2018 YIBI Youth Business Pitch Winter Semifinal

Youth International Business Initiative, also known as YIBI, hosted a Business Start-up Semi-finals Competition today, January 14, 2018 at Sofia University. In this competition, about 50 young students

from around the Bay Area pitched their business proposals to a panel of judges who are veteran business leaders. These youth have worked on and refined their start-up business proposals throughout the week of YIBI’s Winter Youth Business Leadership Training program in the past December.

YIBI is a community non-profit organization that provides youth opportunities to conceptualize their business ideas, to experience pitching business models to adults, and to develop leadership and project
management skills. YIBI members also have the opportunity to tour established business corporations, attend leadership seminars, and participate in business start-up competitions. They learn valuable skills and build treasured memories with fellow YIBI members during these meetings and events.

During YIBI’s winter business program, 9 teams composed of 6th to 12th graders spent days working on their business pitch. At this end, these teams put together a presentation that is similar to a formal actual business plan for starting a brand new business. The students looked at financial, technical, social, and legal aspects of starting a real-world business. In each of the Winter Business Camp day, students listened to a distinguished guest speaker from different business sectors presenting a certain aspect of the business world. Then, students integrated what they have learned, and incorporated newly learned concepts into
their business presentation. Students would make their business start-up presentation to their camp peers daily and receive constructive criticism as well as positive feedbacks. Each team would then spend hours adding contents to their presentation and improving on their sales pitch in this team platform.

The semi-finals competition event held today representing every team’s efforts came to fruition. This event allows YIBI’s young future entrepreneurs to dip their toes in the real business planning, experiencing for
themselves what pitching a brand new business proposal is like. This is an exciting and noteworthy event that will certainly be memorable for these young participants for years to come.

Today’s first place team is Team Adventum, a startup that combines a lightweight jacket with a sleeping bag, but also integrates heating technology for temperature-controlling functions. Their product eliminates the
need to haul a sleeping bag along with the heavy camping gear that campers have, while ensuring the right amount of warmth is provided to battle the cold. Second place goes to Team Dorbel, with an advanced lock system that works with a high definition camera to greet guests while keeping the front door secure.
In third place are teams Kompact and ShoeGuard, Team Halo came in forth, and Team Activize followed with fifth. Congratulations to all six teams, who will be advancing to the YIBI finals competition in summer!

Reported by Chloe Wang