Last month, we collaborated with Piaget Academy to conduct the SUSS–Piaget Impact Startup Challenge in Jakarta. The programme was conducted in partnership with Indonesia International Institute for Life Sciences and National High Jakarta. After five days of experiencing Lean Startup strategy, students were able to develop their own startup ideas, validate and pitch it to a panel of Venture Capitalists (VCs) and investors.
One of our pre-university participants, Koh Wei Na Vera, was part of the founding team of Ecobrick Exchange which was announced as the winner on the final pitch day. The team aimed to build an eco-friendly enterprise to construct pre-schools in underprivileged communities using recyclable plastic waste. The final prototype included a durable brick material made of a plastic bottle covered with cement to produce cheaper bricks without compromising its strength. The idea arose when the team wanted to build a social impact enterprise that benefited the locals whilst being environmentally conscious.
Neo Yew Ron, Year Two Marketing student and Zac Lee, Year Four, Marketing with Minor in Contemporary China Studies student, were also the finalists in the challenge. They proposed extraordinary ideas such as low cost feed for the boiler industry and a collaborative platform for students to exchange academic notes from around the world.
Prior to the pitch day, students were involved in user interviews that allowed them to gain exposure to people across a variety of backgrounds from urbanites to residents of slum areas in Jakarta. As mentioned by our students, the SUSS-Piaget Impact Startup Challenge was not only an introduction to entrepreneurship but was an unforgettable culture-rich experience for many of them!
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