This post was originally published by Empower Generation, which merged with Pollinate Energy to form Pollinate Group in 2018.
Bindu Thanait is a Program Coordinator at Empower Generation in Nepal. Empower Generation provides professional development opportunities to its staff and network entrepreneurs. Bindu reflects on her experience at the Impact Chapter Startup Challenge in Hyderabad:
The Impact Chapter Startup Challenge was hosted in Hyderabad, India. It was a platform for startup companies to establish a network, receive mentoring, and attract investors for future growth.
On behalf of Empower Generation, I had the privilege to participate in the event along with Chloe Chapman, Director of Operations. This was my first official international workshop, and it was different from the ones I had attended in Nepal. The participants were all young companies, and it was interesting learning about each other’s vision and mission. I met entrepreneurs from different fields such as IT, manufacturing, and health. I was impressed with Care N Grow, an organization from Hyderabad, the most. They monitor complete physical, psychological, and behavioral health profiles of children in school. They use an objective and non-invasive decision-based intelligent monitoring system for this to be carried out by school staff and teachers with minimal training.
We had a series of workshops, which were a learning experience. For example, the “Business Model Canvas Development Workshop” facilitated startups to effectively build a business model. The “Pitch Training” given by Arthur Tolsma, took us through the principles, tricks, and techniques to create a strong pitch. To me, “Taking Impact 10X” was the most interesting and interactive session as it allowed us to participate in a number of activities for practical learning.
The second day began with “Ingredients for a Successful Startup” followed by “30 Tips to Increase Sales.” A one-hour session was also conducted on “How to Restart Your Startup” and “Design Thinking. ” “The Ring for Pitch” competition, aimed at attracting an investor within a mere 30 seconds was something new that I witnessed. Chloe duked it out in the ring at the “Get In The Ring Competition,” pitching Empower Generation’s business model to potential investors and mentors.
I had a great time learning about the mission and vision of other organizations. At the same, I am glad I had the opportunity to share my enterprise’s vision of how we work and how we empower women through selling clean technologies. I am excited to now share what I learned at the conference with my team members and our women entrepreneurs, particularly, how to increase sales, maximize business impact, and maintaining relationships with suppliers, customers, and potential partners. Overall the sessions were beneficial, and I thank the Empower Generation team for giving me the opportunity to be a part of this thought provoking and exciting event!