Pitch Feedback Session: Empower Visionaries Social Impact Startup Leaders
The Social Impact Startup Pitch Feedback Session was held with the aim of providing valuable insights and guidance to social impact entrepreneurs seeking to make a positive change in society. The event brought together a diverse group of participants, including university students, startup founders, and industry experts, creating a vibrant and collaborative environment for sharing ideas and fostering innovation. We were honored to have Mr. Seira Yun - Founder and CEO of Socious.io, a talent marketplace that connects purpose-driven professionals with impact organizations through AI matching, and Ms. Rebecca Chai, a Venture Associate at Plug and Play Japan, who had work experience at investment firms as well as open innovation support between large companies. Both of our guest commentators were impacted angel investors with strong passions in the field of social startups.
Our entrepreneurs represent various social impact startups at different stages across different industries, including education, healthy food and beverages, 3D printing application, cosmetics, and pet supplies. Their ventures and ideas were showcased through their mission, vision, business model, and societal problems they aimed to solve.
Kaichibin, presented by Ms. Naoko Fujihira, provided an online platform solution to match children with autism and ADHD with teachers and experts for educational support. The startup has the potential to address the special needs of more than 200 million children worldwide who face difficulties with learning and concentration. Also joining us online, Mr. Philipp Schwab introduced Chance To Grow as a platform aimed at connecting NGOs and corporate partners from international and local levels. The startup aimed to make milestones and impact visible and transparent, particularly focusing on developing countries like Vietnam.
On the stage, Ms. Deniz Benba brought to our audience an engaging in-person talk about Sweet Dream Baskets, a unique business concept that combines the pet supply industry with art, recycled materials, and social impact. The startup aims to create employment opportunities for disadvantaged communities while promoting sustainability and creativity. Following with 3D Printing Corporation, Mr. Alexander S. De Vore proposed to digitize the supply chain to localize manufacturing through 3D printing technology. The company has the potential to provide several advanced tools that could help address the need for healthcare devices, energy sourcing, and space development.
Our session continued with Skai Beauty’s CEO Steve Bidinger pitching his direct-to-consumer (D2C) cosmetic brand, focusing on clean and sustainable beauty products. The startup emphasized the importance of ethical sourcing, environmentally friendly packaging, and product ingredient transparency. Mr. Isuru Subasinghe from Serendipity Asia presented the company’s concept of affordable and healthy food and beverages. The startup emphasized the goal of making nutritious options accessible to all socioeconomic backgrounds.
During our final round of presentations, Mr. Kai Childs delivered a passionate pitch on The Innovation Fellowship, which proposed a new international high school aimed at empowering students to pursue meaningful work. The startup highlighted the importance of experiential learning and mentorship, as well as providing inspirational case studies of students' successes. Justina Emoh, a student at Waseda University, presented Utilization Nigeria, which is a startup aimed at educating and empowering youths through employment opportunities using local resources to make beverage products. All the pitches were followed by a short Q&A and feedback session from the commentators, allowing participants to seek clarifications and delve deeper into the startups' strategies. They shared their expertise, asked critical questions, and offered constructive suggestions to enhance the viability and impact of the presented startup ideas.
The SILJ team hopes the event to be a great opportunity to foster a sense of community among social impact entrepreneurs, creating a supportive environment for sharing experiences and challenges. With a focus on driving positive change in various sectors, the session unfolded as a catalyst for transforming visionary concepts into actionable solutions, as well as empowering businesses that have a strong potential for social impact. We are extremely thankful to our guest commentators, our pitch presenters, as well as our engaging audiences to come and join the session!
