Google and Google’s Jason Scott bring diversity to Silicon Valley, and advice to Y-Labs, a teen business accelerator solving social problems.
Scott, a prominent supporter of Black and Women Founders, brought his infectious enthusiasm and business and life hacks to Y-Labs Teen Business Accelerator Fellows on Thursday July 31, 2020, National Intern Day.
“Nothing brings people together like vulnerability” — Jason Scott
Google’s Scott dazzled the teen audience, a globally and culturally socially forward teen entrepreneur group, with tips for how to live “A Good Business Life, starting as early as possible.”
Scott admitted that he was envious of the teen’s starting out their socially responsible life so early in life, saying “the earlier you start as an entrepreneur, the faster you’ll be a success.” The older and diverse 3 founders of Y-labs reluctantly did agree that “Youth can be wasted on the young.” Jason urged the young business Y-Lab Fellows to learn from other’s successes and failures.
Scott, a living example of Silicon Valley’s tenant of meritocracy, offered to connect the Y-Labs students working on a food waste problem in East Palo Alto with WeHOPE and mental health projects at Rutgers with similar Google’s Start-ups such as Goodr.co https://www.goodr.co and MindRight https://www.mindright.io. It was Scott “making someone smile” and being the “best supporting actor” in real life not in the movies like Mahershal Ali in Green Book.
“Write down your 3 values every day-so you won’t forget them” — Jason Scott
Taking advice from Google’s own playbook and corporate culture. Scott advised the Y-Labs Fellows, who are overwhelmingly young strong women of color, to “take care of your own employees” “hire to fit your own values”, “figure out what you love to do by looking at what you do when nobody asks you to do it.”
Bianca, a rising senior of color who lives three T-Stops away from MIT and who hopes to be a freshman at school next fall, couldn’t believe it was Jason’s own mother who made him apply to MIT while Gabriela, a Y-Labs Fellow in Rio de Janeiro, thought the Google Interoffice Slide Tube was, “so dope.”
As outsiders in Silicon Valley, the Y-Labs Fellows, took comfort that someone who “looks like me” could succeed. As a person of color, an inventor and entrepreneur, Jason Scott encouraged the teenage founders, “it’ll be alright, you’ll figure it out, just keep getting closer to your eyes on the prize.”
Y-Labs’ Co-Founder Christina Zhu-Weaver Hosted the Online Event
About Jason Scott
Jason is the Head of the Startup Developer Ecosystem at Google, where he manages Google’s regional accelerator programs and oversees the startup developer engagement strategy. Jason has an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and is a graduate of MIT. Jason has worked in various startups, venture capital, and runs his own company FactionSF.
About Y-Labs
Y-Labs is a licensed 501(c)(3) non profit organization founded by two African American men (Stanford, Columbia alumni) and one Asian American female. Y-Lab’s mission is to empower teens to find fulfillment through entrepreneurship solutions to real-world challenges.
Y-Lab Program is a highly selective entrepreneurship, venture design and social innovation program for talented teenagers who have demonstrative potential in STEAMS (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Mathematics, and Sports). Y-Labs virtual entrepreneurship program pairs talented teens with experienced mentors to work on projects with a potential for great social impact. Our program mission is to accelerate the talent and passion of young people for innovation-led entrepreneurship that leads to real social change within their communities.
Our network of experienced Silicon Valley professionals provide mentorship and coaching to Y-Labs Fellows. We are dedicated to promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. Learn more about Y-Labs [https://y-labs.us]. The co-founders of Y-Labs are Mahama Nyankamawu, Christina Zhu-Weaver, and Michael Olorunninwo.
Y-Labs can be found on: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Medium and our website.
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