Connecting with the Leaders of Tomorrow at the PowerPlay Business Leaders Exchange
On Tuesday, January 24th approximately 60 students from the Surrey School district, 10 guest mentors from the Surrey Board of Trade and 6 educators came together at the Civic Hotel in Surrey for the incredible opportunity to network, exchange ideas and connect with like-minded peers at the PowerPlay Young Entrepreneurs Business Leaders Exchange that was co-hosted by the Surrey Board of Trade.
I arrived at the event excited to watch the students connect with, learn from, and be inspired by the guest mentors that came from a myriad of industries. Practically speaking, the students were split up into 10 groups with one mentor at each table. There was a team-building activity, a session for conversations between the students and mentors, and an ideation activity. The students participated in fun activities while exploring different entrepreneurial themes, including their own PowerPlay business ideas and products.
In addition to the excitement in the room, and the high level of engagement, I learned that a lot of the magic happened prior to the students walking in the door. One teacher explained, “I chose 5 students who are not the usual stars of the classroom, but they were committed from the beginning. They are not usually engaged in learning but loved the PowerPlay program. When I told them I chose them – they were so surprised and excited!” They went on to say that students’ felt special upon being selected and their newfound confidence and enthusiasm were palpable.
This excitement and confidence more than shone through at the event. One student excitedly ran up to us and exclaimed, “I just had my picture taken with the mentors!! I asked them and they all said YES!!” He was radiating happiness and excitement. His classroom teacher then shared with me that “he was engaged like this before covid and then was home-schooled. He came back withdrawn and the PowerPlay program brought him back to life.”
The activities led by founder Bill Roche elicited conversations beyond final products and sales. Many big takeaways came from the conversation about what it means to be an entrepreneur. Here is where the mentors really shone and were able to share their stories and truly make an impact. They shared personal failures and reinforced the need to try and take chances – and yes, fail. Equal to failure was the need to work hard, be a team player and have fun. One of the teachers summed up the impact by saying, “Being chosen to attend this workshop did more the students’ learning and self-esteem than anything I could have offered in the classroom.”
ABOUT THE POWERPLAY BUSINESS LEADER EXCHANGE EVENT
The PowerPlay Business Leader Exchange is an exciting opportunity for students to connect with, learn from and be inspired by guest mentors in various industries. Students will also participate in fun activities and explore different entrepreneurial themes.
ABOUT THE SURREY BOARD OF TRADE
The Surrey Board of Trade attracts business to Surrey and supports business in Surrey. They provide businesses and organizations with economic opportunity, workplace development and education, international trade, government advocacy and business connections. They believe that transportation and education are the two economic foundations of building our city.