Two young local entrepreneurs will be launching their own businesses with the support of Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s Start Something programme.
The eight-week business-building bootcamp culminated in a Dragon’s Den-style pitch at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this week, with Nathan Mubenga’s Benga Bars and Alisa Ahmed’s AlishEra clothing brand selected by judges to receive funding.
Start Something is designed for local residents aged 18 to 30 to develop business ideas, receive training in entrepreneurship through group workshops, and get one-to-one support to launch and further develop their business.
Activities are delivered by Enterprise Nation, with Club partner _Socios.com_ funding the programme through its social impact arm, _Socios.com Supports_, and helping mentor participants.
The aspiring entrepreneurs then get the opportunity to pitch for up to £1,000 to help launch their business.
Pitches this week were heard by a judging panel of Foundation youth, employment and skills manager Damian Zabielski, Enterprise Nation chief operating officer Polly Dhaliwal, local entrepreneur Daniel Ayim and Club partnerships manager Lauren Gilchrist.
Funding was awarded based on delivery, traction, potential impact, plans for the future and the use of investment money.
Nathan, 23, born and raised in Tottenham, who secured the top prize of £1,000 towards the production of his chocolate bars, said: “I feel amazing. I’m really proud of myself and where I come from.
“Start Something showed me what the world of business is all about. It showed me the whole side of running a business that you don’t really talk about in school or online, and ultimately helped give me greater belief in my product.
“I really do appreciate the opportunity Tottenham Hotspur has given me.”
Nathan added he would use the investment towards marketing and content creation to promote his bars.
Alisa, 19, from Edmonton Green, collected £500 in support of her sustainable clothing that is inclusive of and tailored to women who wear a hijab.
She said: “I’m ecstatic! I can’t explain my emotions. I’m so passionate about this and I wanted to present in a way that the judges would understand my battles and my brand.
“The support of the Foundation and partners has been great. Everything they stand for I really resonate with. This has been a good opportunity and helping hand for people like me who don’t have a business background.”
Adèle Scott, Foundation mentoring coordinator, said: “Start Something began because it was identified that the number of Brits thinking about starting a business in 2024 had risen to 35%, with this figure rising to more than half among young adults aged 18 to 24.
“In speaking to young people supported through our employment programmes, we realised there was a lack of funding for them to help develop their ideas.
“We’re so proud of everyone who took part over the last eight weeks and, of course, congratulations to Nathan and Alisha! We look forward to seeing how their businesses develop in the months and years ahead.”
Through Start Something, the Foundation is aiming to support the launch of 25 start-ups in Haringey and Enfield over the next two years.
For more information about it and to register for future Start Something cohorts, with the next to begin in April, **[CLICK HERE...](https://www.enterprisenation.com/start-something/)**