Along with companies like Google, NextSpace is partnering with Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a nonprofit that provides entrepreneurship education for at-risk high school students from low-income communities in the Bay Area. We first introduced NFTE to the NextSpace community as the non-profit we chose to benefit from the donations we collected at our 2010 holiday party in SF where we raised over $500 for the organization. 

And, as if that weren’t obvious reason enough to support this group, NFTE was just named as a member of the White House’s Startup America program!

As our second show of support for this very worthy organization, we’re excited to announce that we are hosting an open house and networking event this month for some of the students. Along with what we hope will be about 10-15 current NextSpace members, we have agreed to participate and mingle at the open house so we can demonstrate our support for, as well as interest in, these budding entrepreneurs.

NextSpace will be providing the refreshments and snacks, and along with our interested members, who will be providing the encouragement and fueling the curiosity these would-be disruptors might have. Any members interested in giving back, encouraging these kids, and learning more, should make it a priority to be in the office on Tuesday, March 15 or 22 and plan to take a half hour out of your day to help our next generation of would be business owners, hackers, NextSpace members and innovators.  

Idea to Operation (I2O) is a yearlong program for youth ages 18-25 who have completed the NFTE program and want to further develop their entrepreneurial skills and start their own business. I2O participants attend a monthly Saturday workshop in addition to working with mentors to reach their individual business goals. I2O is looking for mentors to help refine participant’s business plans and get plans ready to pitch by working one to one with them.
NFTE is seeking volunteers to guest speaker and coach in our NFTE classrooms. Additionally, this spring the NFTE class culminates in a classroom business plan competition and seeks judges from the business community to pick our classroom winners. NFTE has classes in San Francisco, East Bay, and South Bay and most classes last about 50-60 minutes.