Citi Foundation Recognizes Europe's Next Generation of Entrepreneurs

 

In July, national winners from 38 countries headed to Tallinn, Estonia to participate in the 2014 JA-YE Europe Company of the Year Competition and compete for the Remarkable Customer Service Award funded by the Citi Foundation. This was the 25th annual award ceremony, which was hosted by JA Estonia this year.

 

The young entrepreneurs showcased at the completion all ran a business during the school year with guidance from teachers and business volunteers. Each student company created and marketed real products and/or services, successfully dealing with the challenges of setting up and running a business.

 

The judging panel recognized the Portuguese student company, 4 Baby, as the winner of the first Remarkable Customer Service Award funded by the Citi Foundation. The student company presented their winning concept of a universal adapter for pacifiers to protect the baby's health and, most importantly, their comprehensive customer and client relations strategy, providing their customers with a remarkable experience.

 

Citi is proud to support JA-YE in 19 countries across Europe and to help the next generation of European entrepreneurs become the progress makers of tomorrow. Student companies that anticipate changing needs and create value by improving the customer experience and innovating can be very beneficial to our consumers. The Company Program has been shown to have a positive impact on economic development, and JA-YE research has shown that alumni of the Company Program are more employable. Alumni are also more likely to start their own business and are more likely to have a higher average income in employment.