The Race to BE. is the signature U.S. event for the worldwide initiative Global Entrepreneurship Week, which will encourage young people to leverage their artistic abilities in film, music and fashion into entrepreneurial endeavors.
Simmons brings a lifetime of creative entrepreneurial success to his role as host of the Race to BE. including the creation of Def Jam Records, Phat Farm and the newly launched Argyle Culture.
Simmons will be joined by Carl J. Schramm, president and CEO of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, which is a national sponsor of the Race to BE. along with the Acton Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
The Race to BE. competition will focus on the genres of film, music and fashion. Each competition will take place in its respective artistic center: Los Angeles (film), Austin (music) and New York (fashion). Applicants must be between the ages of 18 and 29 and submit their applications and sample of their existing creative work online at www.racetobeusa.com.
The Kauffman Foundation co-founded Global Entrepreneurship Week with Make Your Mark in the United Kingdom. The Week is being globally sponsored by NYSE Euronext, IBM and Ernst & Young. More than 75 countries have joined together to participate in Global Entrepreneurship Week, Nov. 17 - 23, 2008, with hopes of inspiring the next generation of creative thinkers.
