Member Article

Lord Young backs London youth enterprise hack-a-thon

Lord Young, adviser to the Prime Minister David Cameron on small business and enterprise, is backing a new campaign designed to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The UK’s first-ever enterprise hack event, held in partnership with LifeSkills created with Barclays.

The campaign, created by social entrepreneurs Bejay Mulenga and Liam Tootill of Supa Academy (www.supa-academy.com), will see a series of events take place over four months, inviting 1000 young people from across the UK to discover everything they need to know about entrepreneurship.

The Supa Academy Hack will take place in July at the Old Truman Brewery in London’s Brick Lane and will be preceded by two micro events in April and May.

Over the course of the Supa Academy Hack, participants will be mentored by some of the UK’s leading entrepreneurs and exposed to some of the world’s leading brands, including Facebook and MTV.

Following a series of intense workshops and master-classes, they will then be invited to create their very own pop-up supermarket and e-commerce site where they will be challenged to generate income in just 72 hours.

Lending his support to Supa Academy Hack, Lord Young said, “Liam and Bejay have created a truly unique and dynamic event concept to inspire young people into business.

“Whether a young person aspires to be a product designer, a musician or a restaurateur, entrepreneurial skills are essential to success, and we need to see more initiatives like Supa Academy Hack taking place in the wider community.”

Bejay Mulenga, 19, co-founder of Supa Academy, said, “The Supa Academy Hack is part of our commitment to changing the landscape of enterprise in the UK.

“It’s the first event of its kind and will harness the huge appetite there is amongst young people today to create their own business and be their own boss. The event is open to anyone between the ages of 18 and 24, and from all walks of life.”

He added: “The Supa Academy Hack is the perfect platform for young people to earn-as-they-learn in an intense retail environment, with exposure to some of the biggest names in business.”

Some of the names that will appear over the course of the three-day event include: Fraser Doherty of Superjam, entrepreneur and investor Sherry Coutu, and Divinia Knowles President of Mind Candy.

WATCH HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=COgbrQ2sWgo

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .