MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 27, 2017 —FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide are set to launch the FedEx Junior Business Challenge, a program in conjunction with the PGA TOUR to help empower the next generation of entrepreneurs across the country.
The FedEx Junior Business Challenge, an extension of the JA Company Program, will serve as a platform to provide select JA students the opportunity to showcase their business company concepts at designated PGA TOUR tournaments this season for a chance to generate a $75,000 donation from FedEx to further support youth entrepreneurship.
At each FedEx Junior Business Challenge event, JA students ranging from 15-18 years old will pitch their team’s business concept to a panel of judges consisting of a PGA TOUR player and a variety of successful business leaders. The panel will evaluate each team’s business pitch and select one JA Company from each tournament to move onto the FedEx Junior Business Challenge Finals in September at the TOUR Championship in Atlanta. The qualified companies will then compete for the chance to earn the $75,000 donation for their local JA chapter on behalf of FedEx.
FedEx Junior Business Challenge Events Schedule:
- Shell Houston Open (Humble, Texas) – Wednesday, March 29
- THE PLAYERS Championship (Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.) – Wednesday, May 10
- Travelers Championship (Hartford, Conn.) – Wednesday, June 21
- World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational (Akron, Ohio) – Wednesday, August 2
Since 1996, FedEx has donated more than $13 million to JA Worldwide in support of small business and the entrepreneurs of tomorrow. The FedEx Junior Business Challenge is part of the FedEx Cares global giving initiative, in which FedEx is committing $200 million to 200 communities around the world by 2020.
“Small businesses and entrepreneurship are paramount to FedEx. Our relationship with the PGA TOUR and JA Worldwide provides a unique opportunity to use golf as a platform to support and showcase the next generation of business leaders through the FedEx Junior Business Challenge,” said Patrick Fitzgerald, senior vice president of Integrated Marketing Communications for FedEx. “It will be exciting to witness the creativity and forward thinking that the students present at each event during the PGA TOUR season.”
With more than 100 member countries, the JA Worldwide network reaches more than 10 million young people around the world every year.
“The amount of thought, planning and collaboration that JA students put into developing their business concepts is impressive,” said Asheesh Advani, CEO, JA Worldwide. “The FedEx Junior Business Challenge will serve as an opportunity for students to display their entrepreneurial thinking and innovation at PGA TOUR tournaments across the country.”
FedEx has been an official sponsor of the PGA TOUR since 2002. In 2007 the FedExCup—a season-long competitive and promotional platform—was introduced, transforming the competitive landscape of the PGA TOUR. The performance-based point structure culminates with the FedExCup Playoffs, a four-tournament playoff at the end of the season to determine the FedExCup Champion.
“As a preeminent supporter of the PGA TOUR, FedEx has made a significant commitment to support the local communities that host tournaments throughout the year,” said Brian Oliver, senior vice president of Sponsorships and Partnerships for the PGA TOUR. “The FedEx Junior Business Challenge is a great example of this, and is a unique program that we are looking forward to hosting at our tournaments during the 2016-17 PGA TOUR season.”
To learn more about the FedExCup, visit PGATOUR.com/FedExCup or follow FedEx on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter via @FedEx.