Inspiring Digital Entrepreneurship Award

On 12 February 4 of our year 10 robotics students Cedric Tan, Daragh Massey, Birkaran Sachdev and Malcolm Briery were invited to Telefonica Digital in London for the Live Face to Face Mentoring event as part of the iDEA initiative to meet their 1:1 mentor Alan Greenberg. Students presented a 90 second pitch to an audience of over 100 guests, explaining their app and business model for ‘Yoma Education’. Yoma Education is a student company created under the guidance of the Technology department staff, who will design, programme and implement an educational app for autistic students, teachers and family members with an aim to enhance education and improve their quality of life living with this condition.

Our chosen 1 to 1 team mentor, Alan Greenberg works with a small portfolio of Education Technology start-ups in London, Berlin and Palo Alto. He acts as Mentor, Advisor and Investor. His background includes; Director of Education at Apple EMEA 2004-2008 which involved team built education podcasting, managed the development of iTunes U throughout Europe, and contributing to Apple mobile strategies. In 2008 Alan was appointed Director of Education for Apple Asia, based in Beijing. Alan returned to the UK in 2010, today working with Wealth Management, Family Offices, VC’s helping develop and leverage Education technologies, learning and development, globally.

Our students spent 15 minutes chatting about their idea with HRH The Duke of York before commencing with a full hour with their assigned mentor. Students now have £2500 to spend on developing their product through to a working prototype, before judging commences on the 31st March. The next phase of the competition will see the 20 teams cut back to the final 10, ready for the ‘pitch at the palace’ where 3 will be chosen as winners.