BUILD.org Showcases Innovative and Impactful In-person & Virtual Events After Two Long Years of The Covid Pandemic

REDWOOD CITY, Calif., May 6, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BUILD.org, a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to use entrepreneurship to ignite the potential of youth from under-resourced communities to build Career success, Entrepreneurial Mindsets, and Opportunity, is launching a series of inspiring events to showcase the next generation of entrepreneurial student leaders and changemakers in the Nation. These events highlight the importance of entrepreneurship education and how it is redefining education and creating opportunity for middle and high school students in underserved communities.

Here is a list of BUILD's upcoming events:

1. DC Virtual BizPitch - May 11, 2022
2. Southwestern Pennsylvania (SWPA) Youth Pitch Competition - May 24, 2022
3. NY BUILDFest - June 1, 2022
4. Boston BUILDFest - June 7, 2022

BUILD.org partnered with the Richard King Mellon Foundation to bring the SWPA Youth Pitch Competition to life. Spanning over four years, the Foundation's $1.2 million investment will be allocated to Allegheny and Westmoreland counties and will help to equip youth with an entrepreneurial mindset and develop their 21st century skills. Educators teach students about BUILD's Design Challenge, an entrepreneurial program that helps high school students discover their untapped talent and potential by using design thinking to solve real-world problems. These students and educators will flex their entrepreneurial muscles to compete for cash prizes for their school and community. The winner(s) will be announced virtually at the SWPA Youth Pitch Competition on May 24th at BUILD.org/SWPA.

"I am thrilled to see the return of in-person events after two challenging years during the Pandemic. said Ayele Shakur, CEO at BUILD. "We want to celebrate our students and educators' successes with the larger community as they engage in BUILD's innovative, project-based entrepreneurship education programs that will give them the skills needed to become the CEO of their own lives."

The DC Virtual BizPitch Competition showcases students from the region as they compete to present their innovative business ideas. The top three student teams will win cash prizes, but only one team will be crowned the 2022 DC Pitch Champion!

BUILDFest, taking place in New York City on June 1st at Tribeca 360, features a reception, an exciting business plan competition of x number of student teams, and a marketplace to view and purchase their products created.  These students have the opportunity to create the business options they desire while learning critical 21st century skills to be able to capitalize and/or pivot in a rapidly changing workplace.

At Boston's BUILDFest, attendees will have the chance to engage in a multi-part event that represents the culmination of a year of hard work by BUILD students, and celebrates the transformative power of entrepreneurship. Starting in early May, more than 30 BUILD high school students (representing six Boston Public Schools) will pitch their innovative business ideas to judges in hopes of earning a final slot at the event on June 7th. Three finalist teams will be selected, and then have the opportunity to pitch again to judges and community members to secure cash prizes and start-up funds.

About BUILD.org
Founded in 1999, BUILD is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to use entrepreneurship to ignite the potential of youth from under-resourced communities to build Career success, Entrepreneurial Mindsets, and Opportunity. BUILD utilizes entrepreneurship education to elevate youth and propel them to academic and career success, while empowering them to become the CEOs of their own lives. BUILD offers programming in 53 cities across the country, has trained nearly 400 educators, and over

15,000 youth have participated in BUILD's digital challenges and in-school entrepreneurship programming. For more information, visit www.build.org.

Contact:
Shefali Billon
[email protected]

SOURCE BUILD.org