 Welcome back to Entrepreneurship Tuesday. The hashtag do is hashtag why in the morning I try to refer for channel is We can find us across all our social media platform at Michelashira is where you can reach out to me so make sure you keep that conversation going and Remember all our social as simple as at Y to 5 for Channel so let's get into this particular interview in this particular session. It's all matters pertaining HAL price. I'm so sure if you're a student or any learning institution about Hal price and What it involves so it's about a competition that involves university students or undergrads and a graduate that are tasked to come up with business ideas and And that's solving specific social problems across the world I will not explain further on that I have two gentlemen in studios who will just take us through Mutuals pertaining what HAL price is all about and why you should sit down and Why you should say that should be a listen to this conversation and get more pertaining the HAL price so in studio I'm joined by Pankaj Visani who is the campus director at Instructional University Actually the assistant the assistant I keep on getting that We'll tell us where the the the campus director is and then we have also Brian. Thank you very much for joining us Thank you. Tell us your role again I'm currently in charge of Basically in charge of getting sponsorships for this year's event All right, so we'll tell us which year which event is that so starting us off I'd like to find out What is HAL price all about and What does it focus on? O'Brien could talk about how it was founded HAL price is basically three Stage competition. We call it more of a movement Where teams come up with business ideas. That's all for social problem and The three stage comes in that is the on campus version That's where you need undergrad students on participates They pitch the idea and then the top three move on to the regionals that happen in different regional hubs and then the top from regionals they move on to the accelerator program that's in the UK usually at the castle and that's where the the participants are assessed based on the idea if it's valuable is terrible and Assessed by themselves how they are and all that and then the selected few then move on to the finals Now that's at New York on the U.S. headquarters where the finalist gets to pitch and they've been funding of a million dollars We put in a summary of all at the whole process and how it goes Actually, it goes down What's our formula will tell us what happens for someone who's watching this conversation and they're wondering what are we talking about and What it actually focuses on so a house price was formed by Ahmed Ashkard 20 years ago, and it's mainly just for inspiring students who have no background in business or any idea about how To run a business or to get financing on anything involving business, but they have the education and like going from school And they have an idea a basic idea. It doesn't matter how crazy it is just an idea on how we can help the world Improving certain aspects on the SDG skills So on this year's the main problem. They're facing. We're challenging students this year is on Food for change. That's the team this year. Yeah, the team this year is food for change Okay, and it's interesting considering that like Most people have business ideas out here and they lack funding and the aspect of just looking for investors then investors will want to Look at a business which is actually running and sustainable and having someone who can or actually an opportunity Where we can showcase your idea and have someone find it is absolutely amazing So who can actually participate in this particular in house price What are the requirements? You just have to be an undergrad student in any university in Kenya as long as you register for the event you'll be given the Coaching and mentorship on your ideas and how to improve on it on certain aspects and how to make it scalable and how to And basically you just have a chance to compete in the in one of the largest based competitions in the world Can you agree with me that it's a very? very competitive Global platform. Do we have Kenyans that actually have won in this particular hard-priced competition? Yeah, so it's actually very competitive because we have very many campuses who participate in it and then The campuses on all over the world now move on to the refills and to the finals. So yeah, it's very competitive But any team won in 2016 They're called the boopers the they are basically solving the problem of transport and yeah All right, so we actually these these hope that you can actually take away. They are busy as a Prize so it's a time frame of how how long for one to actually be had to the finals and You know someone to actually listen to to your idea and walk away with a Hundred and hundred million Seven million Kenyan shillings That's a lot So how was it time for you? So now if you register you will go through the normal coaching panel beating until November the 27th, but we'll have the We'll have a virtual event because of the restrictions currently, but you get to pitch in front of experts in different fields different judges People who have the ability to help you scale up your idea to a different level and once Once you get past that the top six will go to the next day under the next day you get to Give out your idea to a different To the whole panel and then from there the top three go to the regionals the regionals will occur next year in March or early May and from there The top team goes to spend a spend a month in a castle in the UK So let me ask you This is an opportunity for guys back in colleges universities. Do we Do they work in groups or is it just an on an individual level because when you talk about coaching Having getting trained and I believe it's consistent until probably during the regionals How does how does it work? Is it in the week on an individual level or in groups? we encourage guys to register in team because Different heads will have like just to come up with a better idea and also give you a different opinion and From there you just get amazing coaching because from over the past few years. We've had A Very the top executives and companies coming over so it's been a lot of fun You get to interact with them even if your idea isn't as scalable. You still have opportunity to meet Someone who can eventually maybe one day hire you or help you build up your another idea Well, so you have to agree with me that in a group of probably assuming it's 10 These are people who have different ideas Why have to convince them of my idea so that we work together or how does it work? So I think mainly we think of groups of four Okay, that's Groups of four and in the group we believe that you have to all agree into the same idea No, it's like so that they everyone is pulling on the on the same side So that they can get the best out of your group and all the better chance of winning But let's find out how do you this particular teams at the best level of preparation? How do they get it and to head to the region regional levels that is? Okay, so once teams register then we usually have training sessions before the events or from Second October we are starting our training sessions so that our lectures industry experts and mentors can now Guide and coach the teams themselves in various aspects. It could be their marketing model It could be their financial model their business plan itself how to pitch and whatnot and From there are now it's based upon the teams now to take up the initiative to learn more and Make it to the best so that they can Make it to the top three in the on campus so that they can move on to the regionals Okay, and What what are the value addition does that price offer to this young young young guys out here apart from the Purchase from their hundred and seven million So the main emphasis is not on the money, okay, but more on the platform That's given because we have to agree that students don't actually have very many platforms Where they can pitch their ideas and all that and many of them hands get discouraged and they don't actually do startups and all that But we give them a platform where they can now pitch their ideas and if they are valuable enough and Doable then they move on to the regionals and they win the prize, but it's more than that It's more of the coaching and all that that the teams get the opportunity they get to pitch the ideas the education they get to To basically make the idea the best and just the seed funding at the end Yeah, so mainly it's the mentoring and coaching from industry experts Also, you are also student and you participated on in heart price in terms of which year, but I like to find 2018 what was the business idea and you guys are partners What was the business idea and what level did you guys reach in the competition? Idea was basically to have a smart bean where businesses could also advertise and also collect garbage from from just normal day-to-day activities that people do and you are to Position them in strategic places where people could also see the bins so that for the marketing side It's valuable for the companies and from the bins from the garbage you collect you are to sort them and from the from the bottles Which were plastic bottles mainly we do vertical farming and from the vertical farming It's able to depending on the size of your of your wall where you do the vertical farming It's in it's able to increase your productivity to up to five hundred percent So it's just recycling of waste turning trash into cash And the saving our environment so For someone who is watching this conversation and they feel like they have this an amazing Invention or an idea, but they just feel like This competition. It's on a global scale. So it's actually not even possible. There's no need of me going trying and Just what would you tell that person? So we actually encourage These people to actually participate even though it looks competitive and it's global. It's not a huge deal probably because we actually um as the committee and the organizing committee including the campus director and The lecturers and all that we guide the whole teams through the entire process till the finals if they reach so We start from the on campus. We are coaching them and Helping them through if they make it to the regionals and we are Giving them more emphasis on how to make them better And if they move forward then we always with them through the journey. So it's not It sounds huge, but since everyone is together with each other. It doesn't sound it's not that big It's not and you also get to compete with other students So it's not you have you're on the same level and you also get to get different experiences from different people in different countries So you meet someone who's in from Nigeria, South Africa, Dubai the exposure gets a large exposure Okay, so another question over how many times can I participate if this year I didn't make it Uh, can I participate next year another year? You can participate as many times as long as you're undergraduate So in a situation where I participated and my my idea didn't make it to the pricing level and What happens next for that person? Then what happens is since we already have industry experts joining us in the event They are mentors coaches and everyone who can help the teams Whenever we feel that a team actually has a viable idea. They didn't even make it through but They're there. So we Of coaching and mentoring Giving them education on how They can make the idea even better so that they can try again next year and even if not try again next year. We have Companies who can also mentor them or coach them directly. So we also link up the companies and The teams who are participating so that they can be coached and mentored directly and taken upon the companies by themselves If they wish to Are there a situation about if my idea didn't make it To the level of the 107 million price that I can actually get investors who still believe in my idea And actually we get to work together. Yes, it happens all the time that you come to the to the presentation You didn't get to the top to the top three But one of the judges liked your idea and wants to invest in in you So the some of the judges will just pick out a random team that did not get into the top 10 And be like this I like this idea and I want to help them grow this idea into something big and help them move on Okay, what are the three top uh when it comes to business ideas? What are the two three tops? Things that probably the judges are looking for when it comes to idea when it comes to a business idea It's sustainable that is solving a problem in a society. What are the top three things that they're looking for? So the main thing uh, that's focused on is on the theme of the year So this year the theme is food for good food for change. Uh, so that's the main thing we are actually looking for so if the come the Students have an idea that's around The problem of food then that's the first condition and then the others now are The scalability um and are they able to Implement this in certain markets So one might be having an idea that's not even doable. Um at a certain region then That might not make it through but uh an idea that is able to be To be done in various places and different areas Then search teams are have better chances of making it through and we also Place an emphasis on the sdgs So that the students who actually Have the ideas revolved around the sdgs and try to solve the Huge problem, then they also get a better chance of moving forward All right So how is the high-pricing unemployment there an employment rate in the country? Uh, we believe that from the compete the competitors the main agenda is when you're doing the When you're challenging the when you're tackling the challenge is that you'll create jobs you'll improve the You'll give a finite economic stimulus to the economy and also that you'll be able to reach a global scale So I believe that if a come if the companies gets the hundred and 107 million You get to create jobs and from these jobs you are able to hire a large amount of people Especially because we're looking at it on a global scale because you expected to reach 10 million people in by 2030 So we have 10 10 years to reach 10 million people And when it comes to students and Here I am having this great business idea and I probably get to walk away with the 107 million back to my account for my idea Just start my business Do I get a financial advice because at times it can just be overwhelming and you just end up to like Swindle all the money I believe that The way house price has been set up. They once they give you the money. They'll help you There's still it's still the holding your hand Not like they're leaving you like just go and then do your own thing They're like helping you to achieve your dream because I believe everyone who goes into house price has a dream they want to achieve What values have you gathered? So far since you back to 18. Yeah That you're part of her price. What are some of the values that you've gathered all through way that That has helped you and will help you in future if you start your own business I think being perseverance like just always just pushing forward because sometimes you just wake up You know, like I don't feel like doing this today but just keep pushing forward and Teamwork because you end up working with a lot of people And also just being a bit more social because once you go for this event. It's up to you to Walk up to the judges speak to them gets to know their how they feel about your ideas where you can improve And also just to have a lot of fun with the mentors Actually being involved. Yeah How is this experience of being an assistant assistant campus director For house price Stratmo University. How's that actually added value in In your mindset when it comes to the business aspect of it So just being an assistant campus director before that. I already have a role to play and I actually take the teams through trainings So I'm the one who will actually organize different trainings for these groups and from there Yeah, they can start competing and now on the side of the trainings that I'm Conducting I'm actually looking through all the different Committee members on what they're doing. How far they are. So I'll be with O'Brien Going through the process of our sponsorships. How what how far we how good are we how bad are we Then we have the marketing team. So we are always getting in touch that how good and how Well, have we marketed ourselves then the the teams the the committee for hiring the teams and Registering the teams how far we with the teams. Do we have 50 teams yet? So currently we have 40 teams. We are looking for more So just the basic idea of looking through and working with everyone With everyone at all points gives me a moment a chance to showcase teamwork And leadership skills and time management itself. So that actually really helps It has to be a lot What a couple of challenges that you're actually facing and also when it comes to the participants in terms of working as a As a group teamwork and what's what a couple of challenges have you seen them going through? And also we look at your other the other angle, which is you as the assistant director So my personal challenges I would I would say that I don't really have experienced very many challenges because I believe in Taking many opportunities as I can and trying to do a lot of things together so that I'm not faced with many problems and with the team that I have We rarely face problems and the side of the participants We usually take them through the whole process as we said earlier. So very rare challenges But may be a few that on the process One of the team member wants to leave the group or something Or we have an individual who has a fabulous idea, but they wanted him So those are just the basic aspects about challenges But we also try and help all the teams to make it through despite the challenges O'Brien you mentioned earlier when you started this conversation about You know going around looking for other means of just sponsors sponsorship when it comes to events So this is the time where you could Just in a very clear way tell us what these events are when they happen and yeah a little bit of that So basically the events go happen on the 27th and the 28th of november And mainly we're just looking for sponsors who will sponsor the teams that manage to go to regionals Because regionals are not only held in Nairobi at Strathmore, but there'll also be another regional in Dubai London Paris different locations And for these students to go not all the students who register have the means to pay for the trips the hotels and The flights so we usually just look for sponsors just to support these teams as they go through this process And I believe that these teams will forever be grateful to the the companies or individuals who sponsor this Sponsor them through this journey Yeah, and the main thing is that The regionals are held in different areas and so that the teams that make it through In the on campus from Kenya or Nairobi itself We encourage them to move out So they they they either go to Dubai South Africa and Nigeria different areas so that they have a different environment on their own Since and also gets in it. Yeah, they get to network and the exposure is just different They just the aspect of doing your business within your region in your village Could be much different and going outside could give you a huge different angle So we encourage the other teams from outside to come to Kenya to Nairobi to pitch their ideas over here so that they can Feel the atmosphere over here and our teams go outside So they can network and feel the exposure over there. So that's where the main sponsorships come in So that the teams actually move out. Okay, is it too late for someone who is watching This conversation and they will they will like to participate. Is it too late for them at this particular time? No, you can register until October the second Registration is November the second November the second registration is free You just need to log in with an idea and just that All right, so how does that work? Do I do it online? Where am I supposed to go to register? So it depends with your university because every university has a different campus director Okay, but I believe that in Strathmore itself. There's a online form There was sent to all the students So if it's just a simple click of a button and you just fill in your name and registration Is just quick and have my proposal of my business idea No, you don't have to post it there. You just you have to have just an idea You can keep that yourself until Until the paging time when you start panel beating you Ah, all right. Nice. So where can guys find you on social media if they want to have more information pertaining their HALT prize? So go ahead. So we are on instagram. Yeah, um facebook as well twitter ibelive Yeah, yeah Strathmore HALT prize. All right. Yes. Okay. So simple as that Yeah, all right, and we also encourage our teams or individuals who do not have ideas to join So that in the training process, it's not only um the teams with ideas But if you actually don't have an idea and you want to participate and you you feel like You are actually meant for this, but you don't have an idea So we also take the teams through the process of um Idea generation how they can generate ideas and how these ideas can be valuable and scalable So we also encourage people without ideas. Yeah, I believe there are those situations there But I feel like I I would love to be part of this. I I want this but I don't really have that Unique idea right now. Yeah. All right. So that was a HALT prize giving us More information about a platform whereby actually guys can that's university student and a graduate where you can actually Give what you idea and get to To have funding and this this is in a different level whereby you don't need to have an existing business which is running But you just have to have an idea why to prefer channel is where you can find as a crossover social media platform at At michelashira is where you can reach out to me So did I miss out anything any any projects coming up? You guys are going to participate again this year And I don't think so. No, no, okay. So guys. Thank you very much for creating time to be with us We'll do this next time and get more information pertaining help us. Hopefully this year we will also, you know, walk away with the prize Yeah, hopefully from this quest. Okay. So guys, make sure you don't touch the bell Be right back with another interview right now. We are going to take uh musical break