Rising young entrepreneurs from London have been given top awards marking the end of a six-month scheme that gave them opportunities to meet their dream employer.
Social networking site Slenky and Sony Mobile teamed up to offer 22 young people aged 18 to 26 from across the UK the chance to connect with leaders in technology, music, film and fashion.
At a ceremony in Shepherds Bush, west London, last week five of the nine awards handed out were given to future stars from London.
Jonathan Fernandez, 23, a film and animation graduate, who was flown to Sweden to meet Sony Mobile’s president Kuni Suzuki, won a Most Inspirational award.
He said: “We interviewed the president and talked about where he got to where he was. He started from scratch, and he said I could do the same. I always thought it would be a lot harder for me because there are a lot of constraints. I’m black and from Peckham, and I think a lot of people think I’m only ‘ok’ and someone could do better, but now I’m starting to believe in myself.”
Aspiring cinematographer Charlotte Regan, 19, from Islington, who won the same award, said: “I got to visit Pinewood Studios which was amazing. I have met directors who have given me great advice and they are staying in contact. This scheme has given me opportunities I wouldn’t have had before.”
Roy White, head of Sony’s global sales, said: “It has been brilliant for us to watch the experiences that they have been through and it has been a pleasure for us to be part of it.”
Along with Sony, which sponsored the six-month pilot, the participants have been working with large brands including Blackberry, Live Nation and Warner Brothers.
Cec Richards, CEO of Slenky, said: “We know young people are depressed and not getting a shot. Slenky is about getting businesses to do a little more. It isn’t always about internships, it is about contacts. These people started out with a high aspiration but have no idea how to get there. We came up with an idea to connect them.”
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Users on Slenky can upload a short bio describing their interests and apply for opportunities, called “shots”, with businesses, which range from meetings and day visits to longer experiences.
