By: Mitch Kloorfain, BGCSLC Director of Marketing & Public Relations
Photo: Tyrell Wallace, Albert Wilson Foundation
Youth participants of AWF’s Shark Tank-like contest, pitched their presentations to founders at the accelerator and experienced a virtual fireside chat with Horst Bente, grandson of Adi Dassler, founder of Adidas
ORLANDO, FL – (June 21, 2021) – The Albert Wilson Foundation (AWF), founded by Miami Dolphins wide receiver Albert Wilson to enrich the lives of children in foster care, coordinated for select youth from Boys & Girls Clubs of St Lucie County to travel to Lake Nona to tour the leAD Sports & Health Tech Accelerator on Thursday, June 17. The trip included a tour of the facility, an opportunity to meet with founders at the accelerator and pitch them their business presentations, tours of select Lake Nona businesses and a virtual fireside chat with Horst Bente, co-founder of leAD and grandson of Adi Dassler, founder of Adidas.
Following the fireside chat, Bente stated, “It was an honor to interact with these bright and inspiring minds. Their curiosity and enthusiasm reminded me of the same passion I saw my grandfather put to work every day. I hope our story did fuel their belief in themselves, that they to have the power to achieve their dreams and wish them all the best for their future!”
The tour, which was co-hosted by NESTRE Performance, was offered to youth who participated in AWF’s Shark Tank-like entrepreneurship contest at the Foundation’s inaugural Life Skills & Leadership Day last month. Prior to that event, youth participants worked with leAD Sports & Health Tech Partners to gain experience in the startup space, reaffirming AWF’s commitment to providing foster youth and youth from underserved communities with career mentorship and resources needed to compete and succeed.
“We had an outstanding experience spending time with the young, incredible minds from the Boys & Girls Clubs and Albert Wilson Foundation. Our goal was for the group to have memorable learnings in the areas of Leadership, Innovation, Vision, and Entrepreneurship. Our Lake Nona partners for the event were incredible and helped us provide a quality experience for a tremendous group of young people. We look forward to hearing about the great things this group will create in the near future,” stated Dr. Tommy Shavers, CEO & Founder of NESTRE Performance, a member of the leAD Lake Nona Sports & Health Tech Accelerator.
The day’s highlights included a tour of leAD Sports & Health Tech Accelerator, a virtual fireside chat with Horst Bente, one on one Q&A’s with the founders at leAD including Phlex, Agerate and NESTRE Performance, youth Shark Tank entrepreneurship pitches, transportation in BEEP and a tour of the company, a tour of WHIT House and a tour of GuideWell Innovation Center. The day concluded at Dive Shack where the teens participated in games and friendly competition prior to heading back to St. Lucie County.
Images from the day can be downloaded here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/2bv3y3udnsijjob/AABofK66cb8m1ukX93ZZTP_Ja?dl=0
Images courtesy of Tyrell Wallace (@WallaceVisuals) and Albert Wilson Foundation
“Utilizing our platform to help our youth find and elevate their voices has been a rewarding experience,” said Jamaal May, Executive Director of the Albert Wilson Foundation. “We strongly believe that exposure leads to expansion. We look forward to granting access to resources and creating more opportunities for youth, such as this, through our partnership with NESTRE, and additional programming.”
About Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County:
Boys & Girls Clubs of St. Lucie County is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing youth a path to success for every young person who walks through our doors, and that every Club member graduates from high school with a plan for the future, demonstrating good character and citizenship and living healthy lifestyles. The Club enables all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens.
With 22 locations throughout the county, Boys & Girls Clubs programs serve a diverse group of kids from grades K-12. We serve 16,000 youth throughout the year from a variety of backgrounds. Please see for yourself by taking a tour of an area club by calling (772) 460-9918 or visiting www.bgcofslc.org or at www.facebook.com/bgcofslc.
About The Albert Wilson Foundation
The Albert Wilson Foundation is a charity founded by Miami Dolphins WR Albert Wilson to enrich the lives of children in foster care (he, too, came up through the foster care system). It strives to change the destiny of foster children and break the cycle of abuse, neglect and abandonment. With an average of 40-60% of foster youth identifying as Black or Hispanic, the Foundation also serves as a voice and an agent of change dedicated to raising awareness for social justice and racial inequalities. The Foundation not only works to support youth during their transition in and out of foster care, but also provides a platform for transitioning youth to learn about legal rights, laws and social issues impacting people of color. Its goal is to provide scholarships to those wishing to continue their education outside the state of Florida, in addition to rewarding youth who continue to excel in the classroom and extracurriculars, despite all obstacles and circumstances. For more information visit http://www.albertwilsonfoundation.org.