mtvU & NYSE Euronext Launch Nationwide Search To Discover Young Entrepreneurs Advancing Social Change

NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- MTV's 24-hour college network mtvU and NYSE Euronext (NYX) today launched "Movers & Changers," a nationwide challenge to uncover the country's next social entrepreneurs who are poised to make a positive impact on society through their innovative business concepts.

Competition finalists will be featured in the new mtvU "Movers & Changers" short-form series, premiering Monday, November 23rd on mtvU, and compete for the ultimate prize of $25,000 in start-up money and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ring the Opening Bell(SM) at the New York Stock Exchange. Before capturing the ultimate prize, each team of finalists will present their business plans to the "Movers & Changers" Board, a gathering of the top business and pro-social minds including Blake Mycoskie, founder and Chief Shoe Giver of TOMS Shoes, a for-profit company that has given over 150,000 pairs of shoes to children in need with its One-for-One philosophy, giving a pair of new shoes to a child in need with every pair of shoes sold. Additional board members will be announced at a later date.

"College students are always on the frontlines of social change. With their boundless creativity, they have the potential to unlock some of the major issues facing the world today to steer us in a positive direction," said Chris McCarthy, Senior Vice President of Strategic Development and Digital TV Networks, MTV. "By partnering with NYSE Euronext, we're able to recognize and honor these future leaders in a way that not only promotes positive social action, but provides them with a platform to interact with the most influential minds in the business world."

"Partnering with MTV on 'Movers & Changers' enables us to effectively reach and teach the next generation of entrepreneurs and business leaders at a time when new ideas and innovation are critically important to the future of the U.S. and global economies," said Duncan L. Niederauer, Chief Executive Officer, NYSE Euronext. "Incorporating a socially responsible platform into the program sends a powerful and positive message to young people, one that we hope stays with them throughout their careers."

The Competition

"Movers & Changers" calls on 16-28 year old college students, individually or in teams of up to three people, to develop and produce a compelling business proposal to revolutionize the future of the world's social market. Ideas must be creative, original, and scalable to large corporations, in addition to illustrating determination and persistent optimism. Students can submit entries online at http://www.moversandchangers.com and are encouraged to submit a video "elevator pitch" application beginning at noon on August 17, 2009 through midnight on October 16, 2009.

The competition will culminate at NYSE Euronext's Global Entrepreneurship Week: Mentoring Madness, where students from around the world will gather with business leaders and hear leading entrepreneurs talk frankly about how young people can create their own futures. The top three "Movers & Changers" teams or individuals will fly to New York City for "Mentoring Madness," to network and connect with prominent business leaders and present their pitches to the NYSE "Movers & Changers" Board.

For more information on "Movers & Changers," please visit http://www.moversandchangers.com.

Ross Martin and Eric Conte of MTV are Executive Producers of the mtvU "Movers & Changers" series. Paul Ricci of MTV is Supervising Producer.

About mtvU

Broadcast to more than 750 college campuses and via top cable distributors in 700 college communities nationwide, mtvU reaches nearly 9 million U.S. college students -- making it the largest, most comprehensive television network just for college students. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, mtvU can be seen in the dining areas, fitness centers, student lounges and dorm rooms of campuses throughout the U.S., as well as on cable systems from Charter Communications, Verizon FiOS TV, Suddenlink Communications, AT&T u-Verse and nearly 70 others. mtvU is dedicated to every aspect of college life, reaching students everywhere they are: on-air, online and on campus. mtvU programs music videos from emerging artists that can't be seen anywhere else, news, student life features and initiatives that give college students the tools to advance positive social change. mtvU is always on campus, with hundreds of events per year, including exclusive concerts, giveaways, shooting mtvU series and more. For more information about mtvU, and a complete programming schedule, visit www.mtvU.com.

mtvU also owns and operates the College Media Network, the largest interactive network of online college newspapers in the US, and RateMyProfessors.com, the Internet's largest listing of collegiate professor ratings. The College Media Network comprises 600 campus publications that serve institutions including Brown University, Ohio State University, the University of Notre Dame, the University of Texas at Austin and Duke University, with a combined enrollment of over 5.5 million students, reaching an average of 5 million unique users each month. RateMyProfessors.com reaches approximately 3 million college students each month, via the site's more than 10 million student-generated ratings of over 1,000,000 college professors.