Nestle USA
Research, Innovations, and Operations Team:
Emilia Fischer, Manuela Gonzalez, Kellen Orr, Nina Bodanese
YEP WE’RE READY! – Nontraditional Education Groups
From our brainstorming and research we determined that the nontraditional education groups that would benefit the most from the YEP platform would be those seeking Gap Years, those in Community College, and those in Culinary Schools. We determined that the pain point of this audience is feeling left behind by their peers who are pursuing higher education and feeling like they do not have enough opportunities to pursue their passions or goals in a nontraditional and easily accessible way.
Deliverable #1: Your YEP Year
For gap year students we designed new modules that would fill a year or two semester's worth of content for a Gap Year program. In conjunction with the Gap Year Association these new modules would be a structured Gap Year education program emphasizing entrepreneurship and food innovation with opportunities to compete in Nestle’s idea challenges. We also created an emotional video to promote what the YEP Year is, in which the video can be showcased in the Gap Year Association website and shown around different after High School fairs. All modules can be found on the YepWereReady website that we also created.
Deliverable #2: YEP We Can!
For community college students we created an opportunity to win a trip to the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship Conference. To do this, community college students would complete the modules and then post a video outlining their entrepreneurship idea on social media and submit it to the form. The idea was also to get influencers that promote different opportunities for community college students to post videos in regards to the competition. Our deliverable included social media promotional fliers and a sample influencer video. All information can also be found on the website.
YEP! We Can Nestle Challenge Social Media Poster
YEP! We Can Website: https://www.nestleyouthentrepreneurship.com/
Deliverable #3: From Culinary to Creator
For culinary students, an activation event was created. Upon completion of the YEP modules, culinary students could submit a food innovation idea along with an essay explaining what food innovation meant to them in order to be selected to participate in the activation event. 20 applicants would be chosen regionally to compete in an in person competition at a local culinary school to create and pitch their idea. One winner regionally would be selected to bring their idea to the Nestle headquarters and test kitchen. Our deliverable included a sample flier and social media post as well as a rules and information document for the activation event. All information and forms can also be found on our website such as:
From Culinary to Creator Website
Flyer
Community Engagement Team: Brewed by AU Pitch Competition
Lauren Gersten, Lillian Lemme, Meliann Niangne, Samantha Paulino, Valeria Redhead Link to Presentation
Bringing the Buzz to Campus: Truck Activation
Bringing the Buzz to Social Media: Marketing Collateral
Static Social Posts
(Find the first one here, and the second two here)
Social Post Videos:
1. Something is brewing (teaser
Brewed by AU was designed as a ready-to-go pitch contest with the ultimate goal to increase engagement with Nestlé Youth Entrepreneurship Platform (YEP) on American University’s campus. The coffee-centered contest targets driven, career-focused students at AU, especially those interested in business, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. The pitch contest connects students with YEP, and together they offer real-world experience, resume boosts, and networking opportunities for students. Additionally, coffee plays a key role by tapping into student culture. It’s a daily ritual, a comfort item, and a social tool. By combining caffeine with career growth, Brewed by AU creates an engaging platform where students can develop ideas, connect with industry mentors, and turn passion into action.
The team created a website for Brewed by AU to serve as an easy-to-navigate hub for information about the pitch contest and Nestlé YEP. Alongside information on judges and how to enter, the website included sample social media posts and videos that could be posted by Kogod’s Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship or AU’s Entrepreneurship Club. The team also pitched the idea to bring a Nestlé coffee truck or stand to campus to further activate the Nestlé brand and engage students with a passion for coffee and entrepreneurship.
Creative Strategists Team: The Smart Cookie High School Module & Scholarship
Emily Yucht, Peyton Thurman, Emma Taylor, Vanessa Levins
In capturing high school students, the Creative Strategist team created three deliverables that sought to boost their engagement with the Nestle YEP platform, which was very little to begin with. The team recognized the value of the YEP platform for this demographic, and decided to specifically target high school students who truly needed the resources that the platform has to offer. They also wanted to help inspire students who lack encouragement to take on new opportunities towards their future careers. So, the team created two specific high school student personas to target: Open to Opportunity Oliver and Seeking Support Sarah. Oliver is an aspiring entrepreneur who attends a low-income high school that lacks entrepreneurship resources. He is eager to explore extracurricular opportunities but doesn’t have the resources to start. With Sarah, she is also an aspiring entrepreneur, but she comes from a high school and home background that gives her access to entrepreneurial opportunities. She wants to stand out on her college applications, but she doesn’t have encouragement from her environment to pursue these resources.
Deliverable #1: As the team conducted field research and completed the YEP modules, the members noticed that the modules do not necessarily represent the ideas and knowledge of high school students passionate about entrepreneurship and wanting to learn more. Therefore, the team created an additional module, highlighting a successful high-school-age entrepreneur, Gabby Goodwin, and illustrating her journey and business plan. The Creative Team decided that showing Gabby’s steps in becoming a successful entrepreneur would provide the greatest inspiration for these high school students to not only explore the rest of the YEP platform, but to kickstart their own entrepreneurial careers. The completion of the module grants the student a certificate of achievement that allows them to apply to Deliverable #2.
Deliverable #2: For the team’s second deliverable, they decided to create and outline a scholarship that high school students would be eligible to apply to upon the completion of the Deliverable #1 Module, along with a promotional video to be shared to Nestle's social networks. The scholarship is $20,000 granted to 20 high school students, and the Creative Strategists outlined a timeline for module completion, scholarship application, selection process for
scholarship winners, and judging criteria for applicants. The team determined that promotion of the scholarship and module would be targeted towards under-funded high schools, where the “Open to Opportunity Olivers” were most concentrated.
Deliverable #3: The final deliverable for the Smart Cookie Campaign is the Smart Cookie Summit, a networking event for winners of the scholarship. Students will be matched with a Nestlé professional in their field of interest, allowing them to have a mentor as they take on their future entrepreneurial endeavors. The one-day summit will also feature networking activities, motivational speeches from professionals, and awards for the winners. Upon the conclusion of the summit, students will receive a special LinkedIn badge for their achievements (see below).
Link to final presentation:
https://www.canva.com/design/DAGiv-NXXeg/ma63MXoPk5BLUIBJPhuQrA/edit
Brand Development Team
The “Gift of Entrepreneurship: Unwrap Your Potential with YEP” campaign is designed to inspire college students from diverse backgrounds who are career-driven and passionate about food and environmental sustainability. Its goal is to increase awareness of Nestlé’s YEP program by showcasing its impact and motivating students to complete the modules and earn a certification. Centered around three key deliverables, the campaign combines digital strategies with on-campus activations to launch and drive engagement with YEP across the U.S. By connecting with students through purpose-driven messaging and accessible opportunities, the campaign, created by Brand Development Directors Angelina Szkotak, Jake Levine, Isabella Giner, Myra Schoengold, and Leo Zevin, empowers the next generation to innovate around the causes that matter most.
Deliverable 1: Take Control of Your Own Story Through YEP A Look at How YEP is Turning Ideas into Impact
The educational video introduces the Nestlé YEP program to college students, highlighting the benefits students can gain from completing the modules and receiving a certification. The video appeals to young people’s desire to learn through digital storytelling, encouraging them to take the next step in joining the YEP community.
Deliverable 2: The Nestlé Experience Truck
Bringing Treats, Fun, and The YEP Competition to Campus
The Nestlé Experience Truck is an on-campus activation that brings the YEP program directly to college students in a memorable and engaging way. Through this mobile experience, students have the opportunity to interact with student ambassadors, explore the educational modules firsthand, and learn details about the YEP competition in an interactive environment. By creating an in-person touchpoint, the truck builds excitement and curiosity, and drives engagement with the program. It’s designed to not only increase awareness but to build buzz and participation through face-to-face connections.
Deliverable 3: The YEP Playbook
An Influencer Media Kit to Build Buzz and Inspire Action
The YEP Playbook is a media kit created for influencers to help promote the YEP competition and program on social media. It includes key messages, branded visuals, and content examples so influencers can easily and authentically share the YEP story. This tool helps more students learn about the program, encourages them to join, and highlights how YEP is making a positive impact. By working with trusted voices online, the YEP Playbook helps the program reach more people and build a stronger community of student participants.
