Next Gen Fest returns!
If you're a budding entrepreneur aged 16-30, this is the event for you. Running virtually for 2021, Next Gen Fest will be filled with talks from inspiring speakers who will share their stories and insights into the world of running your own business as a young founder. We'll have advice from expert panels, opportunities to network with like-minded doers, plus offer you the chance to pitch your own business (or business idea) to a panel of experts to win an incredible prize.
Whether you're already a business owner or are just interested in the idea of becoming your own boss, come along to Next Gen Fest to hear from inspirational speakers and soak up the festival vibes with like-minded peers.
Who is the festival aimed at?
The festival is perfect for anyone aged 16-30 that is interested in setting up their own business or side-hustle or has a business already that they want to grow.
Not looking to become self-employed just yet? Still come along to hear from inspirational business owners, meet passionate and dedicated peers and soak up the festival vibes!
Apply to enter our Next Gen Fest competition
Enterprise Nation's Next Gen Fest is making a return in November and this year will be looking for young talent with big potential. On the day, two finalists will have the opportunity to pitch for cash prizes and be named Next Generation Award winner. Winners will also receive year-round support from Enterprise Nation in the form of access to market, connections to advisers and profile opportunities. It's a money can't buy opportunity!
Applications are now open for the chance to pitch your own business (or business idea) to our Next Gen Fest judges, Marine Andre, Head of Programmes at Enterprise Nation and Paula Schuh Wagner, Business Development Director at Dell Technologies.
Four applicants will be chosen to pitch live on the day, with one lucky winner crowned the champion of Next Gen Fest 2021, winning £3,000, 12 month support from Enterprise Nation and an award-winning Dell Latitude 9420 2-in-1 Laptop provided by Dell Technologies. Our runner up will be awarded £2,000, in supporting their small business dreams a reality!
Whether you've created an innovative product or disrupted a traditional marketplace, we're looking for entrants with a clear vision of their start-up's direction - and ambitious plans for growth.
Register your application now!
Agenda highlights include:
How to get out of your own way: Scarlett V Clark, CEO Smart Girl Tribe
Scarlett V Clark is CEO and founder of Smart Girl Tribe, the UK's number one female empowerment organisation, bestselling author of The Smart Girls Handbook, host of the top-rated Smart Girl Tribe podcast and female empowerment expert for Harvard University.
Scarlett will kick start Next Gen Fest and be talking about how to get started with very limited to no business experience.
Growing a 26 thousand following on Instagram: An interview with the founder of Pretty Little Marketer, Sophie Miller
Sophie Miller began Pretty Little Marketer on Instagram in the peak of the UK lockdown. Set up in June 2020, Pretty Little Marketer is a global community of 60,000 that aims to inform and inspire you to achieve your career dreams. The mission at PLM is to help marketers find their feet and confidence in the busy world of marketing by providing the resources and empowerment that is needed, in a safe and fun community environment. A year and a half on PLM has over 26 thousand followers on Instagram.
Hear about Sophie’s journey creating her online presence and how she used social media and marketing to kickstart her passion. Sophie will also share her top tips on how best to use socials to leverage an idea and how it can best fit in with your business.
How to start a business online: A chat with Gulten Geneci, the founder of Fidan London
In a generation of social media at its most engaging and arguably rewarding, generating an idea into a business has never been so accessible.
Gulten Geneci, founder of Fidan London, a Middle Eastern inspired jewellery brand with an aim to provide unique and affordable luxury designed for women. Gulten launched her business online out of the desire for a product that she could not find on the market. With limited to no experience in how to start a business, Gulten will discuss how she took chances to make her dream become a reality.
Getting started and first steps: Business and Finance
Join this panel discussion featuring Tim Parker the founder of Sportfolio, Catrin Donnelly the founder of Align and Dell Women's Entrepreneur Network member, Francois Plattard, Partnerships Manager at HubSpot and Jonathan Dowden, Product Marketing Manager at Sage. Our panel of experts will be talking everything you need to know about first steps when starting a business, from finances to software, join our first panel of the day to find out more!
Sustainability and your company: How can you implement responsible change?
A discussion on how you can implement sustainable elements when it comes to starting your business. Join Elizebeth Read from Smart Energy, Jessica Kruger, the founder of LUXTRA and Helen Bridge from Aviva, to hear more about why sustainability should be the heart of your new business and the tools you need in place to achieve this.
How I made my first million at 22: Hear from Jamie Waller, the founder of The Jamie Waller Foundation
Jamie Waller is a serial Entrepreneur, Investor, Author and Philanthropist. He has started, built and sold two separate companies and now holds equity in 12 private business and in 2019 started another technology start-up in the B2B sector. He is also now the Chairman of the Princes Trust Enterprise Network and author of #1 selling business book; Unsexy Business. Raised in East London, Jamie's claim to success was helped by a charity for disadvantaged children, was stabbed on the street outside of his home and held hostage at gunpoint for 6 hours when visiting someone in an attempt to get them to pay their debt.
Join Jamie at Next Gen to hear his wise words around the importance of mindset, taking risks and how to best approach finances when it comes to starting a business.
How to redesign your career and life: Hear from Eloise Skinner, the founder of The Purpose Workshop
Eloise Skinner is an entrepreneur, author and existential therapist. She is the founder of two businesses: One Typical Day , an ed-tech start-up and The Purpose Workshop a social impact consultancy.
The Purpose Workshop is a social impact business with a singular focus: to help you redesign your life. With a focus on navigating the topic of purpose, The Purpose Workshop will act as a guide as participants figure it out. Once members have an idea of their future path, Eloise and her team work with them to redesign their life around their intentions. We will chat to Eloise about how she came up with the idea of The Purpose Workshop and how it can support you and your business journey.
Thinking outside the box with Alisha Zhang, the founder of Accio Homes.
Alisha is the Founder and CEO of Accio Homes. Spotting a gap in the market and the potential of a growing industry, she bootstrapped a start up that combined her interests in smart technologies and interior design. Accio is the UK's first design-led smart lighting brand, with the mission of creating smart lights that are beautiful, simple to set up, and won’t cost the Earth.
Pitch your business idea: I got 99 problems, but a pitch ain't one!
Four budding entrepreneurs will have 3 minutes to pitch their business or business idea to our two judges, in the hopes of being crowned Next Gen Fest 2021 champion and winning a very generous cash prize, including free resources and mentoring from Enterprise Nation to support the launch of a new business. Register your application now!
Women in business: Chat with Jenny Okolo and Tiwalola Ogunlesi
Join Jenny Okolo, the founder of SASA, an online career platform set up to inspire young women to become what they want and Tiwalola Ogunlesi, the founder of Confident and Killing It, a self-love revolution designed for women to give them the confidence they need to live the life they truly desire.
*Competition terms and conditions:
Only one application per applicant may be submitted. To enter the competition, you must be an Enterprise Nation member. You can join the Enterprise Nation community free of charge as a small business owner here. Application close on 10th of November.
Email events@enterprisenation.com if you have any questions.
Check out the video below to re-live the highlights from Next Gen Fest 2019. We hope to welcome you this year!
