SAP and GENYOUth Help Bay Area Students Learn Design Thinking to Lead Local Change in their Communities

Local students team up with business and technology experts as part of a program designed to help create and improve ideas and problem solve as well as compete for a chance to win a Super Bowl 50 VIP experience and funding for social entrepreneurship ideas

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GENYOUth

Oct 01, 2015, 10:00 ET

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 1, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- This week, local students from the Bay area, will come together with corporate executives and special guests to take part in a unique workshop at the SAP South San Francisco office to help students think and act like entrepreneurs, as part of the SAP Social Innovation Series, a five-city tour where aspiring student entrepreneurs have the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of business experts in a "shark-tank" style competition. The SAP Social Innovation Series is running consecutively in five cities this fall: New York City (10/6), San Francisco (10/8), Phoenix (10/27), Philadelphia (11/2) and Dallas (11/4).

The SAP Social Innovation Series is presented in partnership with health and wellness nonprofit, GENYOUth as part of an ongoing partnership between the two organizations to help scale GENYOUth's social entrepreneurship program, AdVenture Capital (AdCap), by investing in would-be student entrepreneurs who are fostering change and innovation in their local schools and communities as well as across the country.

"The rise of the Digital Economy has changed both the way we interact and socialize as well as the way we work. Tomorrow's leaders are going to need to be equipped with an entirely new set of skills and will have to be more creative, think differently and develop an entrepreneurial mindset," says Sam Alkharrat, Managing Director, West region, SAP. "The SAP and GENYOUth partnership is helping to do exactly that. We have created the AdCap platform in order to inspire, empower and help student entrepreneurs innovate and solve problems around health and wellness issues in their own local communities."

"Working closely with schools, we've seen that some of the best ideas come from students who are given the opportunity to share them," said Alyssa McClelland, M.S. School Outreach Manager, California Milk Advisory Board. "These workshops will help students turn their health and wellness-focused ideas into viable projects, and when they return to their schools they will be equipped with new learning and the confidence to bring those projects to life."

During these five-hour workshops, students will have the opportunity to work closely with subject-matter experts from SAP to refine their ideas before a final group of students pitch to a panel of judges, including SAP executives and customers in a "Shark Tank" style competition. Select students will receive prizes and funding for their schools, with the top three turning their pitches into videos that the public will vote on, along with SAP employees across the country. Up to $12,000 in grants will be given away at each event, and the student who gets the most votes will earn the title of SAP Teen Innovator and will go on to receive an additional $10,000 for his/her school and be honored at Super Bowl 50 in San Francisco, Calif.

For more information about AdVenture Capital, the opportunities offered for students, and the SAP Social Innovation Series events visit www.AdCapYOUth.org.

About AdVenture Capital

Created by GENYOUth and informed by students, AdVenture Capital inspires students to create and make school and community wellness changes through an online social entrepreneurship platform. AdCap officially launched in 2012, rewarding two rounds of winners with grant money and an "experience" with professional mentors in a business setting. In 2013, a partnership was established with SAP Global CSR to create a digital platform that would allow students to design projects, get inspired by past grantees, connect with mentors and apply for funding, all online. AdVenture Capital is where the creative, curious and brave student entrepreneurs gather to inspire and make change that will last for years to come. For more information, visit www.AdCapYOUth.org.

About GENYOUth
A leading nonprofit, GENYOUth brings leaders in health and wellness, education, government and business together in a movement to empower America's youth to achieve a healthier future by uniting partners, raising funds and uplifting the student voice. GENYOUth has established itself as a thought leader in youth health and wellness and collaborates with its partners to convene experts, conduct research, publish perspective reports, and build programs that make a lasting difference in the pursuit of healthy, high-achieving youth. Founded in 2010 through a public-private partnership with the National Dairy Council and the NFL, GENYOUth has raised funds, increased visibility and commitment to school wellness among health and wellness leaders, educators, students, parents, community leaders and businesses. Learn more about GENYOUth partnership, volunteer and donation opportunities at www.genyouthfoundation.org or contact us at [email protected]

About SAP
As market leader in enterprise application software, SAP (NYSE: SAP) helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From back office to boardroom, warehouse to storefront, desktop to mobile device – SAP empowers people and organizations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable more than 293,500 customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously, and grow sustainably. For more information, visit www.sap.com.

About the California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB)
The California Milk Advisory Board (CMAB), an instrumentality of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, is funded by the state's more than 1,450 dairy families. With headquarters in South San Francisco and Modesto, the CMAB is one of the largest commodity boards in the United States. The CMAB executes advertising, public relations, research and retail and foodservice promotional programs on behalf of California dairy products, including Real California Milk and Real California Cheese. For more information and to connect with the CMAB through social media, visit RealCaliforniaMilk.com, like at Facebook.com/RealCaliforniaMilk, view videos at YouTube.com/RealCaliforniaMilk, follow at Twitter.com/RealCalifMilk and Instagram.com/RealCalifMilk and pin at Pinterest.com/RealCalifMilk

SOURCE GENYOUth