Innovating for Sustainability in Southeast Asia Ideathon

We co-hosted an event with Stanford’s undergraduate global entrepreneurship group, ASES, to hold an Ideathon focused on generating ideas to address challenges exacerbated by climate change in Southeast Asia. This 2-day event began with opening remarks by Mr. Lew Chuen Hong, the CEO of Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), who shared interesting insights on innovations occurring at the intersection of tech and sustainability in Southeast Asia.

We also hosted several regional and subject-matter experts, who provided Stanford students with valuable information that helped them craft context-specific solutions based on the realities in the region.

We had six student teams give final pitches to a panel of judges comprised of investors, entrepreneurs, and regional experts. Students pitched ideas ranging from a new biodegradable fishing net design, mapping flood zones to prepare for rising sea levels, and a VC fund to support local farmers. The members of the winning idea, using fly ash to produce concrete and reduce carbon emissions, received a cash prize and the opportunity to work with our network in Singapore to further pursue their idea.

Mr. Gita Wirjawan, Indonesia’s former trade minister, gave the closing remarks, where he spoke about the importance of crafting realistic solutions to real-world problems. He emphasized the importance of listening to communities on the front lines, and to always center these perspectives and voices first. The event concluded with an opportunity for all the teams to connect with the judges and speakers to foster further ties and potential for future collaborations moving forward.