Impact Spore: Youth Entrepreneurship, Unleashing Potential

Haja Center Becomes a Stage for Young Innovators Carrying Seeds of Hope Haja Center, usually fragrant with cultural and arts education, was abuzz with fiery passion on that day. It was a gathering where young adults and adolescents, harboring seemingly impossible dreams of solving social problems, came together. Are their endeavors merely naive aspirations, or are they the seeds of hope that our society has long awaited? On April 5th, 'Impact Spore' (임팩트 홀씨) held at Haja Center in Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, was a stage dedicated to finding answers to that very question. Approximately 150 participants and stakeholders gathered for a day of sharing and connecting the ideas of young innovators striving to change the world through business. A curious tension, along with a surge of fervent energy, permeated their presentations. The event was divided into the 'Hult Prize Korea National Competition' for university students and the 'Youth Impact Competition' for adolescents. A total of 25 teams (19 university student teams, 6 youth teams) presented their unique innovative solutions. Social Impact Operations (SIO), Maum Investment, and Haja Center co-hosted the event, providing a platform for sustainable change. Seoul Women's University Social Innovation Center and Hult International Business School participated as official sponsors, cheering on their challenges. The Sungkyunkwan University team 'Sprout', which won the university student category, made a deep impression with their idea of developing a smart bracelet for the safety of women in India. Beyond a mere proposal, they had already produced a prototype, conducted market validation, and even prepared a concrete business plan, proving their execution capability. The judges meticulously evaluated their social value, feasibility, and global scalability, offering sharp insights and generous advice. In the youth category, the team 'Miri' topped with their media literacy board game 'Q!' for elementary school students. Praising the originality that addressed the reality of adolescents susceptible to misinformation through a game, the judges exclaimed, "We were astonished by the depth shown, encompassing a high understanding of the digital information environment, a practical will to solve the problem, and even the development of a learning effectiveness measurement scale." Throughout the event venue, there were booth exhibitions by young startup teams and active networking. Participants admired each other's ideas, explored possibilities for collaboration, and forged connections within the impact ecosystem. Notably, Hult Prize alumni directly planned and operated the event, adding to its significance as a youth-led initiative, and delicate considerations for sustainability, such as vegan catering and the use of honeycomb boards, stood out. Co-host SIO emphasized, "Impact Spore has become a powerful platform where young people's challenges to solve social problems can connect with a broader world." Hult Prize Korea winning team Sprout will now advance to the Hult Prize Digital Incubator, engaging with teams worldwide and continuing their challenge on the global stage. When the ideas of these young innovators, unpredictable like dandelion spores, firmly take root in our society, what kind of transformation will the world undergo? Even if they are but small sparks now, we have no doubt that their infinite potential will ignite brightly with sustained interest and support, creating changes beyond our imagination. We cheer on their courageous journey.