15 May 2020—Impact Hub Asia Pacific and Bank of America have announced the list of national finalists for this year’s Generation Impact Fellowship (GIF) program. From almost 300 entries, only a select few from each of nine Asia Pacific cities have been selected to participate in the year-long program, and make their ideas come to fruition.
GIF is an entrepreneurship program designed to support individuals who create innovative sustainable ventures that can contribute towards the achievement of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Under the current global environment, both long-standing and new problems have come to the surface. At the same time, an ever-growing social innovation ecosystem means that more stakeholders are coming together with new ideas to solve some of society’s biggest challenges.
Impact Hub Asia Pacific, a leading community driver supporting the achievement of the SDGs, is at the helm of this program, in partnership with the Bank of America. Impact Hub is a global network of social impact innovators and entrepreneur and leverages its presence in multiple cities across the region to facilitate creative solutions for contemporary challenges.
“We are very privileged to come from a very partnership-driven ecosystem where a lot of the work that we do is on the back of partners who truly believe in the mission that we stand for and one of them is Bank of America,” said Impact Hub Regional Lead for Asia Pacific Ces Rondario.
Prior to GIF, Impact Hub and Bank of America had worked together to stage ‘Hack the Challenge 201’” to support innovative ventures committed to addressing various environmental issues plaguing the world, such as plastic pollution. This year, GIF focuses on nine of the 17 SDGs: Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Good Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3), Quality Education (SDG 4), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG 8), Reducing Inequalities (SDG 10), Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11) and Climate Action (SDG 13).
“Innovative and practical solutions are required for the many challenges arising out of the region’s drive towards meeting the United Nations’ SDGs,” said Melissa Moi, Bank of America’s Head of Asia Pacific Environmental, Social and Governance. “This program matches those with viable grass-root ideas with the resources and support they need to bring these ideas to fruition”
The year-long program aims to equip young innovators (aged 18 to 40 years old) from nine participating cities in Asia Pacific – Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Kyoto, Manila, Phnom Penh, Taipei, Shanghai, Waikato, and Yangon. Selected participants will have the chance to win $5,000 in cash and a place in a six-month incubation program worth $20,000 in the regional finals set for September 2020. The incubation program includes world-class mentorship and access to a global community of impact makers.
“In most cases, good ideas alone are not enough. They require technical assistance, financing, mentorship, exposure and a host of other resources to develop into scalable solutions to real world issues,” said Moi. “We at Bank of America have both a desire and a responsibility to help.”
On May 14, Impact Hub Asia Pacific gathered its community from across the region through an online Community Day where hubs in the different cities shared their respective activities amid the pandemic. It also served as a celebration as Impact Hub and Bank of America unveiled the list of national GIF finalists. Twenty four of the ventures that made the cut are in the idea stage, 14 are in the scale stage and 28 are registered businesses. Please see the full list of the national cohorts to participate in the national bootcamps below.
- Nofi Bayu Darmawan
- Rudy Hertanto
- Ricky Chandra Syahputra
- Calvin Perdana Harianto Putra
- Febri Aditya Pratama Arista
- Vania Santoso
- Hadiyan Fariz Azhar
- Randa Sandhita
- Sheyong Tan
- Ahmad Qaiyum
- Zoey Chan
- Nor Izzati Nordin
- Hammam Radwan
- Ng Chuan Hoe
- KEW SI NA
- Yusuke Matsui
- Canal Ando
- Koki Uchiyama
- Yuta Hamada
- Youhei Ashizawa
- Mao Parr
- Yoichi Nomura
- Kei Nakayama
- Joelson Fabian
- Tomer Bariach
- Ma Frances Rubio
- Andrews Libradilla
- Krishia Ellis
- Don Pansacola
- Molika Chum
- CHANN Kimsan
- Mech Sreylakh
- Khuy Chansou
- Chien-Wen, Hsu
- Chanrachna TECK
- Rithiya Seng
- SAM AN Mardy
- Zhen Zeng（曾振）
- Dani（王妲妮）
- Jiangnan Zhou（周江南）
- Zeyu Li（李泽宇）
- Lei Cao（曹蕾）
- Haoze Wang（王昊泽）
- Yalun Shao（邵亚伦）
- Peixuan Zhao（赵培烜）
- 林薇
- 姜冠宇
- 成瑋盛
- 方子維
- 宋宜臻
- 邱禹韶
- 黃穎之
- 流動部落
- Jan Czaplicki
- Matthew Goldsworthy
- Daniel Eb
- Guillaume Dehan
- Shalini Guleria
- Tristan Adams
- Kelly Johnson
- Sheridan Jamieson
- Emilie Roell
- Pon Nya
- Trevor Schonewille
- Hein Paing Htoo Chit
- Adriana Karpinska
- Thaw Lin Oo
- Hlaing Min
- Aung Than Oo
For more information about Generation Impact Fellowship, visit: generationimpactfellowship.net, or contact Camille Lim at [email protected].
ABOUT IMPACT HUB
Impact Hub is global network of collaborative spaces, entrepreneurial communities,
and capacity building programs that inspire, connect, and enable impact. The United Nations Office in Geneva acknowledges Impact Hub as a driver of community engagement, helping not only to foster but also to extend the efforts directed to tackle the SDGs via entrepreneurial and innovative solutions. Impact Hub is present in over 100 locations, and more than 55 countries.
ABOUT BANK OF AMERICA
With a presence in Asia Pacific for more than 60 years, Bank of America Global Banking and Markets combines local knowledge and global expertise to offer market-leading products and services across Global Banking and Markets. In Asia Pacific, Bank of America has offices in 12 markets serving the needs of corporate, institutional and government clients.
