Vestar Capital Partners and Simple Mills volunteers coached students from Lehigh Career and Technical Institute in a business competition through SuitUp. Students were split into teams and created new frozen dessert concepts for Simple Mills. Team Nice Cream Bites won with their product idea. Surveys found the experience improved students' career confidence and interest in fields like marketing and entrepreneurship. Volunteers and students both expressed interest in participating in future SuitUp competitions.

1. SuitUp with Vestar Capital & Simple Mills
10.18.2021
Opening Doors and Reimagining Pathways for
Students Everywhere…

2. students
served
volunteers
engaged
24
33
About Vestar Capital &
Simple Mills
Vestar Capital Partners is a
leading U.S. private equity
firm that provides financial
support and strategic
guidance to growing
companies.
Simple Mills creates natural
and healthy snacks including
baking mixes, crackers, and
more. They recognize the
relationship between overall
wellness and food and strive
to provide natural choices to
their consumers.
About Lehigh Career &
Technical Institute
Lehigh Career & Technical
Institute is Pennsylvania’s
largest career and technical
school. Their mission is to
provide learning opportunities
that represent the evolving
industries of the Lehigh
Valley and prepare all
students for their
personalized career pathway.

3. `
Volunteers Students
75% Female 50%
25% Male 50%
0% Non Binary 0%
0% Prefer Not Say 0%
0% African American 28%
0% Hispanic/Latinx 22%
75% Caucasian 22%
0%
Middle Eastern/ North
African 0%
20%
Asian / Pacific
Islander 6%
0% Multi-Racial 17%
5% Other 0%
Meet the Participants

4. Business Case Challenge
Through SuitUp, volunteers from Vestar Capital and Simple Mills, and students from
Lehigh Career and Technical Institute participated in a SuitUp business competition in
which they created a new frozen dessert for Simple Mills. Volunteers coached students
in various departments before helping them pitch to judges for a cash prize.
Winning Team:
Team 4:
Nice Cream Bites
Team 1:
Nutri-Pops
Team 2:
SIMPLY
Baking
Team 3:
Simple
Sundae
Team 4:
Nice Cream
Bites
SuitUp to the Challenge

5. From Student to CEO…
A look at how we are changing life trajectories
through corporate skills-based volunteering

6. Competitions Make a Difference…
BEFORE SUITUP...
78%
of students felt
confident they could
obtain the skills they
needed for a future
career
83%
of students felt what
they learn in the
classroom will help
them in a future
career
95%
of volunteers believe
volunteering is an
important value at
their company
100%
of volunteers felt they
knew how to
encourage more
young people to follow
a specific career path
and industry
89%
of students NOW
see themselves
having a career
using the skills they
learned at SuitUp
94%
of students feel more
confident in school
and preparing for a
career after working
with SuitUp and their
coaches
100%
of volunteers believe
their company made
a positive impact
through SuitUp
100%
of volunteers see
SuitUp as a way to
encourage more
students to join their
industry or company
AFTER SUITUP...

7. Vestar Capital & Simple Mills Impact
SuitUp asked students if Vestar Capital and Simple
Mills’ SuitUp competition made an impact on what they
want to study when they go to college. 94% of students
said the volunteers helped them come to this
conclusion.
What fields/career paths are our students interested in
after working with the Vestar Capital and Simple Mills
team?
Marketing 17%
Business Administration / Entrepreneurship 46%
Graphic/Web/Digital 0%
STEM 0%
Media/Public Relations 4%
Other 8%

8. Same time
next week?
100%of volunteers are interested in doing a SuitUp competition again
100% of students liked their SuitUp competition and coaches
100%of students would like to participate in SuitUp again

9. During the competition, we
overheard…
““The opportunities that you bring to our students is just so
amazing.” - Teacher, Vestar Capital & Simple Mills
“Just say it… we need ideas and now’s the time for everyone to
share.” - Student, Vestar Capital & Simple Mills
“You know you’re a finance person when you find comfort in the
numbers.” - Coach, Vestar Capital & Simple Mills
“I feel like it’s nicely done and it’s coming out of the oven… People
are going to think ‘I want some.’” - Student, Vestar Capital & Simple
Mills

10. Get Involved
This board meets 4x a
year and helps SuitUp
implement its strategic
plan to scale and serve
more students.
JOIN SUITUP’S
CORPORATE
BOARD
VOLUNTEER
AT FUTURE
EVENTS
Sign up for as many
chapters as you’d like to
keep an eye out for open
volunteer competitions!
MAKE AN
INTRO TO
ANOTHER
COMPANY
SuitUp is always seeking
new corporate partners to
host and sponsor SuitUp
competitions. We work
across the US and even the
UK.
As a 501(c)(3) non-
profit, SuitUp is always
seeking financial or
in-kind support to
continue our work in
communities that need it
most. All gifts are tax
deductible.
GIVE
A
GIFT
A huge thank you from all of us in the SuitUp family…

11. THANKYOU
www.volunteerSuitUp.org
Hope to see you again soon!