Finalists will compete in this year’s Young Entrepreneurs Challenge showcase in March in a bid to win £10,000 (€11,750*)
Five young entrepreneurs have been named as finalists in the latest Young Entrepreneurs Challenge (YEC), an initiative launched by Verizon and Unloc. The challenge, now in its seventh year, aims to discover the business leaders of tomorrow by tasking young European entrepreneurs between the ages of 16 and 25 to devise a tech-led business idea that addresses a key industry or societal issue.
This year’s challenge has brought to light a number of business models that tackle current sustainability and healthcare challenges including water restoration robots, biodegradable textiles from kombucha by-products, reforestation hexapod robots, a floating solar solution and a robotic glove for stroke rehabilitation. The team received over 100 competitive and innovative business ideas from a wide range of countries across Europe including the UK, Ireland, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, Greece, Slovakia, Turkey, Portugal, Austria, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Estonia and Poland.
“Throughout the past seven years, the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge has been a brilliant opportunity to discover young and promising talent across Europe. There is nothing like the imagination and innovation of a young mind. The YEC serves as a platform to help bring their ideas to life,” said Sanjiv Gossain, General Manager and Head of EMEA for Verizon Business.
“Young entrepreneurs in Europe often face hurdles and scepticism in accessing funding and mentorship. Verizon Business is proud to play a small role in helping this next generation of tech leaders stay a step ahead in the industry, as they work to make a positive impact around the world.”
“We are in an era where technological innovation is crucial for tackling complex challenges in sustainability, climate change, and health. Investing in the next generation of leaders and their ideas is essential to addressing these issues,” said Hayden Taylor, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Unloc. “Each year, we are amazed by the ingenuity of young entrepreneurs and are impressed to see the innovative ideas submitted for the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge.”
The five finalists will now compete head-to-head in a grand finale held in March 2025, pitching their business concept live to a panel of expert judges and invited guests representing both the worlds of business and education. The winner receives £10,000 (€11,750*), mentorship and a technology support package to help kickstart their business. In addition, the winner will also receive a ticket to attend the Global One Young World 2025 Munich Summit.
Each runner-up will receive £977 (€1175) to fund their start-up business, a personalised development plan that focuses on key priorities, and access to a series of masterclasses over the next year that will pair the finalists with various industry experts.
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Here are the 2025 finalists:
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Aleksandra Daniljuk – AquaRenew
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Aleksandra aims to address the global environmental crisis of water pollution caused by excess nitrogen and phosphorus in water bodies. Her solution involves small, solar-powered robots that use wire meshes to collect harmful algae blooms, release oxygen through air stones to combat oxygen depletion, and utilise zeolite biofilters to absorb excess nutrients, thereby preventing further eutrophication.
The key selling point is its self-sustaining business model. The collected algae will be sold to businesses that convert them into biofuels and other sustainable products, creating a revenue stream to fund more robots. This approach not only restores aquatic ecosystems but also fosters sustainability and generates economic value.
Aleksandra’s solution also aligns with the UN SDG 14: Life Below Water, promoting ecological restoration and sustainability.
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Luisanny Martinez – Skomb-By-Tex
Skomb-by-Tex is a solution to modern challenges in fashion and sustainability that offers a sustainable, biodegradable material made from kombucha fermentation by-products. The eco-friendly alternative to traditional leather and textiles is crafted from bacterial cellulose, offering a lightweight, durable, and unique texture.
The material is 100% biodegradable and compostable, and can even be reused as planting capsules. To further enhance the sustainable model of the business, the team uses natural dyes like turmeric, spirulina, and saffron, ensuring no toxic chemicals are involved.
Skomb-By-Tex collaborates with local kombucha producers in order to reduce waste and emissions. Luisanny’s long-term vision is to scale production while maintaining low-impact manufacturing practices, such as sun drying and ambient-temperature fermentation.
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Marta Bernardino – Trovador
The precision reforestation market is projected to reach $9.77 billion by 2033, growing at a 5.74% CAGR, with high demand from the private sector. Recognising a billion-dollar opportunity, Marta developed Trovador, a reforestation robotics company that combats climate change by planting trees in hard-to-reach areas. Unlike drones, which have a low survival rate for seeds, Trovador’s hexapod robots plant saplings with a 90% survival rate. These AI-driven robots navigate challenging terrains like cliffs and slopes, ensuring effective reforestation.
Trovador’s unique hexapod design preserves essential soil conditions for sapling survival and operates autonomously, overcoming obstacles in real-time. This innovative approach supports sustainability by providing rural communities with a safe, efficient reforestation solution, aligning with several UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The service is quite simple and self-explanatory: clients select the planting site, the robot is deployed, and reforestation is monitored remotely. With just £2.5 (€3) per tree, Trovador is 30% more affordable than traditional methods, while excelling in speed, safety, and sustainability.
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Sebastiaan Schalkwijk – Solar Sub
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Solar Sub’s floating solar solution revolutionises renewable energy by placing solar panels on water bodies, maximising land use and harnessing natural cooling. This approach enhances system efficiency, increasing energy yield by up to 27% compared to traditional solar systems.
Solar Sub’s advanced cooling technology and optimal panel positioning improve efficiency and durability, reducing operational costs and extending the lifespan of solar installations. This innovation sets Solar Sub apart from competitors facing issues with panel overheating and degradation.
Sebastiaan adopts a licensing business model which allows rapid scaling without significant capital investment. This reduces upfront costs and risks, enabling us to focus on strategic partnerships. His model has gained traction with support from key industry players, confirming market interest and feasibility.
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Zain Sumdani – Exoheal
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Exoheal addresses the global shortage of physiotherapists and the inaccessibility of effective therapy with a robotic glove and a machine-learning-powered app. This solution delivers personalised, real-time therapy, enabling stroke recovery from home. Early trials show a 50% improvement in recovery time compared to traditional methods.
Exoheal app connects patients with hospitals and clinics, allowing remote monitoring and real-time feedback. Its modular design and scalable production ensure affordability and the ability to meet global demand. By 2028, Zain and his team aim to transform 100,000 lives, saving governments $178 million in healthcare costs and enabling $16 million in inpatient earnings.
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For more information on the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge click here!
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About Unloc
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders and advocates Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. Our mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. We develop young people’s skills, enhance their potential and boost their determination to succeed.
This is encapsulated in our ‘Developing Young Potential’ tagline. We work towards our mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes in our growing network of schools and colleges, our physical Changemaker Studios spaces in Portsmouth and London, and work with business leaders to deliver a range of programmes that help us achieve our mission. For more information about Unloc visit www.unloc.org.uk
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About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) powers and empowers how its millions of customers live, work and play, delivering on their demand for mobility, reliable network connectivity and security. Headquartered in New York City, serving countries worldwide and nearly all of the Fortune 500, Verizon generated revenues of $134.8 billion in 2024. Verizon’s world-class team never stops innovating to meet customers where they are today and equip them for the needs of tomorrow. For more, visit verizon.com or find a retail location at verizon.com/stores.
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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As the 2025 Young Entrepreneurs Challenge applications begin to flood in, we thought we’d catch up with our 2024 Winner Ethan Waisberg to reflect on the process and how he found the whole experience.
The 2024 Grand Final event was held at Verizon’s Headquarters in Holborn, London, with leaders from across industry sectors gathering to witness our young hopefuls pitch their business ideas to our panel of judges, including ex Dragon’s Den star Piers Linney.
Ethan competed with strong contenders from across Europe to win £10,000, mentorship, a technology support package to help kickstart his business proposal, and a trip to the One Young World 2024 Global Summit.
With a strong pitch and well defined business plan, Ethan talked about his product AngioGenius. With eye disease screening programs worldwide not performing well enough and millions around the world to going blind, Ethan developed an app where anyone can take a photo of their eye at home to help detect and monitor eye disease progression.
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 with AngioGenius at a fraction of the cost to current and widely used eye disease screening programs.
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Ethan, it’s so great to catch up with you following your 2024 win! Tell us, how did you find entering the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge?
The application process was really easy and straightforward. I didn’t need any support or advice during the process, as I just had to record a 60 second video explaining my idea.
Once you found out you were a finalist, how did you find the experience attending the Grand Final?
During my train ride to London, I reflected on the exciting opportunity to be in the finals and pitch my company to a large audience. I arrived in London the day before the competition, so I was able to relax and explore the city. I was not nervous as I felt prepared.
The Unloc and Verizon teams were welcoming, supportive and they greeted me with warm smiles and genuine enthusiasm. They were dedicated to bringing out the best in the finalists, and created a friendly, less competitive atmosphere.
Was there anything that you were afraid of?
As a clinician and scientist, my biggest fear was that I might not be able to convey all the important aspects of my business idea within the allotted time for the pitch.
As someone who has conducted research in this area for the past 5+ years, I had a wealth of detailed information to share with the audience and judges. Nevertheless, I was able to be concise during my pitch and prioritize key messages.
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What did you think of the other finalists and their business ideas?
It was really exciting to meet the other finalists, and to learn about their interesting business ideas. It’s tough to pick only one idea that stood out from the other finalists, since they each had a lot of potential and were all very impressive.
As I interacted with the finalists, I couldn’t help but admire the passion and creativity behind their business ideas.
How did it go when it was time to deliver your pitch to the Judges?
Overall, I was happy with how my pitch went. I felt that I was able to effectively communicate the value proposition and core ideas of my business idea and that I had captured the attention of the judges and audience.
Moreover, the Judges asked insightful and thought-provoking questions, which challenged me to delve deeper into various aspects of my company and provide detailed explanations. I appreciated this opportunity to further elaborate on key points.
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How did you feel when you were named the winner?
I was surprised and elated to be chosen as the grand prize winner! I felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and validation for the sacrifices that I made along the way to reach this point.
What do you intend to do with the grand prize money?
I plan on using this prize money to conduct further clinical testing of my idea. Clinical testing is a crucial step to not only validate the safety and efficacy of my solution, but to also provide insights to further refine and optimize my business idea.
What advice would you give to other young people out there considering entering the 2025 competition?
My advice would be to not think twice about applying! Never doubt your abilities and ideas. I had entered the competition hoping to make an impact, and never imagined I would win.
Ethan thank you so much for catching up with us today, you were an absolutely outstanding entrant and a well deserved winner. We’ll be watching your progress closely and can’t wait to see all the amazing things you do next!
The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge 2025 is now open for entries! If you’re 16–25 and have a fresh & innovative tech-led idea – The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge 2025 could help you get your business off the ground, or if you’ve already launched a business, boost it to the next level.
There’s a staggering £10,000 up for grabs, as well as a mentorship package and entry to the One Young World Global Summit, so what are you waiting for? Apply now!
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Click here for more information or to apply!
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Our latest impact report for the 2023-24 academic year is now available! Inside you’ll find a whole wealth of information of the work we’ve been carrying out in schools and colleges across the UK over the past 12 months, as well as case studies, interviews and insights into the work and projects we’ve formed with young people and partners such as Verizon Business, Burberry, Juniper Networks, GRP Solutions and Palo Alto Networks.
Gain insight into the past year with stats such as:
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There’s also coverage of the 2024 Young Entrepreneurs Challenge, our Young Women in Tech programme, Inpsring Change, Portsmouth Inspires, One Young World, Seed 2030, school and college forums, Changemaker Moments, the release of the fantastic rap track to stand up against Knife Crime and Youth Violence, our General Election Special Events and a whole lot more!
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View below to read the report or download at the link underneath
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Unloc and Verizon Business have launched The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge for 2025, an annual event that seeks to identify the best young talent across Europe with innovative business ideas.
The winner will receive £10,000 (€11,750*), mentorship and a technology package to launch their business. In addition, they will also receive a ticket to attend the Global One Young World 2025 Munich Summit.
This entrepreneurship competition for young people aims to encourage and attract the dynamic new business leaders of tomorrow. Now in its seventh year, the challenge is open to European entrepreneurs aged between 16-25 years old who can submit their technology-led start-up business concepts online.
“Each year, The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge identifies and brings to light amazing young talent from across the UK and Europe and it is a privilege to be able to help encourage and support tomorrow’s entrepreneurs,” said Sanjiv Gossain, General Manager and Head of EMEA for Verizon Business. “Young entrepreneurs in Europe often face challenges related to accessing funding and mentorship, so to play a role in enabling their ideas to come to fruition and be presented on the global stage, is very important to Verizon Business.”
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“We are in a landscape where technological ideas are becoming the clear catalyst for addressing and resolving some of the most complex challenges in sustainability, climate change and health, so investing in the next generation of leaders and their ideas plays a fundamental part in addressing these challenges,” said Hayden Taylor, Co-Founder and Chief Executive of Unloc.
“Every year we’re overwhelmed with the business minds of young entrepreneurs and in a year that has been dominated by the advancement of emerging tech, we’re very excited to see the ideas that entrants submit for the next Young Entrepreneurs Challenge.
“2024’s winner, Ethan Waisberg, impressed the expert judges with his app, AngioGenius, which allows anyone to take a photo of their eye at home to help detect and monitor eye disease progression. His research work with NASA astronauts and the integration of generative AI into the app was extremely impressive, and the funding from Unloc and Verizon will now enable him to carry out clinical trials and help reduce eye disease progression worldwide. We cannot wait to see what innovation young changemakers envision this year.”
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To enter, entrants are asked to record a 60-90-second video, as well as complete 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 March 2025, pitching their business concept live to a panel of expert judges and invited guests representing both the worlds of business and education.
Apply by January 17, 2025 at YEC25.COM
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To read about last year’s Grand Final and Ethan’s win click here
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Notes for Journalists
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.
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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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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We’re thrilled to reveal that we and our partners Verizon Business have been shortlisted for not just one, but two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024! The first category is for the National Commitment to Skills & Training Award, something we’re hugely proud of as we roll out our skills focused programmes, workshops and bootcamps across the UK.
The second is for the Philanthropy Award category, given to celebrate individuals and organisations who advance innovation, new solutions, and demonstrate meaningful progress in a community, association, or other nonprofit organisation.
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Unloc’s Managing Director Haydon Taylor is thrilled about the announcement, saying:
“What an incredible honour to be shortlisted for such impressive awards and gaining recognition for the extensive work we do with young people around the country. We’ve worked with the amazing team at Verizon Business for five years now to provide collaborative training and skills opportunities to more than 100,000 young people from across the country, many from disadvantaged communities.”
“Our partnership allows us to provide them with access to free skills and opportunities they’d otherwise miss out on. Working throughout the education sector we’ve been able to expand our reach and help develop the potential of young people from all different backgrounds. Building their confidence, their skills, and their ability to become young changemakers in their communities. I hope everyone will wish us, and Verizon the best of luck on awards night!”
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Talent and opportunity in the UK is often mis-aligned, with young people growing up in the most challenging socio-economic communities facing life expectancies up-to 6 years below the national average and lifetime income earning potential up-to 40% below the national benchmark (such as Portsmouth). Our joint skills and training programmes are helping to redress this imbalance.
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This uniquely collaborative approach between a global corporate, and our own non-for-profit skills & training organisation has:
The outcomes described above are the combined results of the six bespoke and innovative programmes in entrepreneurship, leadership, career pathways and amplifying student voices, which are curated and delivered by Unloc’s expert youth-focused facilitation team, working in close collaboration with Verizon employee mentors, guest speakers and industry experts.
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“We’re so proud of the programs that we’ve developed with Unloc and the impact that they’ve had. I’m delighted that our partnership has been award-nominated as it shows that our approach to levelling the playing field for young people and helping them to develop entrepreneurial skills is making a marked impact and achieving our ambitions in line with our responsible business plan, Citizen Verizon.”
Sanjiv Gossain, Head of EMEA, Verizon Business
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Changemaker Challenge Enterprise Days
These day-long events take place in schools across the country with a particular focus on the most deprived communities, reaching more than 10,000 young people every year. They inspire young people to explore what it means to be a changemaker, including widening their career horizons and putting their entrepreneurial skills to the test through a series of social business challenges.
Each event brings together between 30 and 100 primary or secondary school students to learn about the life and career journeys of local entrepreneurs, Verizon employees and participate in entrepreneurial skill building workshops. Each day culminates in a ‘changemaker challenge’, whereby a team of young people work together to identify and develop an entrepreneurial solution to a real-life social, environmental or economic issue.
Saiqua Zaneb, Deputy Head Teacher at Central Foundation Girls School in Tower Hamlets said
“These experiences have been transformative for our students, giving them the skills and training experiences they need to thrive in the real world.”
Unloc Academies
Our 3-month long Leadership and Enterprise academies develop the skills of more than 1000 passionate young people annually, supporting them to successfully tackle a solution to an issue they or their peers have faced in their schools, colleges or communities. For those participating in the Leadership Academy, Unloc provides practical instruction in project planning, facilitation and effective communication, as well as building personal confidence and leadership. Enterprise Academy students gain skills in business planning, market testing, setting up a business, financial management and more from entrepreneurs and Verizon employees and volunteers.
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I AM:
I AM is a new kind of social change incubator putting 100 young people annually at the heart of tackling issues around equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI), whilst developing their life-long employability. For 6 months, young people from across Portsmouth and London come together over 4 immersive weekends of training and collaboration to learn about EDI and apply what they have learn to create and implement social change projects, with the support of community leaders, local professionals, specialist consultants, and democratically-elected representatives Following participation, 100% of young people say they feel more inspired to do something different or take action in the future, and 92% say they want to take part in similar programmes.
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EDI Changemaker Days
Running alongside I AM, EDI Changemaker Days take place in 5 schools in disadvantaged communities and deliver an immersive day-long experience on EDI and racial justice for 1000 young people each year. With the help of the Unloc team and Verizon mentors, students build their own in-school campaigns to tackle a problem or address a challenge that impacts their lives.
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The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge
The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge is an annual event that identifies and encourages young entrepreneurial talent. Now in its 5th year, the challenge provides the opportunity for any young person aged 16-25 with an innovative technology-led, business idea to apply for a grant of £10,000, plus mentorship, training and specialist pro-bono expertise, to help them translate their idea into a successful social enterprise or business. To date, 35 young people have been supported, with their ventures in turn employing more than 250 people.
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What an event this year’s Young Entrepreneurs Challenge Grand Final was! Year upon year the competition grows in scale and reputation, attracting ever more impressive young people from across Europe. This year’s event was held at the stunning V Suite in our partner Verizon’s Headquarters in Holborn, London, with leaders from across industry sectors gathering to witness our young hopefuls pitch their business ideas to our panel of judges, including ex Dragon’s Den star Piers Linney.
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After some amazing and impressive pitches, and much difficult deliberation from the judges, Ethan Waisberg has been revealed as the winner of the 2024 Verizon/Unloc Young Entrepreneurs Challenge. Ethan competed with strong contenders from across Europe to win £10,000 (€12,000), mentorship, a technology support package to help kickstart their business proposal, and a trip to the One Young World 2024 Global Summit, which brings together many of the brightest young leaders from over 190 countries.
The Young Entrepreneurs 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 challenge uncovered solutions, including a new bladeless hydro generator, a hybrid sunlight system that utilises advanced optics with a sun-tracking mechanism, and Generative AI technology to improve eye disease screening programs.
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This year the contestants pitched to an esteemed panel of expert judges including:
Sanjiv Gossain, Head of EMEA, VerizonBusiness
EllaRobertson-McKay, ManagingDirector, One Young World
Piers Linney, Former investor on Dragons’Den, Co-founder: ImplementAI,Adviser & Speaker
Jamie Bankhead, Previous YEC Winner & CEO ofKonglomerate Games
JohnWilliams, MarketingDirector & CMO – EMEA,APAC & LatAm, Verizon
With a strong pitch and well defined business plan, Ethan won this year’s competition with his product AngioGenius. With eye disease screening programs worldwide not performing well enough and millions around the world to going blind, Ethan developed an app where anyone can take a photo of their eye at home to help detect and monitor eye disease progression. 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 with AngioGenius at a fraction of the cost to current and widely used eye disease screening programs.
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“I’m extremely impressed with all the other finalists and I feel honoured to be here and to have won,”said Ethan Waisberg, Founder, AngioGenius “I’m really excited as this funding will enable us to carry out clinical trials and help reduce blindness worldwide. I’m also excited by the support and mentorship being offered by Verizon and Unloc to help my company take the next steps to growth”
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“What an amazing Grand Final this year” said Unloc’s Managing Director Hayden Taylor, “Our Finalists were so prepared and focused during the event, and really demonstrated the ingenuity, creativity and determination of young people in today’s world. I know our judges had an incredibly tough decision to make, but ultimately there can only be one grand prize winner, and Ethan absolutely deserved the £10,000 prize to take his ideas forward and make them a reality. A huge congratulations to all of our finalists, you make all of the hard work that goes into this competition absolutely worth it, and we’ll continue to watch and support you on your journey as the business leaders of tomorrow.”
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“I am truly impressed by the innovative ideas and determination demonstrated by all participants in this year’s Young Entrepreneur Challenge. Congratulations to this year’s winner, Ethan Waisberg for his innovative vision and exemplary execution, and to all the finalists for their remarkable contributions to the entrepreneurial landscape. Their innovative ideas and entrepreneurial spirit have truly impressed us all and their passion, creativity, and dedication are inspiring examples for aspiring entrepreneurs everywhere. I am excited to see this group of young business leaders and their innovations fulfill their potential to have a positive impact .” said Sanjiv Gossain, General Manager and Head of EMEA for Verizon Business.
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Each runner-up receives £1,000 to fund their start-up business, a personalised development plan that focuses on key priorities, and access to a series of masterclasses over the next year that will pair the finalists with various industry experts. We also provided Mariia with entry to the One Young World Summit in Montrèal, Canada by way of making up for the fact she was unable to travel to the UK from Ukraine and attend the Grand Final in person.
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The 2024 Young Entrepreneurs Challenge Runner Ups
We’ll be watching these inspiring young people closely to follow all their progress and developments as they start their careers, paving the way for fellow young entrepreneurs to follow in their footsteps. Follow us on our social channels to keep up with their progress and career developments!
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For more information on The Young Entrepreneurs Challenge simply click here!
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About Unloc
Unloc was founded in 2013 by award-winning young leaders and advocates Hayden Taylor and Ben Dowling. Our mission is to empower young people to be innovative changemakers who seek to build stronger communities and sustainable businesses. We develop young people’s skills, enhance their potential and boost their determination to succeed. This is encapsulated in our ‘Developing Young Potential’ tagline. We work towards our mission by delivering inspiring educational programmes in our growing network of schools and colleges, our physical Changemaker Studios spaces in Portsmouth and London, and work with business leaders to deliver a range of programmes that help us achieve our mission. For more information about Unloc visit www.unloc.org.uk
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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 $134.0 billion in 2023. 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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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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This past year has been by far our biggest and most impactful yet! We’ve worked relentlessly to grow the reach of our programmes and deepen their impact, whilst developing our ability to influence education, government and businesses to invest in young people as changemakers.
As part of this, we’ve doubled down on our belief that every young person can be a changemaker, you just have to find the lens or opportunity that most resonates for them. It could be through the career they choose, the business they set up, the difference they make in their community, or even simply through their presence in school, college or the workplace.
Our annual Impact Report provides an overarching view of the past 12 months for Unloc, celebrates our 10 year anniversary, and takes an inside look at some of the many programmes, courses and events we’ve delivered this year in over 200 schools and colleges across the UK.
It provides insight to our Europe wide Young Entrepreneurs Challenge, our partnerships with leading non-for-profits and charities, as well as the focused work to create a generation of young changemakers with our amazing Changemaker Alliance partners Verizon Business, Burberry, and GRP Solutions Ltd. Most importantly we hear real lived-experiences from the young people themselves in their own words.
Don’t worry though, at Unloc – we don’t ‘do dull’, our report is a vibrant visual collective of experiences and moments from the past 12 months that we want to share with you. Click below to download it now.
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It’s hard to believe that a decade has now flown by since we first set up Unloc as teenagers, when we look back at our journey and how it all began it doesn’t even feel real to be honest. We’re incredibly proud of the difference we’ve made to the lives of young people over the past ten years, impacting upon their confidence, finding their voice, their skills and unrealised talents, their ability to debate and campaign, their entrepreneurial spirit, and empowering them to go out into the world and make a real difference.
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Both of us have humble working class backgrounds, we were just 16 and 19 when we founded Unloc back in 2013, and it came about because it was a time when educational services had been stripped back immensely by funding cuts in the sector. There just simply weren’t enough opportunities, support or in-roads for young people to access. As students ourselves we found it incredibly difficult to have a voice or a say in the world around us – the public’s perception of young people seemed to be that they’re ‘in-training’ to be adults, and thus don’t have anything tangible to currently offer to society. We knew that was just plain wrong. Both of us had an active interest in democracy and politics, as well as social action and personal development – it was how could we use those interest and skills to improve the situation.
At the time both of us headed up rival Youth Forums, with one of us the Chair of the Council of Portsmouth Students and the other the Chair of Portsmouth Youth Parliament. In 2013 the local council stopped funding the Council of Portsmouth Students, which at the time was terrible news, devastating in fact, but looking back now in retrospect – we realise that this one action was the catalyst for everything that’s happened for us and Unloc since.
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We decided to take matters into our own hands and find our own way to keep the forum alive – and keep the voices of young people heard. We did just that, and ten years later that forum is still running and bigger and better than ever. We take immense pride in seeing that forum flourish and grow, knowing that it wouldn’t be here now if it weren’t for our determination.
We gained so much satisfaction from the success with the forum, and the way in which we worked and supported each other that we asked ourselves ‘what else can we do? How do we take this further?’ It motivated us in all honesty, it gave us a drive and a passion, how dare they take that away from us! We achieved something from that, a feeling that, despite the odds, and despite the governmental funding being pulled WE did it, WE made that change. What other changes could we make? And what changes could other young people like us make with the right support?
The trouble with traditional education is it doesn’t teach you very much about the real world when it comes to paying bills, earning an income, voting, paying taxes, dealing with finances, we were incredibly naive looking back. Surely school is aimed at preparing you for the real world out there? There’s no point sending someone out with the knowledge of how to use algebra, speak three languages or chemistry if you have no idea how to work out a budget, pay a bill, get a job or complete a tax return. Why was there this immense gap in skills?
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It motivated us to enable other young people to learn key skill, be inspired to become entrepreneurs, become leaders and, a word which we use every few sentences these days, one that’s become part of our legacy, our brand and our narrative – be young ‘changemakers’.
Thanks to £300 (it seems like such a small amount now, but to us at the time it was huge!) from a the O2 Think Big project which aimed to help a million young people develop skills and lead community projects, we used it to launch and build Unloc! We actually found that traditional forms of education had been a little stifling to us in all honesty, it usually involved being sat and listening to how someone else did something, what someone else thought, what someone else invested in or believed.
The difference having an idea, and your own voice, the opportunity and space to use it, and a little money in your pocket to put behind it – well that was a game changer. What if other young people had that same opportunity? What could they achieve too?
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We wanted to get more involved with how young people’s minds work, how they grow, not just in knowledge, but in access to opportunities. So Unloc was born, our non-for-profit social enterprise aimed at providing young people to the support, skills, advice and opportunities that can be so sorely lacking in the education sector. We also wanted a level playing field, where any young person from any background, culture, income or lack of funding could get the same opportunities as anyone else. A place for young people to be their best and true selves, giving them a voice, an in-road to democracy and how to use it.
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It wasn’t easy either, starting out. I laugh now about the time in the beginning that I phoned a school and spoke to the Headteacher, trying to explain to him who we were and what we could do for his students. He put me on hold, or least he ‘thought’ he did, and I heard him refer to me as ‘that little boy in the suit’. That stung, that really stung. I can laugh about it now, but at the time, it really took the wind out my sails – but it also highlights why what we do is so important, because young people aren’t taken seriously. I take satisfaction today knowing all we’ve achieved and just how wrong he was to underestimate us.
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In ten years we’ve built a strong team of facilitators and professionals, working in schools and colleges across the UK with thousands of young people every single year. We now have two physical Changemaker Studios spaces in London and Portsmouth, with a reach across the entire country, a wide offer of course, programmes and events, a range of amazing and impressive partner organisations who bring so much to the table in terms of experience, skills and inspiration for the young people we work with.
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A European wide competition annually that provides young entrepreneurs with funding to invest in their business idea, as well as mentorship and support for their start-up, an annual festival event for Student Governors, a new digital opportunities platform in the works, small seed-funding grants for young people with a business idea or community project, and recently we launched our new Unloc Changemaker Alliance in partnership with Verizon Business, Burberry and GRP Solutions, starting a network of businesses dedicated to creating impactful change and a level playing field for young people.
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When I assess all we’ve achieved over the past ten years, it’s hard to believe how far we’ve come based on a spark of an idea and £300! It comes down to passion and a desire to really make a difference, to really believe in what you’re doing. Hard work and money will get you so far, but to break through that barrier and really make an idea successful you have to have passion and a belief in what you do.
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When we look at the amazing team of people we have built our team with, we’re incredibly blessed to have crossed paths and recruited such an amazing group of passionate and talented people, each and every single one believe in our aim to improve the lives, opportunities and rights of young people just as much as we do, and that’s integral to our success and why our programmes and events have such a strong impact.
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Our team aren’t there just there to ‘earn a wage’ – they really care and believe in what we do. We have team members from a wide variety of backgrounds, communities and cultures. They really care in the potential in each and every young changemaker we engage with. They also delight in raiding our image bank and finding atrocious old photographs of us with dodgy haircuts to celebrate our ten years (and scathingly torture us with). Seriously though, we appreciate each and every one of you and all your bring to the team.
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Thank you to everyone that has, and does work with us, team, partners, funders, schools, local authorities, politicians and government, fellow non-for-profits, guest speakers. community organisations, investors and philanthropists alike – thank you. You’ve enabled us to make such a difference in the lives of young people, from their esteem and self-confidence, to their access to skills, support and training, to their equal rights and freedoms, to their ability to learn and engage with new opportunities. What you’ve done has made a real and tangible difference in the lives and future careers of tomorrow’s generations.
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We’re incredibly blessed, and we can’t wait to see what the next 10 years brings for Unloc, we hope you’ll continue to stay with us on that journey. With all our love and thanks
Ben and Hayden
We are thrilled to announce our brand new award for the 2025 Student Governor of the Year! Working with our partners Rockborn we’re scouring the UK to find the nations best Student Governor…
Five young entrepreneurs have been named as finalists in the 2025 Young Entrepreneurs Challenge. Hit the link to find out who!
Find out all about our Public Speaking & Debating Short Course, providing young people with core skills to communicate and deliberate on important topics.
Unloc are working together with the highly respected Further Education specialists Rockborn in order to roll out an in-depth programme of events, training and bootcamps for the UK’s Student Governors.
We are thrilled to announce our brand new award for the 2025 Student Governor of the Year! Working with our partners Rockborn we’re scouring the UK to find the nations best Student Governor…
Five young entrepreneurs have been named as finalists in the 2025 Young Entrepreneurs Challenge. Hit the link to find out who!
Find out all about our Public Speaking & Debating Short Course, providing young people with core skills to communicate and deliberate on important topics.
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