NFTE, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded by Steve Mariotti in 1987. It has reached over 150,000 young people since its founding and has programs in 28 states and 13 countries outside the United States. I Create is NFTE's partner in India.
NFTE grew out of Steve's six and a half year experience teaching at-risk kids in a poor neighborhood in New York. His perceptions and learnings inspired him to create a program to bring entrepreneurial education to low-income youth., Now, almost twenty years later, NFTE's mission is to teach entrepreneurship and help low-income young people become economically productive members of society by improving their academic, business, technological, and general life skills. The program has a proven track record of success. It is frequently used as a model for other programs to teach business knowledge and the resulting business formation.
PROGRAM EVALUATION & RESEARCH
Brandeis University & David H. Koch Foundation Evaluation:
- 99% of alumni would recommend a NFTE program
- Business ownership experience was four times higher than control group
Research Focus: Alumni Perspective
- Participation in a NFTE program increased business knowledge by 20 times
- Business formation rates by 30 times
The founder and President of NFTE, Steve Mariotti, is the recipient of numerous awards including an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
Steve Mariotti's book The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to starting and Running a Business was awarded the prestigious Golden Lamp Award by the Association of Educational Publishers. The book has been adapted for India and will be published in Hindi by I Create, Inc in 2007.
