Ernst & Young's Maria Pinelli Appointed as Chair of Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE); Global Vice Chair Strategic Growth Markets Sets Goals for NFTE's Growth

London, UK and New York, NY (PRWEB) November 12, 2012

Maria Pinelli, Global Vice Chair for Strategic Growth Markets at Ernst & Young has been appointed the new Chair of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) – its first appointment of a new Chair since 2005. NFTE is present in 11 countries, including Belgium, China, Chile, Colombia, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia and the US. Starting in one small school and one small classroom, to date the award winning curriculum has been delivered to over 500,000 students and trained more than 5,000 teachers in over 50 countries. NFTE is a global non-profit organization that helps young people from low-income communities to become financially independent, by developing their entrepreneurial spirit.

“It's an honor to not only be able to encourage entrepreneurship on a daily basis at Ernst & Young, but now as the Chair of NFTE too,” says Pinelli. “My goal is to continue changing the lives of “street smart” kids to “business aware” young adults, not only in the US but in as many countries as possible.”

Currently Ernst & Young partners with NFTE to bring entrepreneurship opportunities to disadvantaged youth through a multi-tiered commitment. In recognition of Ernst & Young's more than 8,000 Entrepreneur Of The Year Award® winners and the organization's commitment to support future market leaders everywhere, Ernst & Young LLP has established the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® Alumni Fund to reward top Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) students with college scholarships as well as aid NFTE's Adopt-a-Class initiative. This fund represents a $300,000 commitment toward matching donations by Ernst & Young LLP partners and Entrepreneur Of The Year alumni over the next three years.

Ernst & Young LLP also supports NFTE in its efforts to help young people from low-income communities build skills and unlock their entrepreneurial creativity. Founded in New York in 1987, NFTE began as a program to encourage children to stay in school and improve their academic performance. Today in its 25 year, it has grown to provide educational programs around entrepreneurship for at-risk students that include; core business and financial lessons, developing a business plan, and training to compete in local and national entrepreneurship competitions. These programs further enable students to take control of their own education and find a path to success.

In addition to funding college scholarships for students, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Alumni Fund will support NFTE's Adopt-a-Class initiative, in which Ernst & Young LLP personnel volunteer as coaches and mentors to students.

“Our vision for NFTE is to double our presence internationally by 2015 – increasing the number of participating countries and the number of young people involved from 500,000 to 1 million over the next five years. Young entrepreneurs represent the best hope of creating sustained economic growth globally – and many start in unexpected places, which is where NFTE comes in,” comments Pinelli.

While dedicating the past 25 years of her life to providing professional services to clients worldwide at Ernst & Young, Pinelli has developed expertise in working with businesses to help accelerate their growth and success. Pinelli has also led over 20 IPOs in three continents and currently oversees Ernst & Young's renowned Entrepreneur Of The Year® program and the Entrepreneurial Winning Women™ program.

“Maria is a great leader and ambassador for NFTE and everyone on our board and our leadership team is excited to be partnering with her, as we work toward NFTE's promising future,” said Amy Rosen, President and CEO of NFTE. “Thanks to Ernst & Young's continued support, it is possible to combat the staggering youth unemployment rate by inspiring as many young people as possible to develop an entrepreneurial mindset to meet market demands and social needs which ultimately have the potential to produce real world business prospects and job creation.”

About Ernst & Young

Ernst & Young is a global leader in assurance, tax, transactions and advisory services. Worldwide, our 167,000 people are united by our shared values and an unwavering commitment to quality. We make a difference by helping our people, our clients and our wider communities achieve their potential.

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About the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship

Too many young people today drop out of school and struggle to break the cycle of poverty. Since 1987, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has been inspiring young people to pursue educational opportunities, start their own businesses, and succeed in life. By providing entrepreneurship education programs relevant to the real world, NFTE empowers students to own their educations in and out of the classroom and to find their own path to success. Hundreds of thousands of students have discovered opportunity all around them through entrepreneurship via thousands of certified educators worldwide. NFTE supports active programs in 18 U.S. states and 11 countries around the world. Entrepreneurs are a powerful driver of economic growth and NFTE sows the seeds of innovation in students worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.nfte.com.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/11/prweb10124447.htm

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