FROM IDEA TO IMPACT: EMPOWERING THE NEXT GENERATION OF SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS
Growing, flexing and building
a whole ecosystem of youth-led innovation, where ideas don't
just get pitched, they get built
and thrive.
HIGHTOP ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME
HIGHTOP
FUNDING
"Having built and exited a successful, purpose driven company, I'm now backing young founders to build what matters" - Jennifer Neff, Founder, Hightop
Are you ready for Hightop?
HIGHTOP
CONSULTANCY
Want to partner with us?
ACCELERATING
YOUNG
ENTREPRENEURS'
SUCCESS
What would our communities look like if every young person had a chance to bring their ideas to life?
Many of our young people have ideas but no real roadmap or dedicated support from proven leaders in business, social impact and technology.
We're changing that at Hightop!
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​HIGHTOP ACCELERATOR PROGRAMME
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HIGHTOP FUNDING
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HIGHTOP CONSULTANCY
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You'll get:
1. Hands-on idea accelerating support
2. Access to decision-makers, experts, and mentors
3. Funding to test solutions in the real world
4. Great experience that will help shape your
future careers
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IMPACT OF HIGHTOP
WHAT WE DO
WHO IS IT FOR
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16–21 year olds​
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Living in Derry~Londonderry and the wider NW region​
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Interested in tech, creating social change, or entrepreneurship​
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Looking for meaningful experience
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Wanting to start a business
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Looking to boost cv and college/university/ job applications​
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INSIGHTS
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New belief in yourself and your future
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Better chances of getting experience that you can feel confident about
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A place in college/ university you never thought possible
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Part of a team working on a meaningful project
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Creation of a startup making local and potential global impact
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MEET SOME OF OUR HIGHTOP PROGRAMME PARTICIPANTS
"Jennifer helped my peers and I to create a solution to gamify and encourage exercise called Wakiza, partnering with the Dubai Health Authority and Microsoft Middle East. Jennifer's influence was profound.
She taught me that the world is far more malleable than it seems - if you see a problem, you (yes, you) can go out and fix it. This mindset laid the foundation for my path into technology and entrepreneurship".
Luca Frost, Founder, CTO at Whisp
Josie Doherty, Co Founder & CEO at What2Wear
“From the early stages of our journey, Jennifer has been a consistent source of support and opened up valuable opportunities for us. Through her work with Hightop, she brought insight to every phase of What2Wear's growth.
Jennifer's support helped shape key decisions and gave us the confidence we needed to take our business to the next level. We're working on the next iteration of the product after our focus groups with users having defined our market".
Isabella Leonard, Co Founder & CEO at MORE
"Through working with Hightop, all members of MORE have been presented with opportunities like no other.
Working alongside Jennifer gave us the chance to work in the orbit of someone who is a pioneer in the tech for good industry, presenting us with many varying opportunities. Jennifer opened up her network to us and we were able to achieve much more than we ever imagined as a result".
THE HIGHTOP PODCAST
First up in the Hightop Podcast Series! Meet the MORE Team - a bunch of upper 6th students across 4 schools in NI with the BOLD ambition to tackle environmental challenges associated with e-waste.
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They secured their place on Hightop's Idea Acceleration Programme, and we set about helping them bring their ideas to life.
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Here's some of the cool stuff we got up to together:
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Conducted some hefty market research
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Refined the solution
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Developed a range of products
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Pitched MORE to business, sustainability and civic leaders
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Generated income from product sales
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Got some serious experience for their CVs and applications for jobs and university
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AND....had lots of fun along the way!
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A special shout out to this bunch of legends who joined forces with Hightop to support MORE on their journey - The team at The AMP, Deirdre at Stitch Saves Nine, The Founder Labs crew, Foyle College Parent Teacher and Friends Association and Caroline at Repair and Share Foyle.
BIG NEWS! HIGHTOP HELPS POWER TECHTIDES AS A GOLD SPONSOR!
We're buzzing to announce that Hightop is helping power the North West's biggest celebration of all things tech as a Gold Sponsor of TechTides, in November 2025! We’ll also be compering TechTides Youth, dedicated to further sparking our young people's ambition and creativity. Taking place in the morning of November 18th at NWRC, we’ll be helping bring together the next generation of techies, social innovators and entrepreneurs for an unforgettable day packed with inspiring talks, hands-on networking, and a chance to win £500.
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This event will showcase what’s possible for our young people living in and around the NW (and how to get started). We can’t wait to meet everyone, share stories, and see bold ideas come to life.
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For more information check out Home - TechTides