A woman who quit her job at Apple to launch an award-winning service for young people said participating on a fellowship program where she met Prince Charles inspired her to forge a career in technology.
A woman who quit her job at Apple to launch an award-winning service for young people said participating on a fellowship program where she met Prince Charles inspired her to forge a career in technology.
Nathalie Richards, who grew up in Gants Hill and went to Woodford County High School, was supported by a Windsor Fellowship programme when she was a teenager and said had she not participated on the scheme, she would not have thought a career in the industry was possible.
Twenty years later she has won five awards for her creation Edukit – a service which links teachers and parents with development opportunities for young people – including a Department for Education award and the UnLtd Big Venture Challenge award.
She also recently won a mentoring opportunity with Lastminute.com co-founder Martha Lane Fox.
Nathalie said: “I can’t turn on TV and see the problems of young people and not be part of the solution.
“I want others to have the same sort of opportunities that I had and I want to give back – we are committed to the idea of potential.”
Edukit is a free tool which shows the thousands of opportunities available to young people in a variety of sectors including professional development, work experience, personal development and outdoor activities.
From the Prince’s Trust and Premier League football clubs to coding and cooking, Nathalie said there was a course to suit everyone, with non-academic activities such as dance listed too.
Her inspiration came about after the London riots when members of the public were asking what could be done to help London’s youth.
As a mentor and board member for several charities, she knew there was a multitude of services available, but the problem was that people didn’t know about them.
It was a big step for Nathalie to quit her job and start a new venture, but she believes in the power of mentoring.
She said: “We want young people to reach their potential. It was incredibly hard work, but what an adventure.”
For more information about the visit: edukit.org,uk
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