Unloc & Verizon Business scoop impressive awards at the Better Society Awards 2024
13 June 2024
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
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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
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Young Entrepreneurs Challenge Winner Olivia Simpson talks about her Grand Prize Win!
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A few weeks ago we were thrilled to crown 21 year old Olivia Simpson the Winner at our Young Entrepreneurs Challenge Grand Final in collaboration with our wonderful partners Verizon Business.
Held at the impressive new V-Suite in Verizon’s London headquarters, our Grand Final event welcomed all five finalists Evan, Anjali, Olivia, Marion and Idan to pitch their ideas to our panel of industry experts. The event was streamed live through Verizon’s cutting edge technology so that people across Europe (and beyond) could join in the competition as it unfolded.
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It was the toughest final yet! All five finalists delivered exceptional presentations and wowed the room with their business acumen and awareness of important sustainability issues on a global scale. Their ideas and ingenuity were simply astounding, and our judges had an incredibly difficult time choosing an overall winner.
After much deliberation the amazingly impressive Olivia Simpson from was crowned our Grand Prize Winner, taking away a cheque for £10,000, entry to the One Young World Global Summit and a mentorship package.
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Now that Olivia’s had time to catch her breath we caught up with her to hear all about her experience and how it felt to be announced our winner!
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Olivia, once again, huge congratulations on your win, your vision for your business was simply inspiring and will have such far-reaching impact in the medical industry. Have you managed to take it all in yet?
Just about! Honestly it was such a big achievement to me and I am still so ecstatic about it!
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For those who didn’t see the final, give us a brief overview of what your business is and what it does, and where you hope to take it.
My business SymbioTex aims to replace single use plastics in the medical sector. We are working to produce class 1 medical devices (such as inhalers, covid-19 tests and pregnancy tests) that are home compostable- currently these devices are made of non-renewable materials and at the end of their life they go to landfill or incineration creating harmful byproducts such as microplastics.
We aim to licence our patented technology to current medical device manufacturers- to help us get to this point we are working on optimising our formulation, undertaking focus groups and working closely with the NHS.
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So so impressive and shows a huge awareness of the sheer amount of plastics used in the medical industry. How did you prepare for the grand final?
I practised my pitch a lot! In the mirror, to my family. I think even they knew it off by heart by the time the final came around! Our CSO worked very hard with me on the content of the slides and refining our pitch – the science and our business model alone is quite a mouthful to explain.
We worked hard to produce a PowerPoint which allowed the judges and audience to understand both- whilst being straight to the point delivering the facts and sharing our passion!
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When you arrived at the venue on the day, how did you feel and what did you expect?
When I arrived I was mainly excited- being in the final was a huge opportunity for us and our concept. I was not expecting how magnificent the Verizon office would be! Of course I had some nerves but I knew we had a full day of preparation before the pitch!
The Unloc team were incredibly supportive, both on the run up to the day (sorting logistics of transportation, accommodation, and catering) and on the day itself. On the day they spent a lot of time ensuring we were comfortable- we even did a full dress rehearsal!
We got some really helpful key tips and feedback before the final, and even warmed up our vocal chords! I felt so prepared! All the Unloc staff went above and beyond and were incredibly friendly and supportive!
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What did you think of the other finalists and their business ideas?
The judges definitely had a tough choice! The other finalists were all so friendly – it was a pleasure to pitch alongside them! They all had fantastic ideas which I know will go on to make significant impacts in the field of sustainability!
We also all got on really well on the day and have been in touch with each other since! I’m excited to follow their journey too!
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When the big moment came to do your pitch how did you find it?
When it came to presenting my pitch in front of the audience, judges and cameras for the livestream I actually felt really confident! I knew I had put in the preparation for my pitch and I had been uplifted by the Unloc and Verizon team all day – I was ready to show off our hard work!!
Of course there is always the initial 30 seconds that you feel anxious but once you get into your stride it becomes really exciting!
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What did you think of the other finalist’s pitches, did anyone really stand out for their delivery or knowledge?
I still remember key points from all the finalists pitches- that shows the impact they had on me! They all delivered extremely well and were so knowledgeable! Their pitches had me hooked from start to finish (and we had listened to each other’s pitches quite a few times by that point).
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When they called your name as the winner, how did you feel?
I was totally shocked- everyone had impactful businesses with great pitches! All of the finalists’ deserve to be a winner! They all showed passion, and knowledge. I was over the moon with happiness that I won (I even had happy tears!) I was so happy that our work was being recognised!
10) How will you invest the £10,000 prize money?
We will use the money to run extrusion trials to produce enough material to do biodegradation studies with, and enough material to carry out commercial pilots with selected partners.
What would you say to anyone considering entering the next Young Entrepreneurs Challenge?
Don’t just consider! Apply! Never have I felt so empowered at a competition/event by the other finalists and the staff! I thoroughly enjoyed the day!
My top tip would be to get your passion across! All of the finalists get a support package!
You never know the next winner could be you!!
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Olivia thank you so much for catching up with us, you join our Hall of Entrepreneurial Fame with our previous Grand Prize Winners! I have no doubt there are amazing things ahead for both you and Symbiotex – we’ll be watching closely!
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Five young entrepreneurs have been named finalists in the latest Verizon/Unloc Young Entrepreneurs Challenge program to attract and empower Europe’s young business leaders of tomorrow.
The challenge, now in its fifth year, tasks youths between the ages of 16 and 25 to devise a tech-led business idea that enriches and benefits the lives of other people and the planet. This year’s top challenge ideas ranged from groundbreaking new sustainable fibers and low-cost green energy provision, to sectors such as agriculture and pharmaceutical health tech.
“Every year this challenge uncovers amazing young talent from across Europe and this year is no exception,” said Sanjiv Gossain, General Manager and Head of EMEA for Verizon Business. “It’s inspiring to see new innovative business concepts in the areas of sustainability and green energy across a diverse range of industries.”
The response to this year’s competition was bigger and more competitive than ever, featuring 130 entries from a broad swath of countries across Europe including the UK, France, Italy, Spain, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Ireland, Finland and Greece. These entries were narrowed down to five finalists.
“The sheer standard of entries this year is just simply phenomenal,” said Hayden Taylor, Managing Director of Unloc. “Young people are really showing that they have what it takes to think for themselves, carve their own futures and forge their own enterprises. Shortlisting this year was very, very difficult, our five finalists are all so impressive – it’s going to be a really close competition!“
The five 2023 finalists going through to the grand final on Thursday 9th March are:
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Marion Cantillon (24) Ireland
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Marion’s business idea is for Pit Seal, an edible spray-on-solution for silage pit coverage that creates a zero-waste circular economy in agriculture. Existing plastic sheeting and tyre methods are a challenge and a hazard to farmers, and the environmental damage of plastic and tyres are renowned in the industry, and cause many accidents in agriculture.
Pit Seal reduces the time spent covering the pit and subsequently fixing and adjusting the sheeting after harsh weather during the winter months. Numerous research studies have shown the positive effects of decreasing methane emissions by adding seaweed to animal feed as the biofilm is seaweed based – it reduces the methane emissions once consumed by livestock. Pit Seal’s long-term aim is to be a leader in sustainable farming products particularly in Beef and Dairy farming.
Anjali Benny Devadasan (20) UK
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Anjali’s company Synergy aims to decrease greenhouse emissions from rail transport by generating low-cost renewable energy. 80% of the motion resistance trains face is caused by simple air resistance, leading to large portions of energy on railways being uselessly dissipated. Due to this, rail traction currently produces almost 3 mega tonnes of CO2, the same as 2019-20. This does not align with the railway’s net-zero goals.
Synergy provides efficient, recyclable, vertical-axis wind turbines, which rotate due to the turbulent airflow of passing vehicles. The modular design is low-cost and easy to install and maintain, uses available land and has negligible noise pollution. The turbines have high energy efficiency of 40% and are made using recyclable and/or upcycled parts from the automotive industry. Also, they have safety mechanisms and wildlife prevention sensors to protect animals from both turbines and transport.
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Evan Gwyne Davies (25) UK
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Evan’s business Scrapp is a mobile app and tablet station that separates waste. With a quick scan of a barcode, Scrapp shows exactly how to dispose of a product’s packaging correctly according to local authority recycling rules. Scrapp has built a database that knows the recycling rules across all of the UK, USA and Canada, servicing 400 million people.
Businesses can license tablet stations to position above their waste streams. Using the same technology as the app it turns any bin into a smart bin. Scrapp services reduce contaminated recycling in their corporate office buildings, conferences and events spaces or customer-facing venues. The tablet stations allow customers to track waste in their vicinity and report CO2 emissions for their Scope 3 analysis.
Idan Gal-Shohet (22) UK
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Fashion brands face a significant challenge in finding truly sustainable, affordable, and scalable materials. The industry is a major contributor to global emissions and water consumption, accounting for 8% and 215 trillion litres respectively. Idan’s company Fibe aims to revolutionise the industry using cutting-edge technology to extract cellulosic fibres from potato harvest waste. This waste, which amounts to 250M tonnes annually, cannot be fed to livestock or compost, and has the potential to provide 160% of global clothing demand.
Fibe purchases this waste from farmers and transforms it into fibres that are compatible with conventional textile machinery. Despite being a novel process, using waste as a raw material allows Fibe to sell their fibres competitively with cotton and polyester. Fibe’s fibres use 99.7% less water, produce 82% fewer pollutants, and require no land compared to cotton. Sustainable and meeting several SDGs. Every shirt made from Patacel saves 2,700 litres of fresh water , 2 square meters of land, and over 225 kgs of CO2 from being emitted, as well as providing additional income to farmers and their rural communities.
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Olivia Simpson (21) UK
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Olivia’s company Symbiotex have a mission to create sustainable materials for global health. In the medical industry single-use plastic is everywhere, with a mere 5% of it recycled- equating to roughly 10,000 London buses of medical plastic waste going to incineration or landfill annually in the UK alone. Symbiotex use waste cooking oils and algae to create the first range of home compostable 3D printable filaments. Their materials match the functionality of plastic but are compostable.
The filaments can be used for 3D printing or made into pellets for injection moulding. Their medical products include pregnancy tests, diagnostic tests and inhalers. Symbiotex’s home compostable bio-based pellets can easily substitute the current plastic pellets used in manufacturing without the pharmaceutical company even needing to change their machinery or process, ensuring an easy and quick transition and maximum sustainability.
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What happens next?
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The five finalists will now compete for the grand prize during a live event, where they will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges that includes former winner Rowan Armstrong, as well as invited guests in business and education. Judges for the Grand Final include:
Antony Tompkins, Associate Director Global Integrated Solutions, Verizon Business
Lorraine Stockle, Associate Director, EMEA Talent Acquisition, Verizon
Ella Robertson McKay, Managing Director One Young World
Sara Diegoli, Unloc Advisory Board
Rowan Armstrong, CEO and Co-Founder BioLiberty
The grand final will be live-streamed on Twitter and LinkedIn. The top winner receives £10,000, mentorship, and a technology support package to help kickstart their business proposal.
Each runner-up will receive £1,000 to fund their start up business, a personalised development plan that focuses on the winner’s key priorities, as well as access to a series of masterclasses over the next year that will pair the winner with a variety of industry experts.
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For more information on the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge click here!
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’ tag-line.
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.
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 https://www.verizon.com/about/media-center.
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Blog from Unloc’s Managing Director Hayden Taylor
“Global Entrepreneurship Week is a celebration of entrepreneurs, self-employment and all those that chose to pursue a career centred around solving problems.
But there is a far more pressing priority for us in the UK this GEW – and that’s reminding the Government that our education system needs to do a much better job of building entrepreneurial mindsets in young people.
Our national curriculum at present is all too often centred on regurgitation of information, rather than the development of mindset, attitudes and skills – the bedrock of entrepreneurial culture.
Careers leads and hardworking teachers are doing their best to build skills building opportunities into the academic year; but we need a far more radical shift in curriculum build and intention to better prepare young people for today’s economy.
An entrepreneurial mindset is about creative problem solving, resilience, creating a sense of purpose, delivering value – all the attributes that the World Economic Forum predicts will become most critical in the next five years against a backdrop of ongoing globalisation, implementation of automation and the fight against climate change.
It feels more pressing now than ever before, as the UK economy tries to reimagine itself post-Brexit and remind the world of its competitive edge as a largely service-driven economy.
Despite that, the British national curriculum still has too little space for the intentional development of entrepreneurial skills and our accountability system pushes schools and colleges to focus on grade outcomes, rather than how ready young people really are for the VUCA world we live in.
Businesses too have a role to play in advocating for a more radical overhaul of the curriculum. We are too often stuck in this cycle of ‘businesses can’t get the young people with the right skills’ and young people saying ‘we can’t get the experiences to get the skills’.
I want to see businesses in the UK more loudly and proudly advocating for a pivot in the way we deliver education – and I want to see them more proactively engage in shaping the way forward.
So, this Global Entrepreneurship Week, let’s remind Government that this has the potential to be more than celebrating entrepreneurs – but a wake up call for our government to imagine a more entrepreneurial education system.”
Hayden Taylor, Managing Director at Unloc
It’s Global Entrepreneurship Week this week, a chance to look at and celebrate the many talented and entrepreneurial people around the world who are creating business, industry and jobs for society. What better way to kick-start the week than by celebrating our last Young Entrepreneurs Challenge Winner Nick Cotter from Ireland!
Each year, Unloc and our partner Verizon seek out the best of fresh young business talent from across Europe, seeking young and budding entrepreneurs with fresh tech-led ideas to pitch their concept to our panel of industry experts.
The Winner receives £10,000 funding for their business idea, a mentorship package, support, and entry to the One Young World Global Summit.
Nick represented his start-up company ‘Cotter Agritech’, and beat amazingly fierce competition from the other finalists at our Grand Final event earlier this year, blowing our judging panel away with his idea for a system for livestock farmers to better use anti-parasitic drugs:
Nick said: “Our company 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.”
“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.”
“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 have invested the prize in the production of video testimonials with test farmers who used the solution, 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.”
So how did Global Entrepreneurship Week start?
The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation originally created Global Entrepreneurship Week in 2008 with the aim to highlight entrepreneurship as a driver of economic growth. Entrepreneurs are industry creators – generating business, employment, and boosting the economy. They expand the jobs market and bring new and innovative ideas to industry.
These include more sustainable alternatives, improved products or services, less environmentally damaging products or solutions, and more sophisticated technology.
More than ever entrepreneurs are tackling important world issues such as climate change, poverty, starvation, famine, water supply, racial justice, mobility, water scarcity, inclusion and human rights.
Global Entrepreneurship Week celebrates all of this with events and stories from around the world. What began as a series of small events in the UK and United States in 2008 has now grown in size to over 165 countries around the globe!
Roughly 5% of the global population are entrepreneurs, that’s 582 million entrepreneurs worldwide!
Only 40% of these are under the age of 40 years old however – that’s something that we want to see change.
Business pitching competitions are held every year during the celebration, there could be one in your area – so if you have a great business idea or concept then be sure to check!
Time to make your mark on the business world!
Better yet, you can enter the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge from Unloc and Verizon Business. Our Europe-wide competition welcomes young people aged 16-25 to submit a tech-led business idea that improves people’s lives.
We’re seeking the best young minds from across Europe, young people with vision, social awareness and the ambition to achieve. It’s easy to enter, so what have you got to lose?
Our Grand Prize Winner will receive a whopping £10,000 / €11,000* grant, a mentorship package and pro-bono support to accelerate their business idea or start-up.
It’s the opportunity to make your mark, get noticed and put your ideas into action.
All shortlisted finalists will receive the Young Entrepreneurs Challenge Masterclass Support Programme. An assigned enterprise support mentor who will create a 1-2-1 support plan focusing on your key priorities.
These could be addressing knowledge gaps, or being matched with services. You will also receive a series of masterclasses across the next year on a range of topics and with a variety of industry expert speakers.
Last year’s masterclasses focused on: – Business Finance, Equity Sharing & Legal Structures, R&D, Strategic Planning + Forecasting
Nick has some words of wisdom for budding young entrepreneurs out there:
“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.”
Got what it takes?
Visit: youngentreperneurschallenge.com or click here to find out more & apply!
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
Last Thursday industry professionals from across the country gathered at Verizon’s slick London Hub in at MidCity Place, Holborn, for a Changemaker Moments event on Manufacturing.
During the February half-term and Easter holidays this year, 53 young people, in Year 11 and 12, from across Portsmouth participated in our ‘Portsmouth Inspires’ Programme, funded by NCS.
. We’re looking for a passionate & creative young person aged 16-25 in the Portsmouth or London areas to become our first official social media
We’re thrilled to reveal that we and Verizon Business won two awards at The Better Society Awards 2024!
Last Thursday industry professionals from across the country gathered at Verizon’s slick London Hub in at MidCity Place, Holborn, for a Changemaker Moments event on Manufacturing.
During the February half-term and Easter holidays this year, 53 young people, in Year 11 and 12, from across Portsmouth participated in our ‘Portsmouth Inspires’ Programme, funded by NCS.
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