Making their experience count: how Teesside graduates turned student challenges into solutions

Nathan Marr and Joe Hilton had very different experiences during their studies but collaborated to establish Student Semester Planner.; and a sister company called Growth Panner Co - with international success.

Joe studied sports sciences and began to question his future and realised the field wasn’t right for him. Recognising that many students face similar uncertainties, he was motivated to create a platform that offers support and guidance. Nathan studied engineering and faced different challenges. He struggled to apply himself but turned it around and graduated with first-class honours, using his own personal growth as a foundation to forge a successful career in business. Their experiences demonstrate how the University environment can spark innovative ideas.

Student Semester Planner is a resource focused on making student mental wellbeing and personal growth a daily habit, aiming to help students stay organised. It includes a range of growth hacks and coaching tools. Joe and Nathan have taken their knowledge of coaching, helped by their own respective journeys and struggles through their studies, and put it in a support package for students.

The first challenge they faced was a lack of business understanding and commercial awareness, but they received help from Teesside University initiatives such as FUEL and Launchpad. Not coming from a business background, but rather sports and engineering, this support from the University acted as a catalyst for success. Joe said, ‘Launchpad and the FUEL programme kickstarted our journey. We learned business tools and skills, got access to mentorship, financial support, and subsequently won a grant as well as outside investment.’

Since the launch of Student Semester Planner, they have launched sister company Growth Planner Co - aimed at a broader audience beyond students, in recognition of a more diverse demand for their services. Their solutions were applicable to a range of sectors outside of education, having worked with HM Prison Service and rugby league club Hull Kingston Rovers.

Student Semester Planner have also developed a consistent client base, including Newcastle College, and they have reached across the Atlantic, providing 6,000 bespoke planners and three days of in-person coaching to Tarleton State University, as well as a project with a college in Michigan.

Nathan and Joe are looking to further explore the US market, while continuing to support students here in the UK. Joe said he looks forward to continuing to give back to and work with Teesside University, ‘It’s amazing to be able to give back to the Launchpad that helped us so much and inspire students and new founders to try their hand at launching a business.’

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