Source : cau.edu
CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY, GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST NE-YO HOST “FUTURE CEO ACADEMY”
Three Day Entrepreneurship Boot Camp Focuses on Youth in Foster Care System 100 Urban Entrepreneurs brings real-world experience expertise to forum
ATLANTA (July 12)–He’s won four Grammy Awards. He’s known worldwide, his talents sought out by one-name icons like Whitney, Celine and Beyonce. Now singer-songwriter, music producer and actor Ne-Yo is amassing a new army…of entrepreneurs.
Clark Atlanta University (CAU) will host the internationally renowned artist’s Compound Foundation’s “Future CEO Academy” July 14-16 on the University’s main campus in southwest Atlanta. A select group of 50 students between the ages of 13 and 18, pre-selected by the Georgia Department of Human Services from among the state’s foster care system and group homes, will participate in an intense three-day entrepreneurship “boot camp,” led by a cohort of successful entrepreneurs, faculty experts and local officials. Each of the students is expected to emerge with a workable business plan.
“The purpose of The Future CEO Academy is three-fold,” says Compound Foundation’s Executive Director Khalilah Abdul-Baqi. “First, we want to empower students who, too often, are labeled and subjugated as ‘powerless.” Second, we want to challenge them to create, define and execute their dreams in a real-world context. Third, we want to expose them to a network of interested business professionals who can share wisdom, expertise, tactical advice and the access necessary to develop their goals.
“Frankly,” added Ne-Yo, who founded the Compound Foundation in 2007, “that’s a tall order for a three-day conference, but I can think of nowhere more appropriate and no team more capable than the faculty at the Clark Atlanta University School of Business. They have the intellect, the expertise, the experience and the right access.” Academy instructors include: CAU’s Dennis Kimbro, Ph.D., renowned author and business expert; Lisa Price, CEO of Carol’s Daughter; author and businesswoman Terrie Williams, founder of the Stay Strong Foundation; Brandi and Karley Harvey, co-founders of Young Fit & Fly; and Lucas Riggins and Magnus Greaves, co-founders of 100 Urban Entrepreneurs.
Students in the academy will follow an intense three-day schedule that includes sessions on: entrepreneurialism fundamentals, business plan development, business creation strategies, business management, intellectual property law, idea pitching and business promotion, and presentation skills. The program concludes with a business pitch competition sponsored by 100 Urban Entrepreneurs, who will award $10,000 to invest in youth business ventures. In addition, as part of Samsung Electronics America’s donation of $25,000 worth of products to Ne-Yo’s philanthropic organization, the company will reward each student participating in The Future CEO Academy with a new Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, a premium Android™ 3.1 (Honeycomb) mobile tablet with an ultra-slim, lightweight design and brilliant 10.1-inch touchscreen display.
Clark Atlanta University President Carlton E. Brown says “The Future CEO Academy is simply the right approach to educating youth who will have to compete in the 21st century global economy. More important,” the President added, “it aligns perfectly with Clark Atlanta’s deep, overarching commitment and focus on entrepreneurship.”
Lucas Riggins, co-founder of 100 Urban Entrepreneurs says “It’s frustrating to see how many talented kids are out there looking to do better for themselves with these great ideas but have nowhere to turn for advice on how to make their dreams a reality.” Co-founder Magnus Greaves states “We at 100 Urban Entrepreneurs are excited to partner up with Ne-Yo and the Compound Foundation for The Future CEO Academy. This is the reason we started 100 UE- to help those who want to help themselves by establishing their own business, and what better way to go than with our youth.”
Additional conference supporters include KFC Colonel’s Scholars and the Waffle House.
ABOUT CLARK ATLANTA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
The Clark Atlanta University School of Business awarded its first bachelor’s degree in 1931. The graduate program was founded in 1946. The School was one of the first Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the nation to have its undergraduate and graduate business programs accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB). It continues to produce one of the largest classes of African-American MBAs in the world, while its undergraduate program is one of the top 10 percent producers of African-American business professionals in the nation. For more information about the Clark Atlanta University School of Business, go to www.sbus.cau.edu. or call 404-880-8448.
ABOUT 100 URBAN ENTREPRENEURS
100 Urban Entrepreneurs, the nonprofit foundation of TheCASHFLOW, helps provide a meaningful, long-term economic boost to urban communities throughout the United States by supporting minority entrepreneurship at its earliest stages. The organization offers $10,000 startup-financing grants, eight weeks of intensive business mentoring and access to a vast professional network to promising entrepreneurs across the country. For more information about the 100 Urban Entrepreneurs organization, go to www.100UrbanEntrepreneurs.org.
ABOUT THE COMPOUND FOUNDATION
The Compound Foundation’s goal is to give children in foster care and group homes the tools necessary to be successful entrepreneurs, empowering them to control their destinies. Founded in 2007, by R & B superstar Ne-Yo and his business partner Reynell Hay to enhance the well-being of youth growing up in foster care and group homes, The Compound Foundation provides funding and programming in support of our nation’s more vulnerable youth. The Foundation’s signature program, The Future CEO Academy, provides an opportunity for youth in Foster Care to participate in a Three-day entrepreneurship-training course on the campus of Clark Atlanta University, in the heart of Atlanta, GA. Partnering with the Georgia Department of Human Resources we identify 50 young people from across the state to participate in this residential program. For more information on the Compound Foundation, go to www.compoundfoundation.org.
![\"Quantcast\"/](\"//pixel.quantserve.com/pixel/p-cX8wMabADhpFr.gif\")