14 June 2021
BeChangeMaker is officially underway. This year, 375 teams from 60 countries applied to take part in the exciting training program which offers people across the globe the chance to bring their idea for a social business to life.
Thirty teams have made it through the initial selection process. Over the next three months, these talented young people will receive coaching, tools, and customized support, including mentoring from HP employee experts, to bring their ideas into focus and learn the skills they need to develop viable businesses.
HP LIFE—a free IT and business skills training program from the HP Foundation—is a key component of BeChangeMaker and a valuable learning resource for participants. Mandatory HP LIFE courses—covering topics such as how to develop a success mindset, where to find funding, and how to manage business finances—are woven into the program.
Previous BeChangeMaker winners have developed innovative business solutions to some of society’s most pressing social issues. These include a solution to provide STEM and social entrepreneurship education for kids, an idea for using nanobubble technology to reduce environmental pollution, and a system to make it easier for people with diabetes to manage their symptoms.
This year’s front runners are no less ambitious with ideas spanning health, education, climate, environmental protection, and economic development. Their innovative business concepts range from coding skills development in rural Taiwan, developing smart farming technology to protect the environment and increase food security in Algeria, and spurring economic empowerment in marginalized communities in Ghana.
“The breadth of ideas presented by the teams is impressive and highlights how much work needs to be done to improve our world,” said Stephanie Bormann, HP Foundation manager. “These innovative solutions to social issues give me confidence we can make a difference. We’re all excited to see how the teams will progress their ideas in this first stage of the program.”
Find out which teams were selected and where they’re from.
In September, five teams, as well as one wild card team, will be chosen to pitch their business ideas live at a virtual final. Judges will select three teams to receive €2,000 in funding and five teams will receive customized coaching worth €1,000 to develop their businesses further.
About BeChangeMaker
BeChangeMaker is a virtual social entrepreneurship training program created by WorldSkills International and the HP Foundation. It offers people ages 18–35 a chance to develop their potential as social entrepreneurs.
Working in teams, participants take HP LIFE courses and receive support—including coaching, tools, and mentorship from HP business experts—to help them develop a viable business model to solve a social issue using the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as a framework.
About HP LIFE
HP LIFE is a free IT and business skills-training program from the HP Foundation. It is accessible online, offline, and in person (where safe) offering more than 30 courses in eight languages for entrepreneurs, business owners, and lifelong learners all over the world. It is also an adaptable educational resource used on the ground by trainers, educators, and mentors to enrich curricula, support business creation, and improve employability skills.