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This year’s 2024 Young Entrepreneurs Challenge was extra special for Unloc and our partners Verizon Business, as not only did we feature our most impressive finalists yet, we also launched an all new category for young people with the initial sparks of an idea! Concepts and business ideas come in all shapes and sizes, and whilst not every idea that gets submitted may be far enough along in its development to make it through to the final, we received so many high quality applications that we couldn’t let that talent pass by without doing something to help such inspiring young people take that first step to success.
With this in mind we created a new Ignite Tier which was launched at this year’s Grand Final event in London. This new tier saw us selecting 5 lucky finalists to compete for a new Ignite Grant of £1000 / 1,200 € to kickstart their concept and ignite their business idea.
We then opened up the vote online to allow people to vote for their three winners, with each receiving the funding to help kick-start their business idea. The votes flooded in, and three winners were announced!
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Georgina Lee – aged 16 from the UK
Georgina’s idea was for a portable sign language translator hoping to improve the quality of education of those who cannot verbally communicate. The £1000 would be used to create a prototype using a small camera, small speaker, and learning how the optic flow within the sensor is going to work. Georgina said:
“My company is USS (you speak sign) a non-profit organisation dedicated to the inclusion of all abilities in this world of technology. Our team consists of myself, a team leader, our research team of Maisha Maryam and Ibtehal Babar and our head of design Aliana Al Khalil. We all attend the same school and have been amazing friends for many years! Our product is a portable sign language translator hoping to improve the quality of education of those who cannot verbally communicate. Designed to improve the lives of deaf people who are nonverbal, and meets their needs in a new way by considering other aspects of sign language (body language) that was ignored by other solutions.
We were inspired by our classmates as we go to the only deaf catering school in our area to help them within our lessons because we couldn’t do much for them. They often became isolated not by choice but simply by the fact that they couldn’t communicate which we thought was unfair. We also recognised that for everyone to learn sign wouldn’t be feasible. To tackle this problem we started small by learn to sign ourselves every Thursday lunchtime! We spent time with those who are deaf of varying severity and learnt about their needs and concerns. We gathered information and started our research by looking into technology that has already been created for our fellow students.
Despite the technology existing, we have utilised it in an original way by including things such as gesture recognition, or allowing our product to include other types of sign language, increasing its versatility. We would use the £1000 in order to create a prototype to bring life to our portable translator. It requires high technology and expert in order to help us build the prototype so this is what I would invest the money into. We will also invest into buying the parts, and actually physically building this Translator in order to see the viability of It. We are looking to buy small camera, small speaker, and learn how the optic flow within the sensor is going to work. We will also invest in experts in these fields in order to better develop our own understanding of this new technology!”
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Martina Criniti – aged 25 from Italy
Martina’s idea is the creation of a structure for use in the sea that can be turned into a basket with a double filtering function that keeps things contained and prevents them from spreading out. The idea aims to reduce plastics and microplastics in the coastal waters and rivers, primarily. The €1,200 would be used to conduct research and seek out researchers from both European institutions and Nationals who are interested in the advancement of this concept. I also consider large corporations. The objective is to develop a product that can be immediately placed on the market. Martina said:
“No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world”.
Robin Williams
“This quote resonates deeply with me as it reflects my life, attitude, and unwavering determination. Despite criticism of my ideas, I have always believed in their potential to make a difference. That is why, I am incredibly grateful and honored to have been selected by the Young Entrepreneur Challenge for the Ignite category giving me such an unparalleled opportunity. I am an Italian law and international relations student at the University of Genoa. Last year, during my second year of university, I was inspired to tackle the issue of plastic pollution.
Through extensive research and development, I've created a sustainable solution to reduce plastic waste and protect marine life. Being passionate about environmental sustainability since my high school days, I participated in the simulations of the United Nations as a delegate and advocate general, where I learned about sustainable resources and measures to reduce plastics and microplastics in the ocean. Since that time, I have dedicated myself to solving the issue of plastic pollution. After being called in for years on technical and legislative solutions in proposing solutions and actions at the international law level by collaborating and cooperating with delegates during the UN simulations, last year, I decided to put into practice a system able to capture and collect all kind of plastic and microplastics at its source: rivers and coastal waters.
Few devices are used in these areas, creating a discrepancy in how actions are taken where plastic pollution habitually floats and its origins. The idea, which underwent different stages and modifications, aims to collect plastics and filter microplastics using a combination of mechanical and robotic installations and applications. The structure is environmentally friendly, and technological devices make it self-sustaining without external or ground-bound energy sources. The structure also includes a detector, protecting marine life and preventing their engulfment.
Furthermore, it employs AI technology, which is advantageous in the current market and helps people achieve their objectives. The goal is to reduce plastic by 2050 and achieve goals 6, 13, and 14 of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The idea is decisive since the structure can be used in a large-scale application, not sectoral. It can be installed in diverse areas, including rivers and territorial waters, and in diverse circumstances as it can be employed in small, medium, and large boats, for example.
The funds will be allocated toward researching and implementing the concept, ensuring its efficacy and promptness as I will organise research collaborations and introduce the project to diverse international and national organisations and companies as well as research institutions. I sincerely appreciate your support: your belief in me and in my idea has been truly empowering.“
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Harry Smith – aged 25 from the UK
Harry’s idea is a device for generating energy from the waves in the sea. It’s comprised of a series of tubes with magnetic floats in, which bob up and down with wave action and form a linear alternator. This energy is then rectified and can be fed back to the grid or used locally as a generator would. The £1,000 would fund tests in the sea with the current prototype, which would help to gather data on possible output levels, which informs suitable use cases. Harry said:
“OnJoule was founded to help meet the world’s increasing energy needs by harnessing the power of the sea. I have had a life-long passion for engineering and all things marine which led me a few years ago to build myself a narrowboat from scratch to live on. While aboard of an evening, it’s impossible to ignore the lapping of water against the outside of the hull, even on quiet inland waterways. This made me think about ways of harnessing this power and doing something useful with it, consequently OnJoule came into existence.
The core technology behind OnJoule is a series of light floating magnets within a much heavier floating platform. As a wave passes the light magnetic floats bob up and down significantly more than the heavy platform, which causes relative motion, which can be harnessed into electricity. Unlike existing wave energy technologies it requires no costly infrastructure, and has no wearing parts, so can be at sea for an extended period of time. As the technology is modular it suits multiple sizes of application, from something small enough to be rapidly deployed as a replacement for a petrol generator through to grid level infrastructure.
OnJoule is in its infancy currently and so the prototype of the technology is relatively crude and small, and not yet suitable to reveal to the world! The next stage for the business is to develop this prototype and refine the technology, to increase efficiency and by the end of the year have something that can be demonstrated publicly to promote wave power as a viable addition to renewable technologies, test the technology in real world conditions and use it to demonstrate to investors to raise a pre seed round of funding.
The grant money is going to be incredibly useful to spend on the development of this prototype- it unlocks the next stage of product development and enables the purchase of materials to prototype with, which is crucial with any hardware based start up. My last start up, HausBots, who make wall-climbing robots, was started in a similar way- use competition and grant money to build a basic prototype to demonstrate to investors, raise investment then use that money to build a truly great product for customers to use!
We all have the capacity to build a better future for humanity, and as an engineer I see it as my duty to at least try to build things that can help to solve some of the massive problems the world faces. The need for energy generation is only going up, so our ways of generating it need to become ever greener to cope, which requires ever more innovations such as OnJoule.”
Our three Winners have some brilliant concepts to unleash upon the world, and thanks to the new Ignite funding it will allow them to progress their ideas – and help make their dreams a reality. Watch this space!
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Five young entrepreneurs have been named as finalists in the latest Verizon / Unloc Young Entrepreneurs Challenge to encourage and attract the dynamic new business leaders of tomorrow. The challenge, now in its sixth year, tasks young people between the ages of 16 and 25 to devise a tech-led business idea that enriches and benefits the planet.
This year’s top challenge has uncovered solutions, including a new bladeless hydro generator, a hybrid sunlight system that utilises advanced optics with a sun-tracking mechanism, and GenerativeAI technology to improve eye disease screening programs.
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“Over the past six years the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge has uncovered amazing young talent from across Europe, with increased engagement and bolder business concepts year on year,” said Sanjiv Gossain, General Manager andHead of EMEAfor VerizonBusiness.
“With the current challenges in the technology sector and reduced startup funding across the EMEAregion, dragged by inflation, higher interest rates and geopolitical events, programs like the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge are even more important to ensure we continue to support and nurture budding entrepreneurs.”
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This year saw 100 competitive entries from a broad range of countries across Europe including the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Poland, Turkey, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Romania, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Finland and Greece. These entries were narrowed down to five finalists.
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“As the reputation of the competition grows, we’re seeing thatreflected in the sheer standard of applicants, not only that, we’re delighted to have such an amazing panel of Judges,” said Hayden Taylor, Managing Director of Unloc
“It’s inspiring to see somany new and innovative business concepts in the areas of sustainability, climate change and healthcare, and we’re proud to play a key role in helping scale these ideas.”
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The five finalists now compete for the grand prize during a live event on March 7th where they will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges that includes former Grand Prize Winner JamieBankhead, as well as guests in business and education. The grand final will be live-streamed on LinkedIn.
The top winner receives a whopping £10,000 Grand Prize, mentorship, a technology support package to help kickstart their business proposal, and a trip to the One Young World 2024 Global Summit in Montréal, which brings together many of the brightest young leaders from over 190 countries and more than 250 organisations.
Each runner-up will receive £1,000 to fund their start-up business, a personalised development plan that focuses on key priorities, and access to a series of masterclasses overt he next yeart hat will pair the finalists with various industry experts.
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Judges forthe Grand Final include:
Your 2024 Young Entrepreneurs Challenge finalists are:
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Kolatat Phaiboonnukulkij (20) United Kingdom
Phytavaren Technology, a Prop tech startup in London, specialises in building thermal dynamicsR&D with passive design and developing eco-friendly building materials and other low-energy construction materials by integrating architectural solution design to address thermal regulation, carbon sequestration and structural integrity in construction. The Interlocking Semi-Calcite PassiveBrick (ISCPB), Phytavaren Technology’s flagship product, has been recognised by prestigious and global awards in innovation, sustainability, and real estate of a product that is making a significant impact on the industry transition. ISCPBis a sustainable construction material with eco-design integrated with thermal dynamics to use less electricity to regulate building temperature.
The ISCPB re-engineers common waste from the ocean as a sustainable construction material that can make the building temperature independent from the outside temperature. ISCPB helps consume less electricity by regulating the building temperature through its insulator properties. This enables the company to save more energy and makes the construction process faster, safer, and more eco-friendly. With thermal properties benefits, Phytavaren Technology is lowering the workload of the HVAC system and energy consumption in buildings through passive and eco-design to make the building energy efficiency more resilient.
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Devi Pathak (19) United Kingdom
Lung cancer accounts for over a fifth of cancer fatalities annually. With approximately 38,000new cases diagnosed annually, it is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. This is due to ineffective screening processes and delayed symptom recognition associated with lung cancer detection. Devi’s solution, Pulmo Guard Pro Scan, is a novel breathalyser intended for both routine GP exams and high-risk individuals (e.g. smokers, exposure to environmental pollutants) to determine lung cancer susceptibility.
It analyses volatile organic chemicals and biomarkers in exhaled air, such asmiRNAs, isoprene orNNK, which are linked to lung cancer risk. Early detection is aided by the device’s rapid and non-invasive results. Due to Pulmo Guard Pro Scan’s user-friendly design, this facilitates widespread, seamless integration into standard GP procedures.Healthcare providers and patients can take proactive preventative steps that align with the evolving nature of personalised medicine. The Pulmo Guard device stands out by offering a distinctive solution that tackles the challenge of detecting lung cancer at an early stage and reducing NHS costs associated with lung cancer, which currently costs the UK economy £2.4 bn each year.
The relatively low production cost, its mobile nature and its ability to be re-used makes Pulmo Guard a device which is accessible to healthcare workers around the world, including doctors, and can be easily introduced into routine checkups. This will promote good health and well-being and reduce inequality as individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds would have access to preventative care.
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Theodor Blomberg (23) United Kingdom
Introducing “The Swirl.” – one of the first truly bladeless hydro generators that harness the power of the
vortex effect, setting it apart fromconventional generators. Crafted fromrecycled plastics using 3D
printing technology, Swirl. operates withoutrotating blades. The innovative bladeless design of Swirl.
eliminates perpendicular obstacles for passing biomass, and its rotating systemfollows the water stream creating a safe passage for fish and other biomasses through the middle section, all while generating sustainable power.
Designed for easy assembly by a single person, Swirl requires no heavy machinery, featuring components compressed into flat packages for convenient transport. Swirl. is an ideal choice for individuals seeking a greener future through their own sustainable energy source -requiring only a small stream of water. The Swirl. is sustainable as it aims to support the commercialisation of clean energy sources for eco-conscious individuals or those in need of a green backup source. Furthermore, the product is made of recycled materials, aiming to support the current green shift and make green energy more accessible worldwide.
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Ethan Waisberg (23) United Kingdom
Eye disease screening programs worldwide are not performing well enough, which is causing millions around the world to go blind. From his research work with NASA astronauts, Ethan found a way to use Generative AI to allow the eyes of astronauts to be better monitored while in spaceflight, where limited imaging equipment exists.
Ethan is bringing this same technology to Earth withAngioGenius, an app where anyone can take a photo of their eye at home to help detect and monitor eye disease progression.
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Mariia Alipatova (24) Ukraine
Solar Optic is a hybrid sunlight system that utilises advanced optics and a sun-tracking mechanism to
provide natural illumination indoors. The system concentrates sunlight on the surface of the lens and the light beam is guided through a polymer optic cable. Similar to normal lamps, Solar Optic diffuses sunlight from cables inside the building.
Solar Optic does not convert heat into electricity like solar panels do, which is how the solution avoids losses of energy and achieves high-efficiency illumination inside the building. The Solar Optic system works together with artificial light, compensating for the missing light when there is not enough sun outside. High electricity prices and carbon taxes are forcing organisations to think about the implementation of sustainable solutions. Solar Optic technology has a potential application in various markets such as schools, warehouses and supermarkets.
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For more information on The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge click here!
We are delighted to announce that in partnership with One Young World and supported by The Ellis Campbell Foundation, we are launching our all new Seed2030 Micro Grants!
Following the amazing One Young World Summit 2023 which took place in Belfast last month, Seed2030 will provide ten young leaders with grants worth up to £1,000 to test and develop their campaign or project ideas and start their own social enterprise.
Both One Young World and Unloc recognise that in order to incubate the next generation of young leaders, and widen access to changemaking, more needs to be done to provide funding and support to those young people with enormous potential but limited social capital.
Both organisations are committed to creating a better world and more opportunities for young people, by working together, we’re opening doors for disadvantaged young people in the region and helping them to activate their ambitions.
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The Seed2030 project will give 10 young people, aged 14 – 25, living in Northern Ireland, the opportunity to apply for £1000 to develop or test their community project idea or start up business that aims to advance on one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals.
Alongside the funding, the 10 young people will gain the opportunity to take part in a 2 day, 1 night immersive leadership bootcamp in Belfast helping them to progress their own leadership skills and the progress of their project, campaign or venture.
Following the bootcamp, grantees are connected with a mentor from the One Young World ambassador community; these mentors will support the grantee for 6 months as they get their project off the ground. Furthermore, the young people will also receive ongoing support from Unloc to develop their project or business idea.
Seed2030 has also been shaped and championed by local young people from Northern Ireland, Aimee Clint from the Education Authority and Nicole Parkinson-Kelly, a previous member of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum.This expert local knowledge combined with the expertise of Unloc staff to develop young changemakers has created a project that will have enormous impact in Northern Ireland, both on the young people themselves and their local communities.
Our steering group, composed of members from the Unloc team, the One Young World Team, the Northern Ireland Education Authority and local young people will continue to ensure the project is having a positive impact.
Of the 10 young people, those aged 18+ will also get the chance to apply for a scholarship to the One Young World Summit 2024 in Montreal, with the four young people leading the most impactful Seed2030 projects supported to attend, continuing and extending the Belfast summit legacy.
Partnered with crucial resources, training and mentorship throughout, the Seed2030 funding grant will provide a stepping stone for young people in Northern Ireland to drive social change and emerge as leaders in their local communities.
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Unloc’s Managing Director Hayden Taylor said:
“I am beyond excited that the Seed2030 project is launching – putting micro grants, mentorship, training and support directly into the hands of talented young people in Northern Ireland with projects, campaigns and business ideas that will help advance one of the 17 Global Goals.
This project is particularly special as it brings together the expertise of Unloc and One Young World as champions of young changemakers with our steering group of young people from Northern Ireland who are helping shape the project’s direction. With the support of the Ellis Campbell Foundation, and the backing of our local partners at the NI Education Authority, we are building an exciting pipeline of opportunities developing young people as changemakers”
Ella Robertson McKay, Managing Director of One Young World said:
“Young World Summit in Belfast earlier this year, we are delighted to launch the Seed2030 project with Unloc to ensure young leaders across Northern Ireland have the tools to catalyse social change. It was clear from the Summit in Belfast that the next generation of young leaders in Northern Ireland have enormous potential and ambition to accelerate social change in their local communities, but more needs to be done to provide funding and support to turn this potential into reality, and we’re proud to play a role in doing this through Seed2030”.
Nicole Parkinson-Kelly, One Young World Ambassador & Previous Vice-Chair of the Northern Ireland Youth Forum said:
“I’m really excited to be a part of launching Seed2030 to give young people across NI the opportunity to make their innovative business ideas and community projects a reality. This really makes entrepreneurship more accessible, creating safe learning environments to take risks with meaningful support through mentorship to help young people prepare for their next steps after seed funding. Northern Ireland has lots of young talent and potential to invest in so I’m delighted that One Young World, a global organisation who supports changemakers, sees this and is creating opportunities for our leaders of tomorrow in partnership with Unloc.”
Katie Williamson, Unloc’s Programme Manager said:
“Seed2030 is such an exciting opportunity for the young people of Northern Ireland and I am delighted to be a part of it! The multi layers of support will enable young people to tap into their changemaker journey and drive social change on issues that they are passionate about.”
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About Unloc
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Unloc is a leading UK-based social enterprise, founded by One Young World Ambassadors, inspiring and supporting young people to become changemakers. Founded by award winning young leaders Hayden Taylor & Ben Dowling, we develop the leadership potential of young people from over 500 schools and colleges in the UK, and through our partnerships across Europe.
We have been bringing innovative education programmes to life for over 8 years; helping bring business closer to young talent whilst empowering young people, developing their leadership skills and building their opportunity pipeline.
Last year, Unloc’s programmes reached over 15,000 young people in-person, and countless thousands more through our pan-European partnerships.
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About One Young World
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One Young World is the global community for young leaders. Its mission is to create a fair, sustainable future for all, by developing young leaders who are taking action to solve the world’s big challenges. It builds young leaders’ expertise, elevates their profiles and inspires them to increase their impact.
One Young World offers an unrivalled platform to affect change at a global level. With a network of more than 13,700 Ambassadors, innovative initiatives led by the One Young World community have directly impacted 41.56 million people globally since 2010. For every $1 invested, One Young World Ambassadors deliver $16 of social value.
Its annual Summit brings together the brightest young leaders from every country and sector who are working to accelerate social impact across the globe. Delegates from 190+ countries are counselled by influential political, business and humanitarian leaders such as President Mary Robinson, Dr Jane Goodall, and Nobel Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, amongst many other global figures.
To date, Summits have taken place in Belfast (2023), London (2010), Zurich (2011), Pittsburgh (2012), Johannesburg (2013), Dublin (2014), Bangkok (2015), Ottawa (2016), Bogota (2017), The Hague (2018), London (2019), Munich (2021), Manchester (2022) and Belfast (2023). The next Summit will take place in Montréal in 2024.
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About the Ellis Campbell Foundation
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The Ellis Campbell Foundation, a charity based in Hampshire, was established in 1990 by Michael Campbell, representing the fourth generation of the family’s property investment office, the Ellis Campbell Group. Since that time the Foundation has supported a diverse range of organisations in Hampshire, Perthshire and London with grants totalling over £3.7m.
The Foundation has supported many wonderful organisations in Hampshire over the years and continues to support Treloar School through a sports fund, and Alton College through engineering scholarships. Most of the Hampshire grants are now run through the Doris Campbell Memorial Fund managed by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Foundation.
Following a strategic review, the Foundation is now focussed on building Youth Power and Leadership with some fantastic partners in the UK and is proud to be supporting many transformational projects.
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Unloc and Verizon Business have launched the annual Young Entrepreneurs Challenge for 2024. Now in its sixth year, the challenge is open to European entrepreneurs aged between 16-25 years old, who can submit their technology-led start-up business concept online.
The winner will receive £10,000 (€12,000*), mentorship and a technology package to launch their business. In addition, they will also receive a ticket to attend the Global One Young World 2024 Montréal Summit.
This annual European entrepreneurship competition for young people aims to encourage and attract the dynamic new business leaders of tomorrow.
“This year’s competition is gearing up to be our biggest and best yet, and we’re so excited to see the ideas of young people from across Europe as they tackle important global issues such as climate change, sustainability and the health sector” said Hayden Taylor, Managing Director of Unloc.
“Every year we’re so impressed with the business minds of young entrepreneurs, and this year there’s even more opportunity for entrants with a great idea that needs nurturing, as well as those with a more developed plan. Last year’s winner, Olivia Simpson, absolutely blew us away with her foresight and vision for a medical industry that’s conscious of the materials it uses, and her idea to replace single use plastics with compostable alternatives. We cannot wait to see what innovation young changemakers envision this year.”
“Every year the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge uncovers amazing young talent from across Europe and it is a privilege to be able help encourage and support tomorrow’s innovators” said Sanjiv Gossain, General Manager and Head of EMEA for Verizon Business. “It is inspiring and reassuring to see youthful and bright minds focus on building businesses that will tackle social, community and sustainability issues.”
To enter, entrants are asked to record a 60-90 second video, as well as completing an online application form outlining their business idea.
Applications will be judged based on their viability, technology innovation and sustainability.
Finalists will then compete head-to-head in a grand finale held in February 2024, pitching their business concept live to a panel of expert judges and invited guests representing both the worlds of business and education.
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Winner of the Young Entrepreneur Challenge 2022 – Olivia Simpson
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Last year’s winner was the inspirational 21 year old Olivia Simpson. Her start-up SymbioTex is developing single use plastics for the medical industry such as inhalers, COVID tests and pregnancy tests that are home compostable. Currently these types of devices are made of non-renewable materials and at the end of their life go to landfill or incineration – creating harmful byproducts such as microplastics.
Olivia aims to licence their technology to current medical device manufacturers, something that would transform the medical sector and its sustainability. Symbiotex are now working closely with the NHS and making great strides, a true testimony of the young talent that the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge helps discover.
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Olivia has some advice for anyone thinking of applying: “I’d urge anyone who is considering entering to not just consider. Apply! Being in the final was a huge opportunity for us and our concept. The Unloc team were incredibly supportive, both in the run up to the day and on the day itself. All the Unloc staff went above and beyond and were incredibly friendly and supportive, they made me feel really prepared. Never have I felt so empowered at a competition by the other finalists and the staff – it really was a great day. My top tip would be to get your passion across. You never know the next winner could be you.”
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For more information on the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge click here!
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About – Unloc
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Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. The organisation’s mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. The organisation is focused on developing young people’s skills, enhancing their potential and boosting their determination to succeed. Unloc works towards achieving its mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes, including on entrepreneurship and self-employment, in our network of 100+ schools and colleges in the UK and beyond.
To find out more about Unloc and all our latest news visit: unloc.org.uk/news
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About Verizon
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Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $128.3 billion in 2020. The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.
VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at verizon.com/news. News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.
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For more information on the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge click here!
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The Teal Umbrella Project was created by a group of passionate young people who took part in our Inspiring Change project, sponsored by PAC (the Peer Action Collective). The project brought young people together over several months to create and develop a social action campaign on a topic which was close to their hearts and they felt passionate about.
One of those groups created the Teal Umbrella project – aimed at educating people on the prevalence of sexual violence in Portsmouth and Southampton, and where they could turn to for support and advice. One of the young people in the action group was 17 year old Ace Merriott, one of the inspiring young changemakers we’ve had the pleasure to work with over the past year. Ace tells their story:
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Ace’s experience:
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“Hi I’m Ace and I’m a 17 year old student from Portsmouth. Last April I had an Instagram Advert pop up on my screen with the title “Do you want to tackle youth violence in your community?” I’m going to be totally honest and tell you that I was entirely bored at the time (despite being about to start my GCSEs) and just figured I’d give it a chance. I signed up and not long later got told I had received a place and to come along to the residential at the end of the month.
For me, I’d done nothing like this before and this would be the first event where I knew no one else. This was frankly terrifying, and slightly off-putting – but I’m so glad I gave it a go!
Before Unloc I’d always tried to make a conscious attempt to volunteer in my local community. As a Young leader with Beavers & Squirrels (World Scout Association), I knew I enjoyed helping other people and in my local community, I’ve seen a lot of Youth Violence. Growing up Queer, Trans and Disabled in Portsmouth has often put me at the receiving end of a lot of hate, and growing up AFAB (assigned female at birth for those not in the know) has put me on the same end of Sexual Violence too. This is why our project ‘The Teal Umbrella’ was centred around Sexual Violence in Southampton and Portsmouth – we all as a group shared one common experience in our communities.
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So what is the Teal Umbrella Project? The Teal Umbrella Project is a social media campaign centred on providing support and resources for those who are victims of COCSA (Child on child/ Peer on Peer Sexual Assault). As a group it was vital to let the world know that it isn’t a taboo subject, so that hopefully more young people would open up and maybe even report their experiences.
We started from the ground up, facilitated by Unloc, making our social media page and forming our initial first ideas. We knew what we wanted to tackle – but how could we do it? After lots of deliberation we decided to hold a professional photoshoot with other young people from the surrounding areas, people of any background or gender.
Something we really wanted to highlight was that it doesn’t just happen to one category of person – it can, and does, happen to anyone.
We applied for funding through the Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) to support our idea and were luckily awarded the full amount we applied for – this was incredible! I took on the role of Finance Co-ordinator for the group – managing the money and controlling the budget. I also eventually grew into the role of Communications, and from that Project manager – a journey I feel really benefited my skill set.
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We gathered friends from local communities and got them involved in the photoshoot in November – some of us got involved in it as well! The photographer was incredible at capturing the message we wanted to put across. The photos featured an actual teal umbrella, to fit back to our name, and also contained the common excuses that one may face after an assault. Some of these include “What were you wearing” and “I’m not that kind of person”. These excuses are commonly used and we wanted to bring to head how excuses are never appropriate. After this photoshoot we started the bulk of posting on our social media. Our instagram is @the_tealumbrella
The Teal umbrella got its name from two things. The colour Teal is the colour ribbon for Sexual Assault Awareness, and the umbrella symbolises the ‘umbrella terms’ that come under Sexual Assault. These include catcalling, harrassment, underskirting and many other violent and non-violent forms of sexual abuse.
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After the intial start to posting, we were contacted by several stakeholders about the project, wanting to speak to us and get involved where they could. Holding calls with all sorts of important professionals was terrifying, we’d never done anything like that before – but it was really rewarding to hear from adults who believed like us that young people can make a change.
In December, I attended the PAC (Peer action Collective) Crime Conference, which was attended by Young People from all over the country who had been completing their own social action projects/changes in their local communities. I represented the Teal Umbrella Project and had a great time telling others at the event about what we did. We also featured in a Spotlight in their review booklet. At this conference, I received the Networking Extraordinaire Award for my communication skills throughout the year. It was totally unexpected. This is something that even today I am still in awe of as compared to a year ago, I was absolutely terrified of talking to people – let alone industry professionals.
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I also was able to put the project back into my Scouting experience. It has contributed to my King Scout Award – one of the highest awards in Scouting!
Moving into January we received amazing news that YEF wanted to support our project further and came to us offering more funding to get one of our posters put onto two billboards, one in Portsmouth and another one in Southampton. Hearing once again that people really wanted to support us and believed in what we were doing was amazing, and I still love how welcoming society is becoming to the new generation of changemakers like myself. We planned once more and in early summer got billboards up in highly trafficked areas – an incredible achievement for something that started as a very small social media campaign.
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We got noticed by the South East Billboard company and received Billboard Campaign of the Month too! Gaining traction for the cause is so important as the rates of Sexual Violence in Portsmouth and Southampton are scarily high. I hope that this project gets the opportunities to grow and flourish and help more people.
I think the moment I realised how beneficial the campaign was, was when I presented it to a group of other Scouts and Leaders, and the feedback I got back was incredible, and it really hit me then what good something small can do.
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Unloc supported us the entire way through, and I would not be the person I am today without our wonderful facilitators, Katie and Jess. They helped us where need be, and organised the whole idea of Young People making change!
The person I was last year is very different to the person I am now though. Unloc gave me the skills to grow and develop as a Young Adult, while also letting me have fun and make new friends.
Moving forward, I have taken this newfound courage to join other projects such as Youth Advisory Boards and becoming a volunteer with Hampshire Youth Parliament. In Scouting I’m making new moves too; I’ve joined both a UK wide team and County (Hampshire) team to help develop my local and national scouting communities and make them overall more inclusive and accessible.
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I hope to continue working with, and for Young People and hopefully engage them in experiences that I couldn’t access until later in my Teen years. Recently, I helped lead a group of Scouts in the Portsmouth Pride Parade, and soon to London Pride!
I do hope to continue making changes in my community, and helping others. The confidence and abilities I gained this past year are like no other, and I know how much they will benefit me going into the future. “
Ace Merriott, 17
Changemaker and Networking Extraordinaire Award Winner
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Unloc, Burberry, Verizon Business and GRP Solutions have joined forces to launch a new initiative to level up the lives of young people and change the game for tomorrow’s young workforce. The Unloc Changemaker Alliance will bring together leading business organisations who believe in creating a positive impact on the lives of young people in society, even the playing field for those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and develop their skills and potential as future employees.
Multiple factors lie at the heart of the issue. Simply put, opportunity is not meeting talent when it comes to underrepresented communities in the workplace, and young people are not being given opportunities to forge a path and have their voices heard.
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Social enterprise Unloc has joined forcing with global communications giant Verizon Business, international luxury fashion brand Burberry, and leading composite manufacturer GRP Solutions to address these issues, forming the Changemaker Alliance.
This collective of forward-thinking businesses all possess a commitment to developing the potential of young people, and ensuring they have access to the skills, the knowledge, support and guidance to excel in their futures, creating positive impact on the employability and trailblazing the way for their peers.
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Through the Alliance partnership they will work with schools, colleges and young people to develop the skills and career pathways that have a tangible impact on young minds and future aspirations.
The Changemaker Alliance provides them with an avenue to bring these ideas to fruition, and will provide funding for programmes which promote inclusion and diversity, social action, empowerment, and level the playing field for young people from all economic backgrounds and communities.
It can be especially difficult for young people starting out on their career path to secure funding or finance to begin their potential business or entrepreneurial ideas.
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To tackle this the Changemaker Alliance will enable 16 to 25 year olds to apply for small seed funding grants of up to £1,000 to trial their entrepreneurial ventures, community projects or social enterprise ideas. These grants are designed to give young people a chance to test their idea and get it off the ground, whilst creating a positive impact in the wider community.
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Hayden Taylor, Unloc’s Managing Director said:
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“We are thrilled to launch the Unloc Changemakers Alliance, and simply couldn’t ask for better founding partners than Verizon and Burberry. Their work with Unloc in the past has allowed us to take programmes and support out to disadvantaged young people in the community, and provide programmes on global issues such as sustainability, inclusion, racial justice, diversity and women in the technology sector.”
“United we understand the importance and social value to the future economy when we look at young people. Today’s school pupils and college students are the future customers and workforce. Collectively with the Changemakers Alliance we can help young people realise their full , whether that’s through mentoring, support, skills development, or financial funding support. We’re so excited to make a difference to their future career journeys.”
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Mark Turner, Business Relationship Director, Burberry said:
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“We are honoured to be a founding partner of the Unloc Changemaker Alliance. We’re looking forward to continuing the amazing work we’ve started in partnership with the organisations to date. Supporting the next generation and making a lasting positive change is important to us, and we know there’s so much more we can do.”
“Through the Alliance, we have a unique opportunity to work alongside like-minded companies, supporting young people and helping them reach their potential.”
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Xavier White, Head of UK&I Marketing and EMEA Social Purpose said:
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“We are delighted to be a founding member of Unloc’s ChangeMaker Alliance and this new grant making program. For the past few years, Verizon have been working with Unloc to hold the annual Young Entrepreneurs Challenge, a competition for those aged 16-25 to win funding to scale up their tech-related startup idea. However, we’re aware that there’s a certain amount of privilege in having access to the first few hundred pounds required to bring such an idea to life.”
“This led to the idea of a test-and-learn grant: the new ChangeMaker Alliance Grants. We are delighted to be working alongside Unloc, Burberry and GRP Solutions to bring this to life and even the playing field for young people and provide them with access to funding, training and new opportunities.”
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GRP Solutions Director of People, Culture and Community, Michele Harpur said:
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“Supporting the Change makers of tomorrow is a team effort and we are honoured and delighted to be working with such leading organisations to create positive change through the Changemakers Alliance.”
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As the Changemaker Alliance grows the members hope that other leading businesses will join them to grow the Alliance network and it’s reach, ensuring more and more young people across the UK have access to the training and support which will allow them to take a bolder first step into the employment market.”
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Interested in your organisation becoming a part of the Unloc Changemaker Alliance? Click here
About the members of the Unloc Changemaker Alliance
About Unloc & Changemaker Studios
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. The organisation’s mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses.
The organisation is focused on developing young people’s skills, enhancing their potential and boosting their determination to succeed. Unloc works towards achieving its mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes, including on entrepreneurship and self-employment, in our network of 100+ schools and colleges in the UK and beyond.
Get the latest from Unloc with our Digital Update. Click here to subscribe!
About Burberry
● Burberry is a global luxury brand headquartered in London, UK.
● Founded in 1856, Burberry is listed on the London Stock Exchange (BRBY.L) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index.
● BURBERRY, the Equestrian Knight Device, the Burberry Check and the Thomas Burberry Monogram and Print are trademarks belonging to Burberry.
● For more news: www.burberryplc.com
About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology and communications services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $133.6 billion in 2021.
The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.
VERIZON’S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media contacts and other resources are available at verizon.com/news.
News releases are also available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.
About GRP Solutions LTD
GRP Solutions Ltd is the UK’s leading provider to the Glass reinforced plastics industry. A highly experienced team of composite experts, dedicated to setting the standard in composite distribution. Working with world class suppliers the company prides itself in offering the very best solutions and service to customers.
Growing from strength to strength, GRP Solutions provides customers across every sector of the UK with the most comprehensive range of composite solutions and services.
Further information can be found at: www.grp-solutions.com
Applied for the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge 2023 yet? Our Europe-wide competition in partnership with Verizon Business aims to discover the best of up and coming new business talent, and is officially open for applications!
Now in its fifth year, the dynamic competition uncovering new business minds is open for young people across Europe aged between 16-25 years old.
With a focus on technology, digital, sustainability and the environment, entrants will submit their tech-led start-up business concept online.
Five finalists will be chosen from the entries, and they’ll go head to head pitching their business idea, concept or start-up to a panel of expert judges at the Grand Final in the Spring.
The winner will claim a £10,000 (€11,000) Grand Prize, mentorship, and a technology package to launch their business.
In addition, they will also receive a ticket to attend the Global One Young World Summit in Belfast in October 2023.
“It’s hard to believe we’re now in our fifth year of the competition,” said Hayden Taylor, Managing Director of Unloc ”Year upon year we’ve seen the sheer quality and standard of entries from budding young entrepreneurs rise. Last year’s competition in particular attracted some truly outstanding young people, with amazing leadership and business skills, an exceptionally high standard.”
“We were absolutely blown away and had a really difficult time choosing an overall winner. I know we, and our partners Verizon are looking forward to seeing what talent from across Europe the competition attracts this year.”
To enter, entrants are asked to record a 60-90 second video, as well as completing an online application form outlining their business idea.
Applications will be judged based on their viability, technology innovation and sustainability.
The finalists will then compete head-to-head in a Grand Finale held in February 2023, pitching their business concept live to a panel of expert judges and invited guests representing both the worlds of business and education.
Winner of the Young Entrepreneur Challenge 2022 Nick Cotter
Nick Cotter of Cotter Agritech was crowned the winner of the 2022 Verizon/Unloc Young Entrepreneurs Challenge. Nick’s company, based in Limerick, Ireland, have a vision to dramatically reduce chemical use in agriculture while improving productivity and profitability.
Nick and his Brother Jack developed a system that uses advanced algorithms to enable livestock farmers to identify and target animals that need treatment with anti-parasitic drugs without blanket treating the entire flock or herd.
Nick’s triumphant victory won €11,000 for Cotter Agritech, funding, a business mentor package and entry to the 2022 One Young World Global Summit.
Nick said: “Enter, because the sooner you find out whether it’s a good or bad idea, the sooner you find the right idea, and the sooner you can have an impact and achieve your ambitions. It’s just a fabulous experience to be a part of.“
“Startups go through 6-7 life and death moments every year, and some even every month, so awards like this are of huge value in terms of being undeniable achievements that you can’t deny from yourself, and you can look at them and they will give you the confidence to go with the idea, and keep moving forward.”
“We have invested in the production of video testimonials with test farmers who used the solution in 2021, so the funding has been of huge immediate value in kickstarting our launch and accelerating uptake and adoption, and we’re very grateful to Unloc and Verizon for their support.”
Click here to read Nick’s full interview.
Click here to read more information about entering or apply!
About Unloc
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. The organisation’s mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses.
The organisation is focused on developing young people’s skills, enhancing their potential and boosting their determination to succeed. Unloc works towards achieving its mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes, including on entrepreneurship and self-employment, in our network of 100+ schools and colleges in the UK and beyond.
To find out more about Unloc and all our latest news visit: unloc.org.uk/news
About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) was formed on June 30, 2000 and is one of the world’s leading providers of technology, communications, information and entertainment products and services. Headquartered in New York City and with a presence around the world, Verizon generated revenues of $128.3 billion in 2020.
The company offers data, video and voice services and solutions on its award-winning networks and platforms, delivering on customers’ demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity, security and control.
It’s now been several weeks since Nick Cotter was crowned the Grand Prize Winner of the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge! Each year, Unloc and our partner Verizon seek out the best of fresh young business talent from across Europe.
The Winner receives £10,000 funding for their business idea, a mentorship package, support, and entry to the One Young World Global Summit.
Nick, from Ireland beat amazingly fierce competition from the other finalists, and impressed our judging panel with his idea for a system for livestock farmers to better use anti-parasitic drugs, reducing the impact on biodiversity, bringing down costs and preventing parasitic resistance.
We caught up with Nick to hear about how things are progressing and how we found the overall experience of entering the competition.
Nick, again congratulations on your win! You did an amazing job at our Grand Final. For those that missed it, introduce yourself and tell us about your business idea!
“Thanks! I’m Nick Cotter, and i’m the co-founder of Cotter Agritech, we are a Limerick-based start-up, founded by myself and my brother Jack. We have a vision to dramatically reduce chemical use in agriculture while improving productivity and profitability. Our company has developed a system that uses advanced algorithms to enable livestock farmers transition from blanket treating animals with anti-parasitic drugs, to a very precise application – by identifying and targeting only the animals that need treatment.
This approach reduces anti-parasitic drug use by up to 50%, which reduces costs, prevents against parasite resistance, and reduces impacts on biodiversity. We concluded research trials in 2021 with UCD, QUB, and 18 commercial farmers across Ireland and the UK, which has validated our solution. The hardware and software products are now being launched in Ireland and the UK at the LAMMA agri show in Birmingham this week 4th-5th May 2021”.
That’s so exciting! We wish you every success with the launch this week. What made you think the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge was the right competition for you to enter?
“It’s a very prestigious European competition. You just have to look at the previous winners and where they have gone since to see the quality of each year’s entrants.
I expected it to be highly competitive (which it indeed was!) but I thought if we could tell our story in a compelling manner, that we had every shot of winning the grand final. We also thought that if we could get access to Verizon and Unloc’s expertise through this competition, that it would accelerate our development and move us forward.”
The final was quite a nerve wracking event, how did you feel in the days beforehand?
“We felt both tense and excited in the days leading up to it. We were hard at work prepping the pitch and doing mock Q&A’s to be ready for anything the judges might throw at us. I believe the work is done in training, so we really focused on that to be well prepared for the final.”
How did you find the Grand Final and delivering your pitch to the panel?
“By the time the final came around I was reasonably relaxed to be honest, as I knew we had done everything we could do in the days before to prepare ourselves and give the best chance of success.
The pitch is very tight at 5 mins – but it’s a great exercise to condense your idea, and put focus around it. The panel was testing but we have been working on this for 2 years now so we know our idea inside out, and I was able to answer the questions confidently and concisely.”
Were you shocked when you were announced as the winner?
“To even be shortlisted for the final was a huge honour, so to win was an absolute bonus. I couldn’t believe we had won, it was just unbelievable. The quality of the other 4 finalists was very high – medtech, sustainable clothing, the other ideas were very current and relevant to the challenges of the current global climate.
As an ag-tech startup it’s a very important award from a support point of view. Agriculture is under significant pressure to become more productive to feed the projected 10 billion people by 2050, and to also meet ambitious sustainability targets.
It’s a huge boost to have Verizon and Unloc recognise the innovation ongoing in Agriculture, to shine a light on it, and support this type of innovation. It’s a huge vote of confidence in sustainable animal production.
We are just over the moon, and so proud of the thousands of hours this team has put into bringing this to fruition.”
It was so well deserved, truly. How are you investing your £10,000 prize funding?
“We have invested it in the production of video testimonials with test farmers who used the solution in 2021. We just recorded them recently, and they will be published alongside our launch at the LAMMA show this week. So the funding has been of huge immediate value in kickstarting our launch and accelerating uptake and adoption, and we’re very grateful to Unloc and Verizon for their support.”
What are your ambitions for Cotter Agritech and where would you like to see the business go in the future?
“We want to operate on a global scale – we’ve chosen to solve a global problem so the ambition is to make our solution accessible to all sheep farmers around the world to deliver this value to all farmers, and eventually move onto solving the same problem for cattle and goat farmers too.
As someone who grew up on a sheep farm, there are a lot more problems to solve and we just see these as opportunities. So I see Cotter Agritech becoming an industry leader in animal agtech, solving more problems for livestock farmers to help them become more productive, profitable, sustainable and viable going forward.”
We will be monitoring your progress closely! What would you say to any other aspiring young people out there considering entering this year’s Young Entrepreneurs Challenge?
“Just go and do it – enter, because the sooner you find out whether it’s a good or bad idea, the sooner you find the right idea, and the sooner you can have an impact and achieve your ambitions. It’s just a fabulous experience to be a part of.
Startups go through 6-7 life and death moments every year, and some even every month, so awards like this are of huge value in terms of being undeniable achievements that you can’t deny from yourself, and you can look at them and they will give you the confidence to go with the idea, and keep moving forward.”
Nick, thank you so much for taking the time to speak to us, good luck with everything at the LAMMA launch this week, and we shall catch up with you again so check on your progress!
For more information about Cotter Agritech, their business and the products they supply, click here.
Could you be our next Winner?
Keep an eye on our News page for the latest news and information on the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge as and when it becomes available.
You can also sign up to our free Unloc Digital Update and have all our news delivered straight to your inbox, simply click here to subscribe!
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