Nestlé has teamed up with non-profit organisation Girls With Impact (GWI) to help upskill the next generation of entrepreneurs and to provide access for development opportunities, mentoring and networking.
“The ability to innovate, think like an entrepreneur, and make decisions with confidence are key skills that are central to building a future-ready workforce, for any field or industry,” says Head of Research and Development at Nestlé North America Joanna Yarbrough.
Through the partnership, Nestlé has provided scholarships for over 100 women to participate in GWI’s ‘mini-MBA’ program, an online program that teaches future innovators key entrepreneurship and leadership skills.
“Nestlé is a company fuelled by innovation, and we’re excited to leverage our entrepreneurial spirit alongside Girls With Impact to help empower these women as they prepare to become future innovators and leaders,” says Yarbrough.
This year’s program culminated with a live pitch day competition, which saw four participants selected from the GWI mini-MBA cohorts to pitch their business idea in front of a panel of judges at Nestlé USA’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
The panel selected Sophia Roy as the competition winner for her idea focused on connecting students with access to volunteer opportunities.
Roy was awarded a stipend from Nestlé to help kick-start her business idea and will also receive a four-month mentorship from a member of the company’s research and development team.
“Nearly 70 per cent of Gen Z women want to drive innovation and make a difference, whether at work or in their own businesses, yet only 36 per cent see themselves as leaders, according to a GWI report,” says GWI Chief Partnerships Officer Carrie Reynolds.
“We’re so excited the Nestlé team created a platform to mentor, upskill and listen to the ideas of these next generation leaders. Educating them for the business world and providing access to opportunities early on can have a big impact on their futures.”
The partnership is a part of the ‘Nestlé needs YOU’ initiative that aims to equip the future workforce with information and skills to succeed in their careers, regardless of their field or level of experience.
