Spencer Boya: Reimagining social change through sport and the arts

What led you to take the Cambridge Judge Business School’s MSt in Entrepreneurship?

I spent my secondary school years in Hong Kong, after living in Botswana, Cambridge (UK) and Beijing. Hong Kong’s colonial legacy left the city deeply divided and stratified and my time there was marked by constant social and political hostility. My lived experiences during this period drew me both to expressing myself through the arts and to understanding the complex power structures that govern our societies through the study of sociology and politics.

These 2 interests came together naturally during my undergraduate studies, where the UK’s detrimental funding cuts to education and the creative industries prompted me to create social ventures in areas where I could make a difference. This led me to first co-found the Indie-Clips Short Film Festival in 2022, where we held a series of events exploring how film could be used as a medium to raise awareness of social issues. We received 54 submissions from over 14 countries and welcomed more than 200 visitors to the festival.

Following this, I co-founded The Social Canvas Projects, a series of initiatives addressing violent conflicts around the globe through the lens of the creative arts. Across these projects, we engaged over 100 students from diverse artistic disciplines and organised events that attracted more than 1,000 visitors, including figures such as Ai Weiwei and Gabriel Prokofiev, who collaborated with us voluntarily in support of the project’s mission. Centred around the theme of art and politics, the projects provided a platform for contemporary artists to explore the intersection between the creative arts and political discourse through curated works and presentations.

As the organisation grew rapidly, I came across the MSt in Entrepreneurship, which struck me as the ideal programme to equip me with the practical skills needed to drive impact at a larger scale. I therefore decided to continue my studies and apply for the programme.

How do you feel about being awarded your scholarship?

I am particularly grateful, both personally and intellectually, to be one of the 2 recipients of the ESG Scholarship. It is widely recognised that the concept of ESG originated in 2004 through the UN report Who Cares Wins, a joint initiative by financial institutions seeking to integrate environmental, social and governance factors into corporate operations and investment decision-making. This marked a potentially transformative departure from the Friedman doctrine of shareholder primacy. Unfortunately, due to complex structural issues, which I won’t go into too much depth here, ESG has often devolved into a form of greenwashing or whitewashing used by large corporations at a performative level.

At Cambridge, however, I witnessed the integrity behind both the scholarship and the programme team, where ESG principles were applied with genuine rigour. The selection process and criteria assessed tangible social and environmental impact, rather than marketing narratives or easily gamed metrics. The scholarship recognised work that exists outside conventional business frameworks, demonstrating that the programme team truly understands ESG’s original promise. Being recognised by a scholarship of this nature is a great honour and I would like to congratulate my co-winner, Christina and thank the programme team for their dedication and support.

Where do you see your programme journey taking you in your future career?

What I admire most about the MStE is its interdisciplinary and well-rounded nature. The grand challenges facing our societies are increasingly complex and we must draw on expertise from a diverse range of disciplines, especially those that appear unrelated, to develop robust solutions. The MStE equipped me with the operational knowledge to execute virtually any idea I may have, whether creative or academic. This provided a solid foundation for the work I do today.

I am now the CEO of a global charity, Boxing is Love, the official charity of the boxing brand BOXRAW. We improve life prospects for disadvantaged youth through boxing and spotlight its overlooked potential to drive change. Our work spans the UK, Africa, the US and the Caribbean, supporting young people at risk of school exclusion through our alliance network, boxing-centric education programmes, Fellows network, grants, partnerships and equipment. We use boxing to engage, build unity, share untold stories and expand access to education and career opportunities, creating structural and sustainable change in the lives of many.

I am dedicating the next stage of my career to transforming the sports charity landscape through my work at Boxing is Love, reimagining the immense possibilities sport holds for addressing major challenges in education and social inequality.

What does Cambridge mean to you?

Cambridge has always felt like home to me. I spent a significant part of my primary school years here and I have longed to return ever since. What strikes me most about Cambridge is the sheer depth of curiosity that defines its people. The conversations I’ve had with students and fellows have shaped my intellectual outlook profoundly and that spirit of inquiry has stayed with me ever since.

I may have spread myself thin, but I immersed myself fully in student life while studying. I served as President of the Cambridge University Amateur Boxing Club, the King’s College Graduate Society (now KCGU) and Co-President of the King’s College Music Society. Conducting an orchestra one week and stepping into the ring for Cambridge the next is something I could never have imagined before coming here.

Cambridge will always hold a very special place in me.