Hip-Hop Artist Timbaland Joins Verizon to Recognize Area Teens' Entrepreneurial Talents

Hip-Hop Artist Timbaland Joins Verizon to Recognize Area Teens' Entrepreneurial Talents

BET Personality, 'Big Tigger' to Host High School
'Shot Caller Showdown' Competition

PHILADELPHIA - Aspiring young entrepreneurs from two area high schools will compete to test their business acumen at the Verizon "Realize Ambition: The Shot Caller Showdown." The event, hosted by BET personality, Big Tigger will be held at The Enterprise Center on Friday, March 17. Hip Hop hit maker, Timbaland, will provide encouragement and business advice for the budding entrepreneurs. Addye Durant, the Philadelphian who spent 21 days in the Dream254: The Verizon Incubator on South Street will also be in attendance.

Student business teams from Overbrook High School and Germantown High School will present business plans crafted from a specially designed curriculum (created by The Enterprise Center) for an audience of fellow students, parents and community leaders. A panel of judges from the Philadelphia business community will select two winning teams to receive the title of "Ultimate Shot Caller." Each member of the winning teams will receive new laptops and have their business presentations placed on the www.realizeambition.com site.

During the event, Verizon will also present each participating school with two Verizon Realize Multimedia Centers, which include computers, educational software, cameras and printers.

WHEN: 10:30 a.m., Friday, March 17

WHERE: The Enterprise Center
4548 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19139
(Pre-event media registration highly recommended; please call
C. Brown, below)

WHO: Clinton Arnold, director, business partnership channel,
retail markets, Verizon; Big Tigger, BET personality and Hip
Hop producer, Timbaland

Big Tigger:
10:30 a.m. - Beginning of "Realize Ambition: The Shot Caller
Showdown"

Clinton Arnold:
10:45 a.m. - Presentation of student business plans
11:15 a.m. - Announcement of Shot Caller Showdown winners
11:45 a.m. - Donation of Verizon Realize Multimedia Centers

Timbaland:
11:30 a.m. - Special remarks

BACKGROUND:

"Realize Ambition: The Shot Caller Showdown" is an extension of the Verizon Realize advertising and marketing campaign, which tells stories of budding entrepreneurs who rely on Verizon broadband. The showdown gives students at two local high schools the opportunity to learn about entrepreneurship and the importance of personal empowerment.

From January to February, teams of students developed business plans -- complete with marketing, financials, human resources issues and solutions -- for a business of their choice. The objective of the competition is to encourage the students to use entrepreneurial thinking and business practices in developing their business initiative.

Verizon worked with The Enterprise Center of Philadelphia to develop The Realize Road Map curriculum, which guides teachers in working with high school students in the four markets to create innovative and viable business models. The Enterprise Center is a non-profit community advocate for minority entrepreneurship. The Road Map curriculum also will be available to teachers across the country on the www.realizeambition.com site.

The selected schools will receive Verizon Realize Multimedia Centers, featuring computers, educational software, cameras and printers. Each member of the winning teams will receive new laptops and the teams will have their business presentations placed on the www.realizeambition.com site.

MEDIA CONTACTS: Christopher Brown, IV, Burrell
312-297-9752 / 312-498-8734 (cell)
freelancevz@burrell.com

Sharon Shaffer, Verizon
215-963-6200/ 215-990-6499 (cell)
sharon.b.shaffer@verizon.com

PRNewswire -- March 16

Source: Verizon

Web site: http://www.realizeambition.com/

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