of inspiration in so many ways. She is an amazing connector of people, and really understands your background and goals. She introduces you to other people she thinks you could work with and learn from.”

Daniel also benefitted from a Chevening Scholarship, which enables outstanding emerging leaders from all over the world to pursue a one-year master’s degree in the UK.

“Without the scholarship, I wouldn’t have had the experiences of living and study in London. It’s a competitive scholarship and very generous because it gave me a monthly stipend and the full cover of my tuition fees. It also connects you with a network of Chevening Scholars worldwide who are doing great things. It’s an awesome scheme.”

Supporting Venezuelan entrepreneurs

Prior to starting the MICL at Bayes, Daniel was working in the non-profit sector in Venezuela, for an organisation that develops leadership training programmes in remote areas.

Today, Daniel still works part-time in the non-profit sector, and last year started his private practice as an independent consultant on leadership and innovation, after returning home to Venezuela.

“I’m helping early-stage social entrepreneurs and business owners who want to create social impact in their communities by launching new services and products. We are promoting the mindset of the triple impact: That your business should have a social and economic impact, and also be sustainable and contribute to the preservation of the planet.”

“I’m using the methodologies that I learned in the programme, like service design and design thinking, and creative problem-solving frameworks.”

“Everything that I learned on the MICL, I'm using with my clients.”

Introducing a new approach to leadership and innovation to Venezuelan entrepreneurs hasn’t been entirely straightforward. Daniel explains:

“It's a challenge to be honest because I think creativity and innovation can be topics that are hard to sell, because many people have different opinions and perspectives of what they really mean. I have gone through a process of first convincing people that this is important - I think in Europe people are aware of how useful and important creativity is. Here in Venezuela, it is a little more complicated, but we are following that path, and I’m trying to teach by giving examples and context. That’s the first step, and then people are more open to try new things. But I have found it a challenge.”

Daniel has also encountered significant differences between the start-up communities in London and in Venezuela.

“London definitely has a more established, organised and supported ecosystem. We have a lack of support in Venezuela in terms of training, access to funds and having an organised community of entrepreneurs. We have difficulties and deficiencies in many areas, but that’s something I am working to address by giving local entrepreneurs the perspective of what I saw in the UK: How can we organise and make networks of support and collaboration?”

Gaining practical experience in London

During his time at Bayes, Daniel worked as a Start-up Incubator Support Officer in CityVentures, which helps City students and alumni to start, scale and launch their business ideas.

“My time at Bayes is a constant source of inspiration, particularly working directly with entrepreneurs in the City incubator.”

In his role, Daniel supported the university’s community of entrepreneurs by designing events and networking sessions and shaping the early stages of an accelerator programme.

“I worked with Ralph La Fontaine, Head of Student Entrepreneurship at City and he was very supportive during my time at CityVentures. Since I’ve returned to Venezuela he has kept in contact, and we are exploring how we can support entrepreneurs in Latin America.”

Daniel served as an External Consultant for CityVentures upon his return to Venezuela, and he is excited about making an impact:

“I work every day on giving more opportunities to local entrepreneurs to strengthen their abilities to become independent and contribute to the economic development of my country.”

“For many years in Venezuela we have been going through some very hard situations, economically, socially, and politically, but I think I've been called to do something, to give back to my country.”

“My time at Bayes has been life-changing and that experience is with me every day – I truly believe that we can create change."

Learn more about the Innovation, Creativity and Leadership MSc.