SANTA BARBARA, Calif. - A local entrepreneur, Philip Gilley has been named one of the top young entrepreneurs in the country. The award is part of Scion's "Motivate" program.
Gilley was chosen out of more than 1,700 applicants from around the country, Gilley won a Scion vehicle, Scion accessories, $10,000 in cash, and career mentoring. He plans to use those resources to help expand Notes for Notes' award-winning music-for-youth programs into Detroit and Los Angeles in 2013.
"I'm extremely honored to be recognized by Scion for the what we have created with Notes for Notes," said Gilley, who founded Notes for Note to connect youth with music by building recording studios and rehearsal spaces called MusicBoxes. "I share this accolade not only with the my fellow finalists but with everyone who has helped make Notes for Notes what it is today and what it continues to become."
Of the 10 entrepreneurs awarded, Gilley was the only leader of a nonprofit organization. "It's a testament to Notes for Notes work that we, a non-profit, were selected alongside other businesses," said Gilley. "It is refreshing to see that a major company like Scion believes in the importance of fostering ideas that innovate and make a difference in all our lives."
Originally started in Santa Barbara, California, in 2006, Gilley took the Notes for Notes model to Nashville, Tennessee, in 2011, where it's thrived, and hopes to expand that success to Detroit and Los Angeles in the coming months. "It's going to be another huge year for us as we plan to expand to Detroit and Los Angeles as well as other sites demonstrating community support," said Gilley, who often partners with Boys & Girls Clubs to co-sponsor the MusicBox development. "Every new studio increases our network physically and digitally by connecting our members via Skype and cloud storage to create music together regardless of where they live."
Scion's Motivate program was launched in October 2012, and drew applications from all over the country that described individuals' variety of entrepreneurial goals and efforts around art, fashion, music, and film. A panel selected 50 semi-finalists to participate in a three-day workshop last week in Santa Monica, with leading entrepreneurs covering topics such as growing sales, establishing a physical space, and online development. All winners will be individually paired with a relevant business mentor for future career-building.
"The Motivate winners live and breathe the passion Scion hoped to find and elevate through this first-ever program for young entrepreneurs," said Scion Vice President Doug Murtha. "These individuals' continued success is what we wish for all of our customers, who continue to show us they relate to forging their own paths and creative expression. In its 10 years, that passion remains part of the Scion story."
Learn more about the Scion Motivate program at www.scion.com/motivate.
About Notes for Notes: Since 2006, Notes for Notes has been "producing tomorrow's musicians" by building recording studio environments called MusicBoxes, where young people are given a free place to learn, practice, and be inspired by music. First started in Santa Barbara, California, Notes for Notes expanded to Nashville, Tennessee in 2011, and plans to open more studios in Detroit, Michigan, and Los Angeles, California, in 2013. See notesfornotes.org.
