Boardwalk Launches Social Entrepreneurship Network for College Students
Alden Richards Thursday, September 03, 2015
Boardwalk Business Ventures, Inc. (Boardwalk) launched its campus program for colleges and universities that will empower undergraduates to become agents of positive change in their local communities by mentoring and managing grass root social enterprises for the less fortunate.
Dubbed “YES, Refreshed!” the event, held at the Music Museum, marked the relaunch of its seven-year-old youth program formerly called Young Entrepreneurs’ Society (YES). The new YES, relaunched as Young Emerging Sociopreneurs, aims to create awareness on Social Entrepreneurship as an alternative way to do business while simultaneously making a difference in the world as well as profit.
By putting social cause at the heart of its business plan, YES not only trains future professionals to be ethical business practitioners, it engages young people to be active social entrepreneurs or sociopreneurs and prepares them to seek out a career with social impact after graduation.
“We want to encourage the youth to choose Social Entrepreneurship as a profession,” chorused Edwin Castillo, Michael Moldes, Kevin Remandaban and Murielle Jardin, four of its Millennialprogram executives who represented “Team YES” and explained the program to an audience of some 700 heads and representatives of around 200 current and incoming partner schools. “Today’s Millennials are perhaps the most purpose-driven generation, looking for both a paycheck as well as the ability to make the world a better place. YES empowers the youth to earn a living while acting on the world’s social challenges,”they added.
In his keynote speech, renowned management trainer and motivational speaker, Anthony Pangilinan, underscored the passing of the baton to Filipino youth sociopreneurs as powerful community changemakers. “The empowered youth will reach out to the untapped group of the society, the underserved. We will set the ripple effect. As one helps one, we are building a community of people empowered to bring about change in their lives and improve their living,” he stressed.
During the event, Boardwalk’s YES also kicked off its Work-Study Scholarship Program that would allow students to receive financial aid for their educational expenses while working part-time as Sociopreneurs who help micro entrepreneurs build businesses for themselves, too.
Students with financial need or a burning need to become a Sociopreneur can become eligible for Boardwalk YES’ Scholarship program. For a minimum of three (3) hours a week, scholarswill undergo facilitated mentoring, industry-specific leadership development, social enterprise and sales management. Scholars will spend most of their part-time work in experiential, hands-on learning at Boardwalk, under the guidance of seasoned industry mentors.
With the launch of the Scholarship Program, YES also announced the opening of application or nomination for its first 20 YES Scholars to its partner schools in attendance. The eligibility screening for the first batch will be kicked off this mid-September 2015. Following that, each partner school will be awarded ten (10) scholarship slots per school year.
Other benefits for YES student members include lifetime membership in the Boardwalk business; business, salesmanship and customer service experience; instant business capital and discount; easy transaction via a mobile app, e-commerce and e-payment systems; optional door-to-door delivery service; discounts and perks from various merchant partners; exclusive YES event invites; prizes for top sellers; as well as employment priority at Boardwalk.
YES partner schools, on the other hand, benefit from YES’ development and learning programs; gifts and rewards for schools; event sponsorships; internship programs; and community outreach activities.
A highlight of the program was the performance of El Gamma Penumbra, a shadow dance group which emerged winner of the first season of Asia’s Got Talent. They told the story of Boardwalk’s social enterprise advocacy in an awe-inspiring interpretative dance in silhouette.
Making the event even more memorable and meaningful for its YES partner schools was the endorsement and entertainment provided by YES’ Ambassador, Alden Richards. He led all YES partner schools in a ceremonial commitment-making pledge to advancing social change through social entrepreneurship.
YES, Refreshed! was supported by its merchant partners Belo Essentials, Zen Zest,
SMART and Iontech.
Watch out for our interview with the one and only Bae ALDEN RICHARDS
on my next blog post.
