The Golden State Warriors, in partnership with Chase, have launched the Financial Gameplan: Small Business Impact series that will lead students through a seven-week educational program to build a business plan for Ahmed’s Moving Express, a locally-owned Chase small business client. At the conclusion of the program, the students will pitch their business plans to a panel of judges, including Warriors players and executives, to determine a winner.
For broll of Warriors guard Damion Lee participating in the first week of this Financial Gameplan: Small Business Impact series, watch the video below. Lee spoke to students on the importance of a positive mindset, overcoming challenges and why it is important to understand how businesses operate.
This program will divide College Track students into small groups to develop business operations and marketing for Chase small business client Ahmed’s Moving Express. The seven-week series, which began on September 16, will conclude on October 28. Each week’s lesson will follow a business planning track, including:
- Week 1: Welcome & Empathize; the students will familiarize themselves with Ahmed’s Moving Express and the company’s challenges
- Week 2: Define; students will identify the issues and opportunities for the company
- Week 3: Ideate; the group will imagine all possible products and strategies to enhance the business operations
- Week 4: Prototype; students will build a model of the new system
- Week 5: Test; the group will begin to test the model
- Week 6: Practice; students will practice finalize their model and practice their pitch
- Week 7: Pitch; on the final week, the students will showcase their work for a panel of judges
“The underserved Bay Area community needs more support now than ever before,” said Warriors Senior Vice President of Partnerships, Mike Kitts. “In partnership with Chase, BUILD and College Track, we’ve had the opportunity to get creative in how we can engage students. That process has resulted in yet another game-changing platform that we’re able to offer Bay Area students.”
“This extension of Financial Gameplan will provide Bay Area students with a meaningful opportunity to engage and develop a business plan for Ahmed’s Moving Express during a critical time for their business,” said Amy Wallace, Vice President, Global Philanthropy, JPMorgan Chase. “We’re committed to supporting our surrounding communities and are proud to work with the Warriors on a program that impacts local students and a growing small business during a time of uncertainty.” BUILD, founded in 1999, is dedicated to proving the power of experiential learning through entrepreneurship and igniting the potential of youth in under-resourced communities. The non-profit will utilize their previously-developed, fully-customized virtual design challenge to engage with College Track students throughout the duration of this program.
Ahmed’s Moving Express was founded in 1997 by Ahmed Issa, a native of Tanzania Africa. He attended the College of Marin, where he studied business administration and English as his second language. Following the purchase of his first moving van in 1997, he purchased his first office space in San Rafael in 2004 and since then, has steadily grown the business to where it is at today, a trusted, reliable moving company serving customers across the nation.
Launched in January 2020, the Financial Gameplan series serves students from College Track, a comprehensive college completion program that equips students confronting systemic barriers to earn a bachelor’s degree in pursuit of a life of opportunity, choice and power. College Track has been a grantee of the Warriors Community Foundation since 2014, with the organization receiving over $282,000 in impact. The first Financial Gameplan cohort included 75 Bay Area students, with over 100 students expected to participate in the first year combined.