Calling All Youth Social Entrepreneurs: Ashoka and Staples Launch Fifth Annual Global Competition

Competition Will Recognize Entrepreneurial Youth Addressing Social Issues in their Communities

ARLINGTON, Va. & FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ashoka, the world’s community of leading social entrepreneurs, and Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS), today launched the fifth annual Staples/Ashoka Youth Social Entrepreneur (YSE) Competition during Ashoka’s Changemakers Week in Paris, France. This year, the global competition highlights youth-led organizations using innovation and technology to address social issues affecting their communities, and is part of Ashoka’s Youth Venture^®, an initiative that identifies and fosters young entrepreneurs all over the world who are creating positive change. Since 2006, Staples Foundation, the charitable arm of Staples, Inc., has enabled Youth Venture to expand to eight countries in North America, South America and Europe through more than $3 million in funding.

Since its inception, the Staples/Ashoka YSE Competition has seen youth entrepreneurs from around the world address society’s most pressing challenges. From pioneering technology that connects financial lenders to borrowers via mobile phones, to spearheading online communities that bring youth together globally on service projects, YSE winners are among the most innovative and tech-savvy youth in the world.

Recognizing how technology plays an integral role in driving innovation among today’s youth, for the first time the YSE Competition will recognize exceptional young people using technology to make a positive impact in their community and the world.

The Staples/Ashoka YSE Competition has continued to see education and economic development among the top social issues addressed by the thousands of entrants who have participated in the program to date. With support from Staples Foundation, more than 1,500 youth ventures team members have continued to grow and sustain their social organizations to better address critical social problems.

The Staples/Ashoka YSE Competition is open to all youth from ages of 12 to 24, who are creating entrepreneurial ventures that use innovation and technology to advance social change and make a positive impact on communities. Nominations and entries will be accepted on a rolling basis through September 19, 2011. Four finalists will receive ‘all-expenses-paid’ trips to Techonomy 2011, a prestigious conference for technology leaders, held November 13-15, 2011, in Tucson, Arizona.

During the Techonomy conference, the grand-prize winning team will be announced and presented with the Staples/Ashoka Youth Social Entrepreneur Excellence Award and a cash prize. The three remaining winners will receive Achievement Awards and other prizes.

Ashoka’s Youth Venture^® engages over 75,000 young people in pursuing their dreams in 18 countries around the world. Since its founding in 1996, Youth Venture has launched nearly 4,000 Venture teams worldwide – one-third of which have launched as a direct result of Staples Foundation’s five-year partnership with Ashoka. Staples Foundation’s commitment to supporting Ashoka’s vision of Everyone A Changemaker^TM has been instrumental in expanding Youth Venture’s offerings and opportunities to help people create positive change.

For additional information on the Staples/Ashoka Youth Social Entrepreneur Competition, please visit the competition web site at: www.ashokayouthcompetition.org.