Showtime

20th November saw Hackney’s Ocean play host to the first ever MINI MOGUL show. This event was been funded by the Government’s Youth Opportunity Fund (YOF) and Youth Capital Fund (YCF), and gave young entrepreneurs aged between 13 and 19 the opportunity to pitch their business ideas to a panel of adjudicators. The event was presented by the students of the Youth Skills Network (YSN) which is an organisation that has been designed as a training ground for young people who are serious about taking a step towards a career in media.

MINI MOGUL application forms flooded in thick and fast and the YSN team handpicked 9 finalists to take part in the LIVE show. Over 350 guests settled into Ocean’s main auditorium to watch the action on the big screen while backstage all 9 teams had an opportunity to have their make-up done by professional make-up artists and waited patiently in the contestant’s lounge which buzzed with nervous energy. One-by-one each team were summoned to the ‘Chamber of Change’ where the adjudicators would decide which team would be going home with the MINI MOGUL prize fund of £3,000.

The presentations were of an exceptional standard and the four adjudicators, Roger Griffiths (Actor), Danny John-Jules (Actor), Désirée Fraser (Business Growth Consultant (Fraser James Associates Ltd) & George Barango (SFEDI Accredited Business Advisor (HBV Enterprise), had the unenviable task of choosing the winning team. In the end it was simply too hard to choose just one team and the decision was made to split the prize fund across the two best business ideas.

Massive CONGRATULATIONS goes out to the joint winners on the night that each walked away with £1,500 to help move their businesses forward. The winning businesses were:

GLASS PEBBLES: A company which produces unique hand-made glass jewellery.

IT’S UPSHOT: A branded clothing line which aims to create a new world youth culture to bring out peoples diverse personalities.

Our runners up of the evening received 6 months free telephone coaching from Fraser James Associates Ltd worth over £350.

FREEDOM BAGS A social enterprise that customises promotes and sells recycled bags made by ex-prostitutes in India.

The other organisations that took part in the show were:
- SALI’S CHILDREN
- ON THIS TING
- INKI DYNK
- A PERSONAL TOUCH
- REFRESHERS
- BOTTOM LINE THEATRE COMPANY

Andy Fraser, founder of Youth Skills Network, who managed the event said:

"The event was a great success overall, despite a few technical hitches which were out of our control. I would like to say how proud I am of all YSN students who took part in the event; they performed their duties in a diligent and professional manor. I would also like to say a special thanks to the contestants and all of the guests for coming to the event to support these brave & bold entrepreneurs. I can’t wait to see who will be the next Mini Mogul!”