New York City High School Students Learn the Importance of
Entrepreneurialism in a Global Economy
NEW YORK, May 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Aspiring student entrepreneurs from
six New York City area high schools will compete Monday, May 19 in a
city-wide final competition of the first Junior Achievement of New York
(JANY) Business Plan Competition sponsored by G.C. Andersen Partners LLC.
The event will take place at Columbia Business School from 10am-3pm. The
competition is designed to engage students in entrepreneurial thinking and
cultivate their interest in business entrepreneurialism as a successful
path to economic and social empowerment.
Six student finalist teams will pitch innovative business plans to a
prestigious panel of business experts and entrepreneurs. Plans will be
judged using criteria to measure the merit and strength of the idea, the
innovation and feasibility of the plan and the strength of each team's
presentation. The first and second place teams from the city-wide event
will be awarded post-secondary school scholarships provided by JANY Board
Member/JA Alum, G. Chris Andersen, Founding Partner of G.C. Andersen
Partners, LLC.
"The JANY Business Plan brings these remarkable students and their
unique ideas together with dynamic business leaders. Through the generous
support of our sponsor, G.C. Andersen Partners, the goal of this
competition is to open up the minds of young people to their limitless
potential by helping them dream bigger dreams," said Doug Schallau,
President of Junior Achievement of New York.
Over an eight-week period, each school was partnered with corporate
volunteer advisors from Citi, HSBC, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Drawing on their own experiences in the corporate world, the volunteers
helped students develop business plans for an innovative product or
service, including a company description, mission, marketing strategy and
financial plan. An initial round of competition produced one team from each
of the participating schools to compete in the final city-wide competition.
"We're committed to making education relevant to young people. Our goal
is to connect education, inspiration and ingenuity with opportunity and
access in the business world to prepare young people to compete
successfully in a global economy," said Chris Andersen.
Three hundred students participated from Brooklyn Technical High School
in Brooklyn, Long Island City High School in Astoria, and Graphic
Communication Arts High School, The High School of Art & Design, Jacqueline
Kennedy Onassis High School and Baruch College Campus High School in
Manhattan.
The panel of judges includes G. Chris Andersen, Founding Partner, G.C.
Andersen Partners, LLC; Tony Viscogliosi, Principal, Viscogliosi Bro., LLC;
Tom Blum, Partner, G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC; Fred Nazem, Managing
Partner, Nazem and Company; Sharon Joseph, President and CEO Harlem Lanes,
Columbia University Business School Alum/JANY Alum and entrepreneur; and
Michael Erlich, Professor of Finance at the School of Management, New
Jersey Institute of Technology.
Clifford Schorer, Entrepreneur in Residence/Adjunct Professor for The
Entrepreneurship Program - Columbia Business School, comments, "The Junior
Achievement Business Plan Competition is an example of entrepreneurialism
in action. By providing young people with a forum to engage in real world
business experiences, Junior Achievement is providing a greenhouse
environment to nurture the next generation of business leaders and
innovators."
JANY programs are designed to inspire young adults by creating
educational opportunities for New York City students that are grounded in
real world experiences. The business plan competition highlights the
importance of entrepreneurial thinking as an important skill to develop
innovative and creative solutions for solving everyday problems. Moreover,
JANY's programs help prepare students to be successful in a global economy
and promote entrepreneurship that creates jobs and wealth.
About Junior Achievement of New York, Inc.
Founded in 1929, Junior Achievement of New York, Inc. (JANY) is the New
York affiliate of Junior Achievement Worldwide, the world's largest and
fastest-growing organization dedicated to inspiring and preparing young
people to succeed in a global economy. Through a dedicated volunteer
network, JANY provides in-school and after-school programs for students in
grades K-12. JANY's educational programs focus on three key content areas
-- The Three Pillars of Student Success: financial literacy,
entrepreneurship and work readiness. Last academic year, JANY's in-school
and after-school programs served nearly 100,000 students in the NYC and
Long Island geographic area. Today, Junior Achievement Worldwide reaches
approximately 8 million students globally. For more information, visit
http://www.jany.org.
Junior Achievement Worldwide is a partner organization of the Kaufman
Foundation. The Kaufman Foundation is working to further understand the
phenomenon of entrepreneurship, to advance entrepreneurship education and
training efforts, to promote entrepreneurship-friendly policies, and to
better facilitate the commercialization of new technologies by
entrepreneurs and others which have great promise for improving the
economic welfare of our nation.
About G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC
G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC is a premier, New York City based boutique
merchant bank that advises and invests in emerging growth and middle market
companies, with a special emphasis on the alternative energy and clean tech
sectors.
The firm was founded in 1996 by G. Chris Andersen, a former Vice
Chairman of PaineWebber and a former head of the Investment Banking Group
at Drexel Burnham Lambert. The six partners, five of whom were senior
bankers at Drexel, have an average of over 25 years of investment banking
and principal investing experience and have worked together extensively
over their careers. During their careers, the partners and professionals,
acting as both agents and principals, have consummated hundreds of
transactions, representing over $100 billion in value.
In contrast to most boutique investment banks, the firm is structured
as a merchant bank and can serve as both an advisor to and an investor in
its clients. We take pride in and are recognized for developing creative
solutions, providing unparalleled service and getting the difficult deals
done.
CONTACT: Jacqueline Dolly
Junior Achievement of New York, Inc.
212-907-0046
SOURCE Junior Achievement of New York, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.jany.org
CONTACT:
Jacqueline Dolly of Junior Achievement of New
York, Inc., +1-212-907-0046
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