IMDOINGIT Supports the BIPOC Community with The Verdict Competition

At IMDOINGIT, the programs focus on advancing black youth excellence in career and business, as a means of bridging the gaps that exist in DEI. Last month, IMDOINGIT wrapped up a very successful experience called The Verdict. This is a case competition for black youth to solve real business challenges with the guidance of mentors over a six-week period. 

50 individuals participated this year. Contestants were paired with mentors via IMDOINGIT's matching portal called mentorMatch. After being onboarded into the program, mentees were provided with various resources including briefing calls, direct messaging chats with case partners and organisers, consult sessions, and other guides to support solution development over the allotted six-week period.

The participants worked on one of three cases:

1. Checking the Canadian Auto Industry bias. Case provided by The&Partnership

2. Raising awareness of Sobeys’ commitment to Child & Youth Mental Health in a genuine and culturally relevant way, while creating an association to Canada’s Children’s Hospital Foundation (CCHF) and the 13 hospital foundations within their network. Case provided by Mediabrands.

3. Recruiting associates who share our core values and are looking to grow their career at The Home Depot. Case provided by FCB.

Winners

The $10,000 grand prize winners were: Taiya King, Chandelle King, and Keshana King, who competed as ELIT3. Uche Ezeh won $2,500 in the individual category.

“The Verdict was one of the most challenging and fun competitions I've ever done. It challenged my sisters and I to think outside the box, and work together to find a strategy that we all could agree on.” said Taiya King, one of the members of the grand prize-winning team, ELIT3. “Having an idea that we ourselves strongly believed in, was the key to us bringing this together. We poured a lot of our time and energy into our strategy, and we're incredibly grateful that the judges and everyone were able to see that. “

"The Verdict was an exceptional experience that allowed me to gain invaluable insights into my expertise in marketing,” said Uche Ezeh who won the Singles competition. “Through this event, I was able to identify my strengths and interests and learn how to apply them to real-life issues. Participating in The Verdict also provided me with a fantastic opportunity to grow my network, meet like-minded individuals, and build valuable connections within my industry.”

The Verdict was sponsored by Mediabrands, The&Partnership, and FCB Canada