Bristol businessman Muhammad Ali is discovering the brightest entrepreneurs of tomorrow in the toughest teenagers of today.
Muhammad, who lives in Whitehall, has been running a mentoring scheme at the City Academy in St George for the past 10 years.
The supplementary school began with five tutors and 50 teenagers and now more than 120 professionals give their time to mentor 600 young people attending the Sunday classes.
Mostly Muslim boys from the inner city, they are often doing poorly at school and need help preventing them getting mixed up in crime.
Thanks to the mentoring many have gone on to university and successful careers.
Muhammad, 36, said most do not have appropriate role models and have difficult personal lives.
He said: "We once asked a group of them to put up their hands in class if they wanted to grow up to be like their dads. Not one of them did."
Muhammad is most proud of a 23-year-old who is now studying accounting and business finance at university.
"I helped him believe that he could do anything. I am so proud of what he has accomplished."
Suzanne Bond, executive director of people and skills at the South West Regional Development Agency said: "Muhammad's work is truly inspirational to us all.
"Enterprise isn't just about making your mark in the business community it is also about how you can make a difference to people's lives by using your skills and your passion with your experience and your time.
"Enterprise Week is dedicated to celebrating enterprise in all its forms and showing what a life-changing impact it can make to others."
Enterprise Week, which ended yesterday, was a national celebration of enterprise with thousands of events and activities across the UK.
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