An Edge Hill University graduate who took a non-traditional route into higher education is celebrating national recognition after his fast-growing business secured prestigious industry award nominations within its first year of trading.
Josh Griffin, who graduated from Edge Hill University with an MSc Information Security & IT Management in 2018, co-founded Leyland-based marketing agency Intrinzi in 2025. The company has already been named a finalist in the Technology StartUp of the Year category at the StartUp Awards National Series 2026 and a finalist in the AI and Tech Innovation Award at the Red Rose Awards 2026.
The recognition follows a successful career in digital marketing and business leadership. Josh said: “Over three and a half years, I delivered results that were recognised three consecutive years running with the Best Online Retailer award at Global Awards.
“That role gave me the scale and commercial depth that complemented everything I had built and learned as a founder. In 2025 I co-founded Intrinzi, alongside my co-founder Dan.”
Josh believes the confidence and skills he developed during his postgraduate studies at Edge Hill played an important role in helping him achieve his career ambitions.
Having previously completed a Foundation Degree and BSc in Computer Science, Josh was looking to continue his education when Edge Hill’s MSc Information Security & IT Management course caught his attention.
Josh said: “At the time I was looking at postgraduate options, Edge Hill had just made a significant investment in its new Tech Hub and that immediately caught my attention.
“I wanted to ensure I was studying in the best possible environment with access to world-class facilities and, crucially, with academics who genuinely knew their field, not just tutors, but professors with real depth of expertise.
“Edge Hill had both. The new Tech Hub was exactly the kind of environment I wanted to be studying in and the level of the academic staff gave me real confidence that I would be challenged and well-supported. That combination of outstanding facilities and expertise was the deciding factor for me.”
Studying part-time alongside work commitments, Josh found the support of the academic team invaluable throughout his degree.
Josh continued: “The tutors and professors were highly knowledgeable and genuinely invested in the success of their students,” he said. “That commitment made a real difference, particularly as someone studying part-time around work and other commitments.
“The campus itself was also a highlight. During the summer, it was beautifully scenic with the ponds and open spaces creating an atmosphere that felt a world away from the typical pressures of postgraduate study.”
Josh says one of the most valuable outcomes of his postgraduate education was the confidence it gave him professionally.
Josh said: “The programme gave me something that is difficult to quantify but invaluable in practice, confidence. Completing a postgraduate degree at a well-respected university and doing so successfully, gave me a level of professional credibility and self-assurance that carried directly into my career.
“The academic thoroughness of the course pushed me to think more critically, communicate complex ideas more clearly and approach problems with greater structure and depth. All those skills have been fundamental to building and leading businesses since graduating.”
Despite experiencing university life differently to many students, attending evening classes while balancing work and other commitments, Josh describes studying at Edge Hill as one of the best decisions he has made.
He said: “The quality of the academic team, the environment they have created and the facilities available to students are exceptional. You will be challenged, but properly challenged, in a way that prepares you for what comes after university in a way that simply reading about your subject cannot.”
Josh also praised the support available to postgraduate students, including the Postgraduate Loan, which helped make further study possible.
He said: “I accessed the Postgraduate Loan, which was instrumental in making the course possible for me. The process of applying for it was straightforward and well-supported by the university’s finance team, who made everything easy to navigate.
“Without that support, pursuing postgraduate education alongside other commitments would have been significantly more difficult. I am grateful for how seamlessly the process was handled.”
Reflecting on his journey from a Masters student to award-nominated business owner, Josh believes Edge Hill provided an environment where students from all backgrounds can thrive.
Josh had some advice to give students: “Whatever stage you are at, whatever your background, Edge Hill is the kind of place that takes your potential seriously. Make the most of every resource available to you, engage with the academic staff and do not underestimate the connections you will make with the people around you. The friendships and networks built during my time there have outlasted the degree itself.
“Edge Hill genuinely mattered to me and the experience I had there, has stayed with me. For anyone who feels like they have taken a non-traditional route to get where they are, as I did, progressing through further education before eventually arriving at Edge Hill for my Master’s, I would encourage you to recognise that the path you have taken is not a limitation. In many respects, it is an advantage.
“The resilience, the self-reliance and the appreciation of what an opportunity like a postgraduate education represents, those are things that students who have had a smoother journey do not always carry with them. Edge Hill created an environment where I could do my best work, be supported when I needed it and connect with people who challenged and inspired me.”
Find out more about studying at Edge Hill University.
June 26, 2026
