Entrepreneurs' Organization Seeking Corporate Mentors for Student Business Owners

ALEXANDRIA, Va., June 20, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) today announced the expansion of its mentorship program to include student entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence by reaching the finals of the EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) competition. Thirty finalists in the 2013 EO GSEA competition will be enrolled in the mentoring program which, as part of the expansion, seeks to match corporate skills-based volunteers from global organizations with local students who run scalable businesses. EO is partnering with the online mentoring platform MicroMentor to help match the student entrepreneurs with mentors. EO is also expanding the pool of mentors available to the GSEA students and public through a corporate outreach campaign. The program expansion is partially funded by the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE).

EO has been building the world's most influential community of entrepreneurs for more than 25 years, and is committed to recognizing and rewarding the emerging student entrepreneurs who are bringing innovation, enthusiasm, and drive to the world economy. EO is enhancing that commitment with mentorship, which is a key component to supporting emerging entrepreneurs. A recent Ernst & Young survey, Nature or Nurture, cited mentorships as the second most important source of learning (at 26%, just below higher education at 30%) among the factors which provide entrepreneurs with the skills needed to build successful businesses.

"The expansion of the popular and proven EO Mentorship program to include these students from around the world will greatly impact the success of the finalists for at least a year after the competition. We are reaching beyond our own membership to add outside corporate industry experts who have experience that will inspire and guide these future business leaders," said Dan Heuertz, EO's Emerging Committee Chair, President and CEO of F & B Partners, and EO Chicago member. "We identified the growing trend of volunteerism in the corporate environment, and aligned it with an opportunity to engage experienced corporate leaders who offer a wealth of knowledge in mentorships. With this program expansion, EO is offering a value-added program to CSR managers, which provides a triple bottom line of benefits: to the company, the employee, and the student mentee."

Incoming EO Global Board Chair Rosemary Tan, Owner of real estate development company Palam Mesra Sdn Bhd and EO Malaysia member, notes that the expansion of the program fits the EO 2013 call to action of Engage the World. "As successful business leaders, EO members are eager to give back to their communities and to support the next generation of entrepreneurs. One of the most valuable ways we can do this is to share our experience. Mentorship is a high-impact method for increasing business success."

Randall Kempner, Executive Director of ANDE, stated that "the expansion of the EO mentoring program will build capacity for the SGB sector in emerging markets, by recruiting mentors from internationally-based companies which have employees who can interact locally with the students. EO's global presence and relationships with stakeholders, and the combined expertise on mentorship with the program partner MicroMentor, were major factors in the decision by the capacity development fund grant committee to support the project."

The ideal criteria for selection of prospective mentoring volunteers is based on experience founding or co-founding a business, or having C-level experience in a company with revenues of more than US$1 million per year. The partners are also recruiting skills-based mentors with experience in functional business areas who can help mentees with specific issues, including but not limited to: Accounting and Finance; Human Resources; Financial Resources; Strategy; Marketing; PR and Communications; Social Media; and Technology.  Prospective mentor matches for the GSEA finalists will be selected based on the competition finalist pool, and will receive customized training.

For more information on mentoring a high-potential student entrepreneur, please visit http://www.micromentor.org/mentor/global-student-entrepreneurship-awards, email [email protected], or call +1.703.519.6700.

About the Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO)
The Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) is a dynamic global network of more than 8,700 business owners in 35 countries. EO is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn and grow from each other, leading to greater business success and an enriched personal life. Membership in one of EO's 124 chapters is by invitation only; the average member is 41 years old whose companies average annual revenues of US $18.3 million. For more information on EO visit www.eonetwork.org.

About the EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA)
As the premier global competition for high school, undergraduate and graduate students, the EO Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) annually represents over 1,700 student entrepreneurs from over 20 countries. Built on a mission to inspire students to start and grow entrepreneurial ventures, EO GSEA brings global visibility to pioneering student business owners, and offers access to a global network of mentors, resources and connections from the most influential community of entrepreneurs in the world. To nominate a student entrepreneur or to get involved, go to www.gsea.org.

About MicroMentor
EO is piloting the GSEA Mentoring capacity development program with the technical support of MicroMentor, a Social Innovation project of Mercy Corps. For 33 years, the Mercy Corps worldwide team of 3,700 professionals has worked to improve the lives of 14.5 million people in more than 42 countries. MicroMentor is aninnovative mentoring platform that connects small and growing business entrepreneurs with mentors. For more information on MicroMentor visit www.micromentor.org.

About the Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE)
EO is a member of this non-profit global network of 175+ organizations which work to propel entrepreneurship in the developing world. ANDE is a member-driven organization housed within the Aspen Institute, an international non-profit that promotes enlightened leadership. The network's members provide financing and business support services to small and growing businesses (SGBs) that create economic, environmental, and social impacts in developing countries. For more information on ANDE visit www.aspeninstitute.org/ande.

SOURCE Entrepreneurs' Organization