KASIKORNBANK (KBank), in collaboration with the Cultivation of Wisdom Foundation, has hosted the AFTERKLASS Business Camp Year 5, themed “Young BIZ Accelerator Camp: empowering young entrepreneurs with real-world business skills". The program aimed to empower aspiring young entrepreneurs across the country by offering hands-on experience, comprehensive business planning, and funding to refine their products and bring them to market to achieve their first-dollar stage. In the program's final round, participating entrepreneurs pitched their business ventures to a panel of experts. After a rigorous competition, the Blockfruit Team emerged as the grand prize winner with their innovative product, KeepFresh – the fruit-ripening retardant, to preserve fruit freshness for both households and the fresh fruit industry.
Mr. Rawee Angthong, KBank Senior Vice President, Corporate Sustainability Integration Department, said, “KBank is committed to fostering learning opportunities for the younger generation through the ongoing implementation of the AFTERKLASS project. In collaboration with the Cultivation of Wisdom Foundation, KBank has launched the AFTERKLASS Business Camp Year 5 under the theme, “Young BIZ Accelerator Camp: empowering young entrepreneurs with real-world business skills", aiming to equip youths with in-depth knowledge, practical skills, and an entrepreneurial mindset that they can apply in the business world. The project commenced in September. This year's highlight is scholarship support for the six finalist teams, with the aim of empowering them to develop business plans and products in order to achieve their first-dollar stage through learning about the principles of business management and strategy development. Upon completion of such learning, all teams were able to launch products into the market and reach their first-dollar stage. Additionally, they gained valuable insights into building sustainable businesses in the future."
Recently, during the “Acceleration Camp with Demo Day", December 21-22, 2024, the six teams presented their business operations to the judges in the final stage so that the judges could see the overall picture of their businesses, product strengths, business structures, and operating results. The presentation was intended to assure the judges that the businesses proposed by the teams have the potential to generate stable sales and profits. The competition results were as follows: First prize went to the Blockfruit Team, which proposed the “KeepFresh" the fruit-ripening retardant, to preserve fruit freshness for both households and the fresh fruit industry. First runner-up went to the Sang Khao Team, which proposed “enev" sandals – healthy sustainable footwears that incorporate rice husks as part of their materials to add value to the product while offering practical and stylish designs. Second runner-up went to the Umbrella Sink Team, which proposed “Dheva", a stylish inhaler designed as a piece of jewelry, featuring scents derived from native Thai flowers, crafted with premium materials and unique designs.
Mr. Rawee added that the AFTERKLASS project introduced by KBank aims to continually promote and provide a stage for development of the new gen's potential. This year's activities focused on empowering participating youths with real-world practices, essential 21st -century skills, and an entrepreneurial mindset that can be applied in the future. This will equip them with the knowledge and readiness to effectively manage their personal and family finances, while fostering sustainable growth. For more details of the project, please visit www.afterklass.com or the AFTERKLASS Facebook page.