How a WBS scholarship is empowering my creative leadership

Meet Luma, a strategic designer and Accelerator MBA candidate whose work bridges creativity and strategy. Awarded the Change Maker – Impact in Your Society Scholarship, Luma is using design thinking to drive inclusive growth and positive change in communities around the world.

For more information, explore our guide to discover what scholarships are and how to apply for them. Alternatively, keep reading to hear about Luma's experience.

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

I am a strategic designer, architect and Warwick MBA candidate enrolled in the Accelerator MBA programme at The Shard in London. Born in Amman, raised in Vienna and now based in London for over ten years, I have learned to see places through many cultural lenses. I have worked on sustainable placemaking, regeneration and design guidance with clients across public and private sectors. My passion lies at the intersection of creativity and strategy where design meets business and policy, and where new ideas can shape more vibrant, inclusive and resilient places.  

What motivated you to apply for the Change Maker – Impact in your Society scholarship? 

The scholarship’s mission reflects my own: using business as a force for good. In my career I’ve seen how design decisions shape inclusion, resilience and opportunity. Whether applying evidence-led research to urban change or embedding social value in bids, my focus has always been about people and place. It was a chance to connect creative practice with strategic skills and amplify my contribution through an MBA. I also wanted to join a community of Change Makers committed to reshaping industries for better outcomes and to show that design-led leadership can drive real social impact. 

What does the scholarship mean to you? 

Receiving this scholarship has been both humbling and motivating. It tells me that balancing creativity with business acumen matters and that my voice has value in conversations about leadership and change. It allows me to immerse fully in my MBA journey, encouraging me to take risks, explore new industries and use my platform to influence others. 

How have you been championing society, both in industry and within your MBA? 

In practice, I have focused on embedding social value into urban design, from training local planning officers to mentoring students and involving communities and stakeholders in shaping projects from design codes to strategies. Through my MBA, I am sharing real-world regeneration challenges with classmates, exploring how business thinking can be applied to create more inclusive and sustainable outcomes. 

How have you been embodying Warwick Business School’s Change Maker values and having an impact on society during your MBA? 

Curiosity drives me to link design, economics and digital innovation. Openness encourages me to learn from my multinational upbringing and my cohort’s diverse perspectives. Restlessness pushes me to challenge the status quo in urban regeneration while Excellence keeps me focused on delivering innovative outcomes. During my MBA, I am acting as a bridge between creative and commercial disciplines, using my assignments to show how strategic design-led thinking can unlock solutions. 

What impact has the scholarship had on your academic and personal goals? 

The scholarship has broadened my horizons. Academically, it motivates me to excel in areas like financial management, leadership development and stakeholder governance, skills that strengthen and expand my design background. Personally, it has reinforced my belief that I can blend creativity with strategy to pursue bold careers that deliver positive impact for people and places. Most importantly the recognition inspires me to think globally: to use the MBA as a platform for reshaping industries and fostering sustainable, inclusive and resilient growth. 

Do you have any advice to others considering applying for a scholarship? 

Be authentic: share the “why” behind your journey, the values that guide you and the impact you’ve already made. Scholarships celebrate potential as much as success so show how your vision for the future aligns with Warwick’s Change Maker ethos. Be specific and highlight moments where you created value for others even in small ways. Your uniqueness and commitment to positive change are what matter most.