This document proposes a social enterprise platform called 4C that connects students, teachers, and professionals to inspire learning and career decision making. It aims to address problems with the current learning environment like limited practical career knowledge and access to industry professionals. 4C would utilize a sharing economy model to allow professionals to volunteer timeslots for activities like presentations, workshops, and mentoring. It provides initial mockups of the platform and market research showing strong support. The proposal outlines goals, motivations, pain points addressed, target customers, and competitive advantages. It also includes financial projections showing the concept can be financially sustainable through corporate sponsorships and grants.

1. An Accenture Leaders of Tomorrow Entry 2015
4C
Inspiration through
Connection
Submission by: Peter O’Neill
Institute: Dublin Institute of Technology
Course: BSc in Digital Technology

2. 4C is a Social Enterprise ‘Sharing
Economy’ platform utilising
technology to transform student
learning and career decision making
through direct industry access,
engagement and collaboration

3. Inspiration through Connection
Goals
 Learn aspects which are relevant for
future careers and decision making.
 Develop a career plan which leads to
a progressive and rewarding career.
 Mind opened up to career paths which
may never have been considered.
Motivations
• Learning and Knowledge
• Career which fully matches her skills
and passion.
• Finding a role she truly enjoys
Pain points
 Limited access to different
perspectives and insight.
 Taught almost exclusively with
theoretical material.
 No access to mentor / role models
within fields she has an interest within.
.
“A lot of what we are
taught is far too
theoretical, obsolete or
unnecessary for
tomorrow or even
today’s workforce. I
really do not know who I
want to be in life”
Meet Sarah O’Brien (17)

4. Inspiration through Connection
What’s the Problem?
1. Learning Environment: Limited student
knowledge of ‘real world’ learning, practical
career paths/skill sets and role model networks.
2. Network Barriers/Access Points: Restricted
connectivity and accessibility between the
education and professional worlds.
3. Time Scarcity: Reluctance to volunteer in any
project unless structured and convenient.
Deloitte UK 2014
HEA 2014
Accenture Ireland
2014

5. Accenture Ireland
2014
Learning /
Career
Decision
Barriers:
(1) Practical
Knowledge &
Information
(2) Network &
Role Models

6. Inspiration through Connection
Collapsing Barriers and Connecting
Ecosystems
EducationIndustry
4C

7. Inspiration through Connection

8. Inspiration through Connection
How does 4C work?
1. Professionals “Oracles” register using existing
social media profile API and volunteer 1-3 hours
a month within timeslot ‘office hours’.
2. Registered Teachers & Students book these live
timeslots through a dynamic search engine.
3. Oracle Sessions - Career Presentations, Role-play
Workshops, Panel Discussions, Site Visits, Virtual
Classroom Discussions or Student Coaching.
4. ‘Practical’ Stakeholder Discussion Forums and
Planning Tools.

9. Inspiration through Connection
Homepage
(Initial Mockup -
For illustration
solely)

10. Inspiration through Connection
Public Profile
(Initial Mockup -
For illustration
solely)

11. Inspiration through Connection
Search Page
(Initial Mockup -
For illustration
solely)

12. Inspiration through Connection
4C Connect
(Initial Mockup -
For illustration
solely)

13. Inspiration through Connection
The Market – Stakeholders
1. Corporate Sponsors who wish to:
- Improve CSR Standing / Community Engagement
- Employee individual competencies increased.
- Market student involvement in specific industry / subject area e.g. STEM
- Strengthen professions community / practical student knowledge
- Impact and improve the education curriculum at source.
- Gain access to high potential future employees.
2. Professionals who hope to:
- Give back to the community / self empowerment
- Inspire future professionals and pass on learning
- Strengthen own professions ecosystem.
- Increase their own skill set (presenting, mentoring, industry knowledge etc.)
- Market their individual competencies & involvement e.g. Oracle Green Belt.
3. Secondary Level Teachers / University Lecturers who wish to:
- Enhance their students theoretical lessons with practical lessons/advice from
industry practitioners.
- Search and connect with Oracles for specific subject area expertise (e.g. STEM,
Arts, Physical Education).
- Update their own industry understanding through 4C sessions and forums.
4. Students (Secondary and Undergraduate initially) who hope to:
- Increase their knowledge of future career paths
- Obtain first hand insight and industry mentoring
- Learn and be inspired by business leaders and experienced professionals.

14. Inspiration through Connection
Primary Research of Irish Market
Yes
72%
No
28%
Would you volunteer 3
hours a month to inspire
students?
Yes No
Yes
95%
No
5%
Would you volunteer 1 hour a month to
inspire students?
Yes No
96%
4%
Do you think a concept such
as 4C is needed in Ireland?
Yes No
• Concept feasibility, participation and user requirements.
• Included 95 returned online surveys, 12 interviews with school
teachers and 4 meetings with business professionals.
92%
8%
As a teacher would such a
concept be valuable to you?
Yes No

15. Inspiration through Connection
USP / Sustainable Competitive Advantage
1. Live Availability Search & Instant Booking.
2. First Mover Advantages: First sharing economy
education / Industry transaction platform.
3. Embedded Software Tools: Unique user centric
functionality and convenience (e.g. 4C Connect).
4. ‘Date’ Matching Algorithms: Previous bookings,
profile and favourites (your child’s school).
Aligned with psychometric testing for fit.
1. Virtual Currency: Oracle participation ‘Mining’
exchangeable currency (Knowledge Economy).
Oracle coins can be exchanged for other Oracle
timeslots or discounts on Corporate sponsor
goods/services.

16. Inspiration through Connection1. Strategic Partners / High Profile Oracles: Rapid
market penetration, sustainability and barrier to
entry for incumbents (Slide 28).
2. User Centric & Cloud Hosting: Responsive
Website Design and constant user review.
3. Social Media Profiles: Knowledge
Dissemination, Open Connection Point and
Personal Branding (e.g. Oracle Green Belt).
4. Social Media & User Generated Marketing:
a) Constant push / User blogs & videos.
b) Monthly User Tailored E-zines.
c) Gamification e.g. Virtual Dragon’s Den.
USP / Sustainable Competitive Advantage

17. Inspiration through Connection
What will the business look like?
1. Social Enterprise Model:
a) Corporate Sponsorship & State Grants.
b) Data Mining, Commission and Events.
2. International Expansion: Mainland Europe &
USA state penetration through platform licensing
and strategic partnerships (18 - 24 months).
3. Employment: One full time (Industry Liaison)
and 2 part time staff (IT Dev. and Marketing).
4. Contingency Plans:
a) Software Development as Benefit in Kind.
b) BITC as Irish implementation partners.
c) Job schemes to offset employment costs.
d) Social Enterprise Exit Strategy

18. Inspiration through Connection
What’s the Problem?
1. Learning Environment: Extremely limited student
knowledge of ‘real world’ learning, practical career
paths/skill sets and role model networks.
 Infuse current student theoretical learning and
career decision making with practical knowledge,
support and inspiration.
2. Network Barriers/Access Points: Extremely restricted
connectivity and accessibility between the education
and professional worlds.
 Transform this dynamic, breaking barriers through
sharing economy engagement and direct access.
3. Time Scarcity: Reluctance to volunteer in any project
unless structured and convenient.
 4C will alleviate this issue through its limited time
commitment, easy to use system and by providing
support tools (4C Connect & planning software).

19. ‘Simple yet practical, with the real potential to
make a massive positive disruptive impact’
Utilise sharing economy dynamics / technology to
transform the education environment and act as a
catalyst of change within the wider knowledge
economy.

20. Inspiration through ConnectionBMC

21. The 4C name derives from the four main themes of the
initiatives ethos which is to enhance: Careers (present and
future), Communities (both industry and social),
Connections and to Challenge preconceptions. The concept
will be marketed however under the concept ‘Foresee - i.e.
your future’.
Professionals will be noted as ‘4C Oracles’ from an internal
marketing perspective - based on the Greek mythological
figures noted for wisdom, experience and future
predictions.

23. EY 2013

24. Inspiration through Connection
4C Customer Targets (ITF Based)
Irish Workforce: 1.9 million (CSO, 2014)
• 0.05% registered 4C Oracles (950) with 0.02% (380)
conducting regular sessions by the end of year 1.
• 0.4% registered 4C Oracles (7,600) with 0.2% (3,800)
conducting regular sessions by the end of year 3.
Teacher: 28,000 secondary teachers (ASTI, 2014)
• 2.5% registered (700) with 1% regular users (280) by the
end of year 1.
• 20% registered with 5% regular users by the end of year 3.
Students: 450,000 secondary students / 200,000
Undergraduate (HEA, 2014):
• 3% of secondary students attending 4C Oracle sessions by
the end of year 1.
• 25% of secondary students attending 4C Oracle sessions by
the end of year 3.
• 2% of senior cycle (16+ age) students being mentored by a
4C Oracle by the end of year 3.
• 0.75% of undergraduate students (1,500) being mentored
by a 4C Oracle by the end of year 3

25. Inspiration through Connection
Oracle Marketing
(a) Top Down Umbrella Marketing: Through circa 20 strategic
partners as noted on slide 28.
(b) Internal Corporate Communication: Oracle participation
being promoted and marketed to employees within companies
internal communication and support (e.g. Accenture, Microsoft
etc.). CSR conscious companies may permit employees to be
paid for the one hour a month they provide to the 4C initiative
(with a company ROI based on the number of benefits the
company would receive trough participation, as noted)
(c) Bottom up Marketing: Schools using their newsletters/
Facebook profile to market Oracle involvement to their
student's parents. This would ingrain a level of emotional
connection – e.g. willing to volunteer as benefits their child.
(d) Social Media Marketing: Direct social media marketing by
4C staff, users marketing the site to peers through sharing of
profiles/site which has a cognitive peer pressure element (e.g.
the 'cool crowd' effect) and through viral campaigns.
(e) High Profile Oracle Marketing

26. Inspiration through Connection
Strategic Partners (Ireland)
Relationships are important for ‘Top down umbrella marketing
push’, legitimacy, rapid penetration, multi sector participation
and user engagement (ITF model).
1. State bodies: Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland, SFI, HEA
and State Departments (e.g. DES,DEJI).
2. Representative Bodies: IBEC, BITC, Irish Chambers,
SFA, IIA, SIPTU, IFA and ICT Ireland etc.
3. Teacher/Student Representative Bodies: TUI, ASTI
and the NAPD.
4. Media: RTE, Irish Times, Careersportal.ie and
GradIreland.com.
5. Oracles (Corporate): Accenture, IBM, Google, Intel,
LinkedIn, Apple, Microsoft, Deloitte, PwC, KPMG,
Roche, Tyco, Pfizer, Coca Cola, Diego, Matheson, A&L
Goodbody, Musgrave Group, Tesco, AIB and Bank of
Ireland.

27. Inspiration through Connection
4C: Budget 2015-2018
OPERATING BUDGET FOR 4C Ireland 2015 -2017
PROFIT AND LOSS ACCOUNT (Ireland Operations Only)
Year 1 Year 2 Year 3
€ € €
Corporate Sponsorship (Platinum€5,000, Strategic €15,000) €95,000 €120,000 €140,000
State Grants/Support (EU, Enterprise Ireland, DJEI, DES) €30,000 €30,000 €25,000
Other Support (New Frontiers/ Social Enterprise Ireland/
Private Donations) €30,000 €5,000 €5,000
Banner Advertisement and Events €3,000 €8,000 €12,000
3rd Party Sales Commission €3,000 €5,000 €9,000
Founder Loan to Social Enterprise €10,000 €0 €0
Gross Income €171,000 €168,000 €191,000
Overheads
Staff (Including Employer PRSI)* €78,000 €85,000 €85,000
Loan Repayment €0 €10,000 €0
Website Design and Development (Responsive Design) €65,000 €10,000 €10,000
Cloud Hosting/Domain Registration €4,800 €5,500 €8,200
Software Licences (If applicable e.g. 4C Connect) €10,000 €10,000 €10,000
Shared office space (Including heating and lighting) €0 €3,000 €4,800
Marketing (Marketing software, web content and events) €10,000 €15,000 €20,000
General expenses (Insurance, Laptops etc) €3,000 €2,000 €2,000
Total overheads €170,800 €140,500 €140,000
Net Profit/(Loss) €200 €27,500 €51,000
Tax on profit/(loss) €0 €3,438 €6,375
€200 €24,062 €44,625
Profit retained in business €200 €24,262 €68,887

28. “Staying on top of emerging trends within our subjects
is almost impossible to do, especially when we are
outside of the professions inner circle. Having the
ability to easily reserve an engineer's time to talk to my
students (directly or virtually), would not only vastly
benefit my students learning, but also my own”
John Field, Secondary School Teacher