DETROIT — Know Advertising and Detroit-based venture capitalist firm, Detroit Venture Partners, have teamed up to hold Idea Generation: The Non-Profit Project, a one-day intern competition, to benefit the Detroit-area non-profit, The Empowerment Plan. The Empowerment Plan helps the Detroit homeless by making jackets that double as sleeping bags, while employing homeless women to make them.
The event will divide the two companies’ interns into four groups who will compete against one another to come up with the best solutions for the needs of The Empowerment Plan.
“We have put a lot of effort into developing a strong educational program for our interns,” Rick Van House says, president of Know Advertising. “I like to say ‘content over coffee.’ Interns are here to learn, and the best way to do that is to have them work on content that matters.”
“It is important that we play our part in developing the youth that will someday be in our shoes,” Josh Linkner says, CEO and managing partner at Detroit Venture Partners. “By dedicating a day solely to the development of our interns, they will experience firsthand many of the skills necessary to move forward in the business world.”
The event is planned to take place on Aug. 5. Interns will gather at Detroit Venture Partners’ office at the Madison building in downtown Detroit, where they will be briefed on The Empowerment Plan and then be sent into breakout sessions to develop a comprehensive campaign over the course of four hours. At the end of the day, the groups will present their campaigns and creative concepts to a panel of judges (including Linker, Van House and other notable industry people) to determine the best and most innovative campaign. The winners will be awarded prizes and the chance to showcase the work to the public via a real campaign launched by The Empowerment Plan.
