Young Entrepreneurs Shine at GenU imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge 2022

Through an exceptional blend of unique ideas and determination, a young cohort of entrepreneurs in Bangladesh is leading the charge for a climate-friendly transformation.

“From where I come, innovations often go unnoticed. Not many of us get the chance to represent our community on a national level platform like this. Being part of this competition has been a life-changing experience for me. I am now much more confident about presenting my ideas,” says Mariyan Tanchangya, a member of the winning team from Rangamati, Chittagong.

Launched by the UN Secretary-General at the 2018 UN General Assembly, and anchored in UNICEF, Generation Unlimited is a leading global Public-Private-Youth Partnership with a mission to unleash the full potential of the world's 1.8 billion young people by providing them the skills and opportunities for employment, entrepreneurship and youth led social impact. Generation Unlimited was launched in Bangladesh in 2019 and its flagship initiative, the imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge was implemented in 2022.

Organized by Generation Unlimited, JAAGO Foundation Trust, Bangladesh Brand Forum, SIYB Bangladesh, Technovation, and the International Labour Organization (ILO), the GenU imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge 2022 provided a platform for aspiring young entrepreneurs, like Mariyan, to showcase their talent by presenting business solutions that are environment friendly and address climate issues. UNICEF Bangladesh led this initiative with support from all partners.

Youth-Driven Climate Responses

Bangladesh is one of the most high-risk countries in the world, when it comes to the adverse impact of climate-change due to rising sea-levels and extreme weather events. The GenU imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge brought together the young minds of the nation to develop solutions for climate issues that impact the country. The challenge began with social innovation competitions held across the country in six divisions throughout 2022. Out of the 62 teams, top ideas were given seed funds and mentorship support to be tested and developed further.

The commitment and dedication of each team, presenting their prototypes at the national pitching event showcased that they were willing to lead the change, rather than waiting for change to happen.

Sheldon Yett, UNICEF Representative to Bangladesh, expressed his admiration for the young leaders. “We are incredibly privileged to partner with you. We look to you for innovative ideas to ensure Bangladesh continues to flourish, because innovative ideas do not come from people with grey hair, wearing suits. They come from the young minds, from people like you," he said recognizing the potential in the presentations.

Catalysts of Progress

With a shared commitment to combatting climate change, each team presented their incubated solutions at the national event. From the 19 exceptional youth ventures, two teams stood out as national winners.

BD Highway Turbine, from Dhaka, has designed and tested innovative vertical axis wind turbines that harness the wind pressure generated by fast-moving vehicles on highways to produce renewable energy. The Climate Crew, based in Rangamati, Chittagong, tackled the water hyacinth problem in the lakes and rivers by transforming hyacinth into sustainable fertilizer. This solution addresses both waterway blockages and low fish production, while also creating employment opportunities for the local community.

Both teams will get the opportunity to take their solutions to the global level, where 60 teams from 30 countries will compete. Top 10 teams will be titled global champions and each will be awarded a seed fund and dedicated mentorship support to further develop their innovative solutions into a socially impactful and scalable enterprise.

“Our idea existed even before we learned about this competition, and we participated with the intention of implementing it regardless of the result. Now that we have advanced to the next step, we are more determined than ever to bring our idea to life,” said Assad Khan Ifat, one of the winners. He was also grateful to the support provided by Generation Unlimited, which allowed his team to transform their idea into reality.

Positive forces towards Climate Action

The GenU imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge is accelerating youth entrepreneurship in Bangladesh and has laid the foundation for other initiatives that can nurture the ideas of the nation's youth.

In her closing remarks, Marianne Oehlers, Programme Manager – Generation Unlimited, UNICEF Bangladesh, said that “the success of the imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge is based on strong partnerships and support from several organizations at the national and district levels. I encourage our youth teams to carry on networking, sharing their voice, creativity and innovations and building strong connections with peers and adults alike in their continued journey to create positive transformations within their communities and beyond.”

Based on the success of 2022, the imaGen Ventures Youth Challenge 2023 will take place in eight divisions of Bangladesh with a focus on climate change and gender inequity.