Memphis, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem tech students mentored by renowned international sport tech figures
Forty-one tech students in Memphis, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem spent three days honing their talent during the first Global Sports Tech Youth Challenge presented by Tarik Black Foundation along with Colosseum Sports Innovation Group in Tele Aviv and CodeCrew in Memphis.
Winners:
Memphis Team 2
Jayda Murray, Javon Garcia, Sobenna Egwuekwe, Anaya Murray, Aren Egwuekwe
Tel Aviv Team 2
Oran Cohen, Yair Lixenberg, Daniel Feuerstein, Inon Ben Dror
Distinguish international judges were: Oren Lefkowitz, head of Venture Captial and Startup Partnerships at Google; Andres Cardenas, Global Head of Football at Minute Media; Briana “HOOPS” Green former Harlem Globetrotter and Koko Archibong; Olympian former pro basketball player, now wealth advisor.
Guest speaker Ofir Frank, chief technology operation at Maccabi Tel Aviv Basketball offered inspiration as students worked over eight hour daily developing their innovation concepts which they pitch to the panel of judges on day three.
Leaders of sponsor organizations Judith Moore, Tarik Black Foundation; Oren Simanian, Founder, Colosseum; and Meka Egwuekwe, CodeCrew partnered to produce the pilot event. Plans are to host Global Sports Tech Youth Challenge annually and scale the event by adding teams from other countries.
While playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team in Tel Aviv, Tarik Black forged the partnership between Tarik Black Foundation and Colosseum. The two organizations wanted to connect to create a chance for tech students in Memphis and tech students in Tel Aviv to network. CodeCrew, a Memphis youth tech computer center was invited to join the collaboration. The result was the Global Sports Tech YouthChallenge.
“We are pleased with how this collaboration turned out. The Global Sports Tech Youth Challenge gives students experience working with peers in other countries, said Judith Moore, president Tarik Black Foundation. “This is a great growth opportunity and a chance for tech students to begin forming international colleagues and networks. Many still communicate and are global friends now. We look forward to seeing how these relationships evolve in the future,” said Moore.
The next event is planned for August 2020.