Business Plan Competition with $10,000 Prize

Biz Plan Competition Poster

Gazaab Interprise @ SmallWorld Entrepreneur Creation Challenge (GI@SW) will make its debut March 17th-21st in Phnom Penh. This 5-day entrepreneurship bootcamp will equip participants with the necessary tools, inspiration, and support to launch a new socially-­‐ minded venture. The program will incorporate both theory and practical experience, coupled with inspiration from successful Cambodian entrepreneurs. These guest speakers will include Mr. Din Somethearith, CEO and Co-Founder of Frangipani Villa Hotels; Chy Sila, Co-Founder and CEO of Sabay Digital Corporation; and Sok Sopheakmonkol, CEO and Co-Founder of technology company Codingate. The program will culminate in a business plan competition, where teams will compete for a total of $1,000 (1st place $500, 2nd place $300, 3rd place $200) in prize money, equity investment up to $9,000, ongoing mentorship, and other perks. The program will be conducted in Khmer and English and applications are open to all local applicants.

GI@SW   has   already   attracted   high   profile   sponsors,   including   USAID   Development
Innovations. Kredit, one of the largest micro-finance banks in Cambodia, is supporting the program with a discounted credit line prize for the winners as well as for top management that participate as speakers, mentors, and judges.

The program is led by three organizational partners:  

Gazaab Social Ventures, founded by Jamon Mok and Akash Gurung, develops economically empowered social entrepreneurs with a mission to alleviate poverty. To date, Gazaab has successfully helped more than 153 entrepreneurs start 38 businesses in communities across Nepal, India, Thailand and Indonesia. GI@SW will bring Gazaab’s model to Cambodia.

Gazaab’s  entry  into  Cambodia  is  aided  by  Kym  Cole’s  initiative  Interprise,  which  fosters international collaboration for enterprise development in Cambodia. Kym won the International Institute of Education’s New Leaders Group Award for Mutual Understanding for Interprise, which was informed by her year of research on social business in Cambodia as a Fulbright Scholar.

Thul Rithy is a serial entrepreneur and start-up business promoter in Cambodia. He is a cofounder of SmallWorld Cambodia, a collaborative workspace for passionate, idea-­‐driven youth. Rithy is also a key founding partner of Khmer Talks, Toursanak, and Codingate. He brings extensive entrepreneurial experience and an invaluable understanding of the cultural context to GI@SW.

All applications must be submitted through this online application form. Organizations are encouraged to help their members in submitting this form. Please contact Kym at [email protected] or 089 483 836 if you have any inquiries or need help filling in the application form. Deadline for applications is March 6th. All selected participants will be announced and contacted by 10th of March via phone.

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