As a part of its Global Youth Initiative, Nestle has launched the Nestle Youth Entrepreneurship Platform or YEP, for young people interested in growing business ideas.
"At Nestlé we work with startups, entrepreneurs, innovators and researchers to drive innovation, bring good ideas to market fast and provide nutritious, sustainable and affordable products for a growing world population. Our new digital platform supports young people to bring great ideas to life across the food value chain, shaping the future of food," said Stefan Palzer, Nestle CTO.
The digital resource is a free online platform that provides access to several programs; The Nestle Research and Development Accelerator allows participants to apply for challenges at one of the 12 accelerators, bringing food and beverage innovations to the market in as little as six months. Purina Unleashed, is a pet care start-up program focused on leveraging technology to enhance the lives of pets and their owners. Ignite Ideas, Reto Culinario, CEO X Youth Connect and Alliance for YOUth which are all platforms encouraging innovative business.
Young entrepreneurs need guidance, support, and above all, opportunities and platforms where their voices can be heard and their ideas realized. This includes building their knowledge and skills, testing their ideas in real-life situations, getting feedback from their audiences and receiving support to take their concept to the next level," said Laurent Freixe, Nestlé's CEO for Latin America.
Nestle's global youth initiative, Nestle Needs YOUth, was launched in 2013 and has benefitted more than four million young people across employability, agripreneurship and entrepreneurship.
