2018 BIZNOVATOR Camp Rising Stars: (Part I) Start-Up Entrepreneurs, Social Innovators and Leaders

It’s summer season and things are getting hot at the BIZNOVATOR Camps! By the end of this summer, start-ups will be launched by youth ages 13 to 21. For more than 30 years I’ve been delivering entrepreneurship, social innovation, and leadership camps. In the summer of 1988, I kicked-off my very first entrepreneurship camp season with NFTE at Columbia University (NYC), University Southern California (LA), and UC Berkeley (CA). Forward 30 years and my summer entrepreneurship camp season is hotter than ever.

In this 1st in a series of 5 blogs, you’ll meet and learn more about the amazing ideas our students developed and “pitched” to our judges. You’ll also learn a bit more from the individuals and corporations that made it possible for us to host our BIZNOVATOR Innovation Camps. To learn more about what other alumni from previous camps are doing and how much they have accomplished, visit BIZNOVATOR Success Stories at https://www.biznovator.com/success-stories/

Our first BIZNOVATOR Innovation Camp took place this June and held at the Americas Offices for SAP in partnership with their CSR. This camp experience generated several interesting start-up ideas that included innovation, social impact, and as in all of our camps, the criteria was for the start-up ventures to also align with UN’s SDGs. Overall, we had a very successful camp. From positive energy, collaboration to creativity, and innovation—the students jumped right in. Jose Caceres, SAP Director of CSR for Latin America, said that the students did great! “I was very impressed with the students’ delivery, and how they accomplished so much in just one week.”

Brian Rivas, Founder and Creator of an App: Nap Class
Mission: “Embracing Knowledge by Embracing Dreams”

Brian is a 19-year-old Sophomore at Penn State University. He resides in South Florida. Brian found out about the camp through his uncle. Brian idea is the creation of an Application business that plans to be on IOS and Android device. His innovative application can be available to all genders and ages. It offers a good night’s sleep and an enhanced learning experience for all users. Nap Class will include trademarks, app store fees, and graphics and illustrations. According to Brian, Nap Class will succeed because there is a void for students needing enhanced learning and understanding of subjects they feel are too difficult to learn. The App will help students fall asleep by having a professor’s lecture play on an App that students can play when going to sleep. This will increase their capacity to retain information.

Tiffany Fernandez, Founder, and CEO of StuZen
Mission: “To provide a cozy atmosphere that promotes academic success and overall wellness.”

Tiffany attends Miami Dade College and is concerned with education and learning environments. StuZen is a sole proprietorship that will be providing a free of charge service to students. Her target is primarily high school and college students. Due to the fact that it will be free for the consumers, her business will be relying on a variety of advertisements, sponsorships, and partnerships to generate revenue. In her research, she found that students complain a lot about studying space and therefore she wants to fix that problem. She also recognizes there is a huge demand for public and cozy study environments in today’s Millennial student society. The idea is to have businesses place advertisements and to also have companies promote StuZen as a strategy to attract customers to their business.

1 of 5 in a Series – Next Series 2!

ABOUT BIZNOVATOR:
BIZNOVATOR is a youth empowerment platform that offers a year-round experience for young people interested in entrepreneurship, social innovation and global leadership. Through our seminars, workshops, summer camps and in school Academies, BIZNOVATOR helps young people to DISCOVER their purpose, TRANSFORM their mindset and CONNECT to their future.  We have recently launched our Online Learning Platform, www.mybiznovator.com which enables young people from all over the world to experience our unique BIZNOVATOR programs. We invite you to join us!

Juan Pablo Casimiro is Founder and CEO of BIZNOVATOR. With more than 30 years of empowering youth and adults globally, Casimiro never misses a moment to teach, coach and challenge his clients to live their dreams. Casimiro was born in Dominican Republic and grew up in New York City.