NEW YORK, March 22, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- Yesterday, five students were put through the paces when
they met business icon Daymond John,
star of Shark Tank and Founder and CEO of FUBU, the hip hop
apparel company at The Shark Group office in New York City. The students earned the
once-in-a-lifetime experience through their participation in the
SAP Social Innovation Series powered by GENYOUth's AdVenture
Capital (AdCap) program. Structured as a multi-city series of
innovation workshops, the Social Innovation Series was created to
foster student-led solutions that drive healthy changes in schools,
while giving students the unique opportunity to practice design
thinking and entrepreneurship alongside SAP employees across the
country.
Over the past year, 180 students attended the Social Innovation
Series events in Boston,
Dallas and Phoenix. In each city, students developed and
pitched ideas to a panel of judges (consisting of SAP executives)
in what has been described as a "mini-Shark Tank-style"
competition. Ten students from each location received funding for
their school, and three teams received the grand prize of a trip to
New York City to learn from SAP
and Daymond John.
Winning students:
- Jewell, Hillcrest High School
(Dallas, TX), "Cart Cuisine": A
mobile lunch cart to help students stay on time by offering grab n
go options.
- Arianna and Cassandra, Southeastern Regional Vocational High
School (Boston, MA), "Operation
Rooftop": Collaborate with existing clubs to grow produce, share
smoothie recipes and collaborate with culinary clubs to run healthy
taste test competitions.
- Jacob and Jade, Mountain Ridge High School (Phoenix, AZ), "Take a Stand": Implement
standing desk programs into the school day by working with the
engineering clubs to build and maintain the desks.
Daymond's most recent book, Rise and Grind is
his second New York Times Bestseller. During their time
together, Daymond shared his personal stories and interviews from
the book about never giving up and always working hard to achieve
great things in career and life. The student attendees will
use Daymond John's inspiring words
and the experience of learning from him and his team at The Shark
Group as motivation to continue their entrepreneurial efforts back
at their schools. After meeting with Daymond John, each student also spoke with other
Shark Group team members about a variety of work roles and
potential future career opportunities.
"Good mentors are one of the most important pieces of
building a successful business. They're the reason I am where
I am today, and why I joined Shark Tank," said John. "I love
helping entrepreneurs move their businesses forward and I'm excited
to meet and mentor the SAP teen innovators who are learning what it
means to be an entrepreneur at a young age. GENYOUth's
AdVenture Capital program sparks the passion that many young
people have in them to do good, and I'll invest in that passion
every time."
SAP partnered with GENYOUth to bring the time and talent of its
employees to bear for students. To date over 600 employees
have contributed nearly 1600 volunteer hours through AdVenture
Capital to help students across the country become social
entrepreneurs and learn invaluable 21st century skills
that help them to be more prepared to enter the workforce.
"When SAP first conceived the Social Innovation Series with
GENYOUth, we never could have imagined the breadth of ideas young
entrepreneurs would bring to life in their communities, nor the
types of opportunities they would be afforded through our
partnership," said DJ Paoni, President of SAP North
America. "We're grateful to Daymond
John and The Shark Group team for generously donating their
time to support our Teen Innovators, and we're honored to be a part
of these students' entrepreneurial journeys."
AdVenture Capital empowers passionate student entrepreneurs
to create healthy school communities. Conceived in 2013, the
program is open to students ages 13-17 across the country
and provides funding, resources and the support of
business mentors to help students cultivate and implement
their ideas that improve access to healthy foods and increase
opportunities for physical activity in their schools and
communities. In the process of thinking and acting as
entrepreneurs, students develop 21st century skills that help them
to succeed in school and in life.
To learn more about AdVenture Capital and to view the AdVenture
Capital 2017 Progress Report: "Empowering America's Next Generation
of Social Entrepreneurs," visit adcapyouth.org.
About AdVenture Capital
AdVenture Capital ("AdCap") is
a social entrepreneurship program of GENYOUth, which provides
funding, mentoring and experiences to students ages 13 and older
with ideas for improving health and wellness in their schools and
communities. To learn more, visit the digital platform at
www.adcapyouth.org.
About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application
software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and
industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to
storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and
organizations to work together more efficiently and use business
insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP
applications and services enable more than 378,000 business and
public sector customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously,
and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.
About Daymond John
From
the streets of Hollis,
Queens, Daymond John started a global movement from the
basement of his mother's house by capitalizing on the then
fledgling hip-hop culture. John initially made his mark as the
entrepreneur and branding expert behind the groundbreaking
lifestyle brand, FUBU, which eclipsed more than $6 billion in global retail sales. Today, the
streetwear market that FUBU pioneered is a $20 billion industry. Beyond FUBU, John
recently wrapped up his ninth season of ABC's three-time Emmy Award
winning series, Shark Tankwhere as an original cast member he
continues to be a fan favorite and earned the affectionate
nickname, "The People's Shark." Earlier this year, John
released his fourth book, Rise and Grind which became an
instant New York Times bestseller.
The book takes an up-close look at the hard-charging routines
and winning secrets of individuals who have risen to the challenges
in their lives and grinded their way to the very tops of their
fields. In addition to being a two-time
New York Times bestselling author, John
continues his commitment to small business and entrepreneurship and
has been recognized at the highest levels including being named a
Presidential Ambassador for Global Entrepreneurship under the Obama
Administration.
About GENYOUth
GENYOUth empowers students to create a
healthier future for themselves and their peers by convening a
network of private and public partners to raise funds for youth
wellness initiatives that bolster healthy, high-achieving students,
schools and communities nationwide. We believe that all students
are change-agents, who deserve the opportunity to identify and lead
innovative solutions that positively impact nutrition, physical
activity, and student success. For more information about GENYOUth,
visit www.genyouthnow.org.
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SOURCE GENYOUth