Introducing! Gef’s 30 Under 30 Headline Partner: The London Institute of Business & Technology

L.I.B.T. Liberating. Innovation. Business. Technology. Okay, that’s not actually what LIBT stands for but it’s half right. The letters actually stand for London Institute of Business and Technology, but the company does strive to liberate young innovators, which is exactly what makes them the perfect Headline Partner for Gef’s 30 Under 30 this year.

LIBT offers online courses to adult learners in tech subjects, business management, and the security space, which the organisation strives to make as accessible and affordable as possible. Besides UCM, it’s the only other higher education entity on the Isle of Man and the only private education provider.

Gef sat down with CEO Sesiri Pathirane and employee Ambrose McCartney to chat more about this year’s 30 Under 30.

What inspired LIBT to be Headline Partner for Gef’s 30 Under 30?

Sesiri: Gef’s 30 Under 30 perfectly aligns with what we do. We work with a lot of entrepreneurs globally and when we saw Gef’s 30 Under 30 it was just the obvious thing, we wanted to work with the locals, we wanted to empower them as much as we can. Because we work closely with young adults who are aspiring entrepreneurs and folks that are running start-ups, it was an obvious thing for us to engage with the local community and enable the start-up eco-system on the Island.

What inspired LIBT to also sponsor the Achievement Category?

Ambrose: I think it’s important to recognise talent to give people what they need to pursue their talents and hosting an event just to celebrate the achievements of young people helps them develop and also inspires other young people.

What things is LIBT doing to help encourage start-ups on the Island?

Sesiri: You see a lot of co-working spaces around the Island, but we couldn’t really find anything that is in line with the real start-ups, so we started Launch Pad (after Barclays Eagle Lab was forced to close) to help local start-ups come together and enable this true start up ecosystem that we’re talking about. Because at the end of the day, the real wealth and the real impact is created by start-ups and a product economy and here in the Island, we’re largely a services-based economy so this is our approach to see if we can enable a true product economy on the Island.

What did you think of Gef’s Winners’ Party?

Sesiri: The awards night looked amazing; I really wish I’d had the time to participate but unfortunately, I was out the country that day.

Ambrose: It was awesome, it was so fun. The entertainment was incredible, the food was delicious and there were so many young people who were just full of energy. It was really exciting; I had a great time and made a lot of new friends that night as well.

How did it feel making a speech at the event?

Ambrose: I really enjoyed getting up on stage, I’ve never done a speech like that before, so it took a lot of practice. I appreciated the opportunity of being able to get up there and present what we do. It would be great to go on stage as a winner next time, it was an incredible event and I hope to get invited again next year.

What does LIBT do as a business to support young people in the community?

Sesiri: It’s important. We’re going through a very interesting phase globally in terms of the pandemic and global wars. I think people are having a pretty difficult time and I’m not really sure whose fault it is, but I think empowering youngsters and giving them the tools and strategies to flourish in their careers and leadership roles going forward, we will probably ensure that we’re going to have a better, sustainable future.

For youngsters, it’s all about achieving certain goals and objectives so we felt like it’s in line with what we do as an organisation. We enable students to achieve certain goals in their lives.

How are you finding working for LIBT as a young person?

Ambrose: It’s the best, honestly, there are so many opportunities. It’s all performance based, so if you put the work in you do get rewarded. You get lots of opportunities to travel. You really feel part of something that’s changing the world.