JA Alumni Newsletter | December 2022

Youth Advisor is Back! 

We are looking for JA alumni around the world to speak up, share their experiences, and help shape the future of JA. Earlier this year, we launched youthvoices.org, a collection of more than 100 JA alumni voices from 45 countries, in partnership with the MIT Center for Constructive Communication, Cortico, and Accenture. This time around, we are making it even bigger!

The goal is to have at least one voice per JA location on the youthvoices.org platform.

To become a Youth Advisor . . .

• Apply for your spot here.
• Participate in a 90-minute group interview for youthvoices.org.

For the Globe 

Attend the Quarter 2 JA Alumni Clubhouse

Get together on December 14, 9amEST/3pmCET/10pmHKT to brainstorm and exchange ideas on the best practices for building your local alumni chapter. You will also get early access to global JA alumni initiatives that you can be part of. The Quarter 2 JA Alumni Clubhouse will include a 40-minute presentation on global and regional alumni initiatives and a 20-minute facilitated breakout session that aims to support alumni leaders in membership , engagement , starting a chapter , and JA offices .

Register to attend JA Alumni Clubhouse. We can’t wait to see you on December 14.

Learn How Economic Development Leads to Peace

JA Worldwide CEO Asheesh Advani joined Global Entrepreneurship Week’s Unleashing Ideas podcast last month to discuss how economic empowerment and entrepreneurship leads to prosperity and peace. Along with podcast host Jonathan Ortmans, Asheesh explored ways to instill confidence in the next generation, the power of self-efficacy, and the fixed, flexible, freestyle model of entrepreneurship programming. Asheesh also discussed JA's overarching vision as to why we do what we do for JA Alumni. Listen to the episode.

Submit Your Nominations for the Global Business Hall of Fame

The Global Business Hall of Fame is open for nominations! The 2023 laureates will join an elite list of entrepreneurs and business leaders that includes Melanie Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva; Levi Strauss, the inventor of blue jeans; Strive Masiyiwa, an international tech pioneer; and many more inspiring innovators and leaders from around the world. Nominate a JA alumnus today and learn more about the Global Business Hall of Fame.

Win US$50,000 for Your Business on 2 Minute Drill

Are you looking for funding for your startup, established business, or entrepreneurial idea? Pitch your business on 2 Minute Drill—you could win US$50,000! Season 5 will include another episode exclusively featuring JA alumni.

2 Minute Drill is a "pitch only" show for entrepreneurs hosted by JA alumnus and entrepreneur David Meltzer that awards one winner per episode US$50,000 in cash. Seasons 3 and 4 of the series dedicated two entire episodes to the JA alumni community by featuring JA alumni-owned businesses exclusively. Check out the official website for more details.

JA Worldwide recently featured season 4 winner Nadia Ladak, a JA Canada alumna. Nadia competed against JA alumni from Austria, Uruguay, the US, and Sweden, and emerged as the winner with her lubricated tampon company that is revolutionizing menstruation products. Watch the full alumni episode.

What’s Happening? 

Hivebrite Showcases Six JA Alumni

Hivebrite, the platform that powers Gather, spoke to six JA alumni leaders at the JA Alumni Europe Shape Conference 2022 about how it empowers connection beyond borders. Gather is the central hub for JA alumni, and it is a core repository of JA alumni events, connections, and opportunities. Find out how Gather equips JA alumni leaders for management and development of their local community.

JA Alumni from Lebanon, Germany, and Indonesia Join 2022 JA Asia Pacific Company of the Year Competition (Nov 8–11)

JA Asia Pacific Alumni President Samantha Vun hosted INJAZ Lebanon alumna Aya Youssef, JA Germany alumna Eliana Illy, and Prestasi Junior Indonesia alumnus Rizky Wijayanti for a panel discussion on their JA journeys. The regional finalists bombarded the panel with questions about winning the Company of the Year competition in their respective regions and how JA has changed the trajectory of their lives.

JA Asia Pacific alumni also organized activities that allowed students to compete for JA alumni merchandise. Watch the highlight video.

Santiago Barrio Miramon Wins JA Maverick Award 2022

JA Argentina alumnus Santiago began his entrepreneurship journey in 2017 in the JA Company Program. Although he didn’t win the regional Company of the Year competition, his entrepreneurial spirit persisted, and he started a JA alumni company, a social project that helps remote communities in Peru. As part of winning the JA Maverick Award, he was awarded a full scholarship to the Watson Institute Venture Accelerator Program to further incubate his start-up idea.

JA Alumni Europe National Coordinators Gather for Fall Meeting (Nov 4–6)

Representatives from 20 European countries gathered in Cologne, Germany, to learn about best practices for JA alumni chapter development, share lessons learned in organizing events, and inspire National Coordinators to expand opportunities for European youth. JA alumni leaders set goals for the fiscal year and reignited the alumni spirit face-to-face after two years of virtual National Coordinators meetings.

DESEM Junior Achievement Mobilizes Alumni Weekend 2022 (Nov 17–18)

Together with the alumni committee, JA Uruguay hosted a two-day event to gather JA alumni across the nation. The office set up a photography exposition in the Montevideo Shopping Center to showcase entrepreneurship stories from JA alumni. Attendees listened to panels and discussions about employability, upskilling, and impact investing and participated in a mentorship exchange provided by Asociación de Jóvenes Empresarios.

Alumni Spotlight 

Fungai Tanya Chimbuya, Gather Reporter Emeritus at JA Worldwide

A content strategy entrepreneur, Fungai emceed the JA Zimbabwe Company of the Year Competition 2022. She volunteers her time for Zimbabwean youth and advocates for alumni involvement in economic development initiatives at JA globally.

Stevia Putri, Vice President of JA Asia Pacific Alumni

Stevia rallied a team of JA alumni from four countries—Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Indonesia—to organize the first hour-long JA Alumni Session integrated in the 2022 Asia Pacific Company of the Year Competition. Stevia introduced the regional finalists the Gather through an immersive metaverse video, highlighting the benefits of joining the global community.

Housekeeping 

• Apply to be a Youth Advisor.
• Join the Alumni Leadership Group on Gather.
• Schedule a call to talk about alumni chapter building.
• Email Sarah Rapp for potential partnerships + synergy.
• Access the new JA Alumni branding.
• Request brand transition assistance.