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
BUILD DAYS
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 BUILD DAYS
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HIGHTOP FUNDING
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HIGHTOP CONSULTANCY
You'll get:
1. Support to build your own solution
2. 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
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
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
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.
They secured their place on Hightop's Idea Acceleration Programme, and we set about helping them bring their ideas to life.
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!
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.
TechTides Youth returns to NWRC with ambitions to reach more young innovators
Leading youth conference, TechTides Youth, will return on Monday 26th October to North West Regional College, and will build on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which welcomed more than 150 young people. This year, the conference will extend its reach across the wider North West, welcoming schools from Strabane and Limavady alongside those from Derry/Londonderry.
The event forms part of the wider TechTides platform, which connects people across Northern Ireland’s tech ecosystem with the ideas, expertise and relationships that drive innovation. TechTides Youth is its dedicated strand for young people and takes place ahead of the main TechTides conference at the Millennium Forum in Derry/Londonderry on 27th October.
Jennifer Neff, Event Director, explains: “TechTides Youth was developed based on the benefits of peer to peer learning. You can’t inspire a young person with a stranger in a suit, you inspire them with someone their own age who’s actually doing it - that’s what TechTides Youth is, young people, inspiring young people.”
She continues: “Young people can sometimes find themselves on the periphery of wider business conferences, but TechTides Youth has been created by them, and for them. We hope to encourage them by hearing what others are building, the difference it makes - and why now is the right time to get started. The success of our inaugural event showed the real value of providing a dedicated space where young people can lead the conversation, share ideas and discover opportunities alongside their peers.”
The event will feature inspirational speakers, a pitching competition focused on social impact solutions, and demonstrations of innovative technology developed and presented by young innovators from across the region.
Gillian Moss, Head of Client Services at NWRC said: “The outstanding attendance at TechTides Youth at Strand Road campus last year clearly illustrates the strong interest there is locally in technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship. As a forward thinking college committed to developing the skills and ambitions of our learners, NWRC is proud to partner with TechTides for a second year to deliver this event.
“NWRC continues to focus on preparing our students for the careers of tomorrow, and events such as these are vital to showcase the opportunities available right here in our region. We look forward to welcoming schools and young people from across the North West to another successful event that will motivate and inspire the next generation.”
Schools interested in taking part are encouraged to register their interest by Friday 11th September by contacting Jennifer Neff at jennifer@hightophub.com.