by Thida Leiper, video by Kosoma Kim
Nine Cambodian Entrepreneurs from Impact Hub set off to Malaysia to explore the realm of entrepreneurship and tech innovation in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.
After 4 rounds of 6 week intensive workshops and pitching events through our Cellcard Lab initiative, the most motivated and dedicated teams were carefully selected by our panel of judges to participate in an all inclusive 3 day trip to Malaysia to explore some of the most prestigious centres for entrepreneurship and technology in the ASEAN region.
Our enthusiastic group of young entrepreneurs began their journey with a visit to Impact Hub KL, where they were warmly greeted by the Hub team who led a tour around their space while introducing them to members from their community. After a delicious lunch at Project B, a youth run social enterprise by the Dignity For Children (DFC) foundation, our group headed to Microsoft Malaysia to learn about their latest tech developments. After a tour around their creative office (soon to be relocated to the Petronas Twin Towers), they Microsoft team introduced our entrepreneurs to Microsoft Hololens, the first self-contained, holographic computer using mixed reality technology, and its potential for positive impact in the health and construction industry.
Next up, a trip to Malaysian Global Innovation & Creativity Centre (MaGIC) where they attended a ‘Grill or Chill’ session, a monthly platform for startups to pitch their product and get valuable feedback from the startup ecosystem. After some intense grilling, the event ended with a networking session for our entrepreneurs to make connections and share their business solutions.
Finally, our group made one last stop at Biji Biji, a social enterprise and maker space promoting sustainable design and up-cycling, to meet with its founders and makers to learn how to they turn waste into beauty. They were also introduced to their BICYCLE CHALLENGE, an initiative demonstrating how much energy is generated and consumed for everyday electronics.
After a long and busy day, our entrepreneurs got a well deserved morning’s rest followed by some fun exploration of Kuala Lumpur’s most famous sites such as the famous Petronas Twin Towers, The Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Central Market.
“It was an eye-opening experience which allowed me to get exposure to the bigger start-up society and to connect with more people, especially young people, who share similar missions in tackling social issues through entrepreneurship.”
Chey Socheata
Now geared with their inspiring experience and new connections, our Cellcard Lab entrepreneurs are ready to get back to work on their own impact-driven ventures in Cambodia! Check out our video below to see all the activities from this insightful trip! See our facebook album from the trip here.
