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News & PR

One Mission, Many Countries: BizWorld’s Global Impact

“BizWorld matters because it gives children the opportunity not just to learn about business, but to experience how their ideas, choices, teamwork, and creativity can create real value.” – BizWorld Taiwan Across the world, young people are learning how to solve problems, make decisions, work with others, and recognise the value of their ideas through BizWorld. This global impact is made possible through local partners who understand their communities, education systems, languages and cultures. Together, they bring hands-on entrepreneurship education to students in ways that are relevant to where and how they learn. Meet BizWorld’s International Partners BizWorld’s growing international network includes partners in: Through its programs and international network, BizWorld has reached more than 900,000 young people across over 100 countries. The meaning behind that reach became especially clear during the 2026 BizWorld Summer Camp. Students from Japan and Taiwan joined young people from the San Francisco Bay Area for four days of hands-on entrepreneurship. They arrived from different countries and cultures, but they worked as teammates. Together, they started companies, shared ideas, made decisions, worked through disagreements, and solved problems. It was a powerful reminder that entrepreneurship education can do more than teach business. It can connect young people across cultures and show them what becomes possible when they work together. International Impact in Action Hong Kong During the 2025–2026 academic year, BizWorld Hong Kong recorded 113 program completions. Another 15 students participated in an open summer camp, where students enjoyed the experience and parents responded positively. The local team has developed a stable relationship with the Independent Schools Foundation, which offers one class each week during the academic year. Students make business decisions, manage money, communicate ideas and experience the realities of running a company together. “While there are many entrepreneurship programs in Hong Kong, none match the sophistication of BizWorld.” – Kara, BizWorld Hong Kong Kara also noted that schools sometimes view sales bazaars and fundraising events as substitutes for entrepreneurship education. BizWorld offers something deeper by giving students responsibility for decisions and allowing them to experience the consequences of those choices. Japan BizWorld Japan has welcomed approximately 3,000 students from 40 schools and programs, ranging from elementary school through university. Wakana Fukuda says students continually surprise her with the originality of their thinking and the seriousness with which they approach their assigned roles. For one middle school student struggling with school attendance, taking responsibility for finance during the program made learning enjoyable again. She later began attending high school regularly while pursuing her dream of becoming a certified public accountant. Her experience reflects why these opportunities matter. A student who was struggling in a traditional learning environment found purpose when she was trusted with a meaningful role. Taiwan Hohoka, BizWorld’s newest partner in Taiwan, has recorded more than 10,000 student participations through its broader entrepreneurship and financial literacy education. The organization officially became a BizWorld partner in the second quarter of 2026 and brought several Taiwanese students to the international summer camp. Roick explained why experiential learning is particularly valuable for students in Taiwan: One 11-year-old camp participant worried that his team’s product was priced too high. The team ultimately earned the highest profit, showing him that pricing is not simply about being the cheapest. It requires an understanding of value, customers, and strategy. Opening New Doors in Nigeria and Vietnam In Nigeria, BizWorld’s partnership with MYLI Africa is preparing to move from school outreach into its first formal implementations. The team is engaging school leaders during an important planning period in the Nigerian academic calendar. The team has been clear that it will not claim participation figures or student stories before programs have formally started. However, interest from educators shows a growing need for practical learning that complements traditional academics. BizWorld Vietnam is also preparing for its first program, with an initial goal of at least 10 students. Early interest has included a mother who plans to participate alongside her son so they can learn, communicate, and work on ideas together. Colina, BizWorld’s partner in Vietnam, has an ambitious long-term vision: Local Knowledge, Shared Purpose Every country has different classrooms, schedules, languages, and educational priorities. BizWorld’s international partnership model respects those differences. The process begins with a consultation to understand each partner’s goals and market. Partners then receive structured onboarding, program training, licensing, and implementation guidance. Materials can be translated and adapted to local educational standards and cultural contexts while preserving the central learning objectives. This approach allows the impact to travel without asking every community to look or learn in exactly the same way. Bring BizWorld to Your Country Every new partnership means more educators equipped with practical resources and more young people given the chance to make decisions, solve problems, find their voices, and take their ideas seriously. Explore the different ways that you can partner with BizWorld or apply to become a BizWorld International Partner here, and bring hands-on entrepreneurship education to young people in your region.

September 3, 2026 No Comments

News & PR

Meet the YES! Summer 2026 Demo Day Finalists

Ten weeks led to one big moment: Pitch Day. The BizWorld Young Entrepreneur Success Program, better known as YES!, is a 10-week remote Business Accelerator for young entrepreneurs ages 16–22 with an innovative idea or early-stage venture. Throughout the program, participants attend weekly workshops, receive one-on-one mentorship, and learn from experienced entrepreneurs and industry professionals. They use those ten weeks to strengthen their business plans, understand their customers, test their ideas, and prepare to present their ventures with confidence. These 10 weeks culminate into one exciting contest for a chance at $30,000; pitch day! How Does YES! Pitch Day Work? At the end of the 10-week program, every team presents its venture to a panel of judges at Pitch Day. Pitch Day is not where the $30,000 of seed funding is awarded, it is the first stage of the selection process. The judges review each team’s venture, business plan, and pitch, before selecting the strongest teams to advance as finalists, to go to the annual YES! Global Demo Day. At Demo Day, the finalists pitch again for the opportunity to receive up to $30,000 in seed funding to help take their ventures forward. For the YES! Summer 2026 Cohort, ten teams stepped forward to present their work, and only two would be selected to advance! Judge Feras Alhlou shared how difficult that decision was: “All of the teams were prepared, thoughtful, and delivered exceptionally well.” Meet the Summer 2026 Finalists (…drum roll please!) Impactfully This change making start-up Impactfully, is an eight-week online mentorship program that helps high school students, as well as selected younger students who demonstrate readiness, identify a meaningful problem in their communities, develop and test a practical solution, and launch an authentic passion project. Through a guided curriculum, weekly accountability, templates, feedback, optional one-on-one guidance, and progress updates for parents, Impactfully gives students the structure to turn something they care about into meaningful action. Impactfully is led by Founder and CEO Emilio Saenz, alongside App Developer Mateo Saenz. GameChanger Founded by Cheren Song, Dominic Ye, Jonathan Ye, and Ifelade Adeleye, GameChanger is a patent-pending modular adaptive controller and companion app created to make gaming more accessible for people with limited hand dexterity, including those living with Parkinson’s, arthritis, or tremors. Its ergonomic, PC-compatible controller uses large, low-force, interchangeable buttons that reduce strain and movement. Through the companion app, users can personalize button functions and joystick sensitivity to create an experience that better suits their individual needs. Congratulations to both teams. We cannot wait to see them take the next step at YES! Global Demo Day, in spring 2027. One More Demo Day Spot Is Still Open For the remaining Summer Cohort entrepreneurs, Pitch Day was not the end. The YES! Wildcard vote will open soon, giving the public the opportunity to directly help one additional company to join Impactfully and GameChanger at Demo Day, to pitch for up to $30,000 in seed funding. Learn more about the BizWorld YES! Program.

September 3, 2026 No Comments

News & PR

BizWorld Summer Camp 2026: Four Days of Entrepreneurship, Durable Life Skills and Cross-Cultural Collaboration

What can happen when young people are given four days to make real decisions, solve problems together and take responsibility for something of their own? At the 2026 BizWorld Summer Camp in Redwood City, California, rising fifth through seventh graders were placed into teams and challenged to take a company from its earliest idea all the way to selling a product to real customers. Over four days, they had to decide who would lead, how they would spend their money, how they would market what they created and what to do when things did not go according to plan. For many of the students, it was also their first time working with the people sitting beside them. One student arrived unsure of what to expect and spent part of the first morning joking around with his tablemates. Within a day, he was focused on the goal his company had set. By the end of camp, he had emerged as a clear leader within his team. His change was one example of what began happening across the room as students were given more responsibility. Entrepreneurship provides the framework for BizWorld, but the experience reaches beyond learning how a business works. Students are also practicing durable life skills such as communication, collaboration, leadership, resilience, financial literacy and problem-solving – skills they can use whether they eventually start a company, work for one or follow an entirely different path. Four Days From an Idea to a Company Held from July 27 through 30 at the Sobrato Center for Nonprofits, the 2026 BizWorld Summer Camp brought together students from across the Bay Area, young people connected to local nonprofit partner Levantar, and participants from BizWorld Japan and BizWorld Taiwan. Over the four-day camp, students experienced the BizWorld+ entrepreneurial cycle from beginning to end. They considered their individual strengths, applied for company roles and formed teams. From there, they developed products, managed budgets, raised funding, created marketing campaigns and prepared to sell their products. What began as a room filled largely with students who did not know one another became seven student-run companies working toward shared goals. Wendy Tibbs, who observed the camp throughout the week, saw students become increasingly confident in their roles and more aware of what their teams needed from them. But the growth during the week was not only something that could be observed. It could also be measured. From 53% to 75% in Four Days Before the BizWorld Summer Camp began, students completed an assessment covering basic business and financial concepts. They completed another assessment after finishing the four-day experience. Among the 36 campers who completed both assessments, the average score increased from 53% before camp to 75% afterward. Put simply, students entered the program answering approximately half of the business questions correctly. Four days later, they were answering roughly three out of every four correctly. The strongest improvement came in students’ understanding of profit. But what made that learning particularly meaningful was that students had not simply been given a definition to remember. Throughout the week, they had raised funding, spent money, generated revenue and made financial decisions for their own companies. They could see firsthand that having money available does not necessarily mean a business has made money. They were learning to think about what comes in, what goes out and what remains. It is a business lesson, but also a practical financial literacy skill that connects directly to everyday decisions around income, expenses and saving. At one point during the camp, two students began debating whether their company should take a bank loan or raise additional funding by giving an investor more ownership in the business. That conversation mattered because they were no longer simply repeating financial vocabulary. They were considering the consequences of a financial decision. Learning to Make Decisions Together Those decisions were rarely made alone. Students had to listen to one another, explain their ideas, disagree, compromise and continue working toward a shared goal. And because the 2026 BizWorld Summer Camp brought together students from different communities and countries, some teams were also learning how to collaborate across cultures. Students from Japan and Taiwan worked alongside local Bay Area campers inside the same companies, while international educators also participated in the experience. Wendy noted how naturally the visiting students became part of their teams, and one parent commented during the final ceremony on how well students from different backgrounds had worked together. It was another reminder that collaboration is not simply about working with people who think or communicate exactly as we do. It is learning how to move forward together when they do not. What Four Days Can Change By the end of the BizWorld Summer Camp, students had done much more than create products and complete a business cycle. They had practiced making financial decisions with consequences. They had presented ideas and listened to others. They had solved problems when their companies needed to change direction. Some had discovered that they were capable of leading. Others had learned when to listen, adapt or step forward. And the assessment results showed that, alongside those experiences, students had also developed a significantly stronger understanding of the business and financial concepts they had been practicing. The companies themselves lasted only four days. The leadership, communication, collaboration, financial literacy, resilience and problem-solving skills students practiced while running them can support them for much longer. Experiences like the BizWorld Summer Camp are made possible not only by the students and educators in the room, but also by the volunteers and supporters who choose to be part of them. If you would like to support a future BizWorld experience, join our volunteer list to hear about upcoming opportunities. And to hear more about the week from inside the camp, watch BizWorld CEO Charlene Vaca reflect on the 2026 Summer Camp, what stood out to her and why experiences like this matter for young people.

August 10, 2026 No Comments

Draper Innovation Index News

Draper Innovation Index US July 2026

BizWorld Updates Monthly Draper Innovation Index U.S.States Compete to Land in Top Ten of Best Places to Launch a Startup Georgia Pulls Ahead of North Carolina and Colorado in DII US Top 10California Stalls and Massachusetts FallsMichigan Pulls Ahead of VirginiaNorth Dakota Leapfrogs Indiana and WashingtonMontana Breaks into DII US Top 20, Wisconsin Falls OutMontana, Nebraska, North Dakota Post Largest GainsSouth Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma, and Rhode Island Post Largest Declines San Mateo, California – BizWorld announces the July 2026 update to the Draper Innovation Index U.S. (DII US), which evaluates each state’s innovation environment and entrepreneurship climate. Published monthly since 2021, the DII US provides the most well-rounded, up-to-date ranking of entrepreneurial locations, reflecting both traditional and emerging economic metrics, from taxes and regulations to venture capital investment, cryptocurrency friendliness, and blockchain investment trends. “What the DII US proves month after month is that capital and talent don’t care about legacy reputations anymore,” said BizWorld Founder Tim Draper. “As America celebrates its 250th year, the spirit of domestic competition is more alive than ever, and that’s a great thing. Look at Montana and Nebraska climbing the ladder, or Georgia aggressively stepping up its game—they are proving that the next Silicon Valley can be built anywhere lawmakers choose to trust the builders and get out of the way. If a state makes it easy to form a business and embraces emerging tech like crypto, entrepreneurs will flock there, while traditional heavyweights that choose to over-regulate are stalling out and watching the next generation of innovation happen somewhere else. Top Takeaways from the DII US July 2026 Update Key Risers: Georgia, Montana, Nebraska, North DakotaKey Fallers: South Carolina, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, North Carolina, Colorado “Our metrics this month show that new business formation remains the ultimate buffer against broader macroeconomic headwinds,” said BizWorld Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “Even as venture capital growth experiences localized volatility—particularly within the crypto and blockchain sectors—the states maintaining top-tier status are those that have successfully streamlined the regulatory friction required to launch a new startup.“ The DII US will continue to post monthly updates which can be accessed here. About BizWorld BizWorld.org is a global non-profit organization based in San Mateo, CA, whose mission is to equip future generations with entrepreneurial life skills to unlock their potential and create economic opportunity. Founded over 25 years ago by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, BizWorld.org programs teach students real-world 21st century skills and leadership that encourage them to become responsible leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. More than 850,000 students in more than 100 countries have participated in BizWorld programs. https://www.bizworld.org/

July 19, 2026 No Comments

Draper Innovation Index News

Draper Innovation Index Global July 2026

BizWorld Updates Monthly Draper Innovation Index GlobalNations Compete to Land in Top Ten of Best Places Globallyto Launch a Startup Following Major Volatility in Recent Months, DII Global Top 10 StabilizesIreland Breaks into Top 10, New Zealand Falls OutIceland Overtakes Norway in DII Global Top 20China and Russia DropTaiwan, Liechtenstein, and Macau See Largest GainsKosovo, Belize, and Qatar Register Largest Declines San Mateo, California – BizWorld announces its July 2026 update to the Draper Innovation Index Global (DII Global), which evaluates each nation’s ability to develop, support, and retain entrepreneurs, innovators, startups, and investors. First published in 2021, the DII Global provides the most well-rounded and up-to-date look at entrepreneurial environments across the globe. In an effort to continually use the most up-to-date information, the July 2026 DII Global includes an update to Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index. “Taiwan, a country that has punched above its weight class for decades, had this month’s biggest improvement,” said BizWorld Founder Tim Draper. “Improved performance on Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index was the major reason why. Few things make a country less attractive to entrepreneurs and investors than the perception that corruption runs deep in that country’s economic and political life. On the flipside, perceptions of transparency and stability serve as a magnet for entrepreneurs, investors and talent. As the world’s biggest microchip manufacturer, Taiwan could see further sustained advances up the DII ranks during the ongoing AI boom.” Top Takeaways from the DII Global July 2026 Update Key Risers: Taiwan, Liechtenstein, Ireland, Macau, IcelandKey Fallers: China, Russia, Kosovo, Belize, Qatar, New Zealand, Norway “As it celebrated its 250th Independence Day on July 4, 2026, the United States remains in first place on the DII Global rankings,” said BizWorld Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “The United States has a long, rich history of entrepreneurship, from countless small business owners to household names such as Thomas Edison, Walt Disney, Steve Jobs, and Elon Musk. As China and Russia continue to decline in the DII Global, the U.S.’s long history of innovation and entrepreneurship is still being added to every day.” The DII Global will release monthly updates to continually reflect the latest developments in global innovation and entrepreneurship, available here. About BizWorld BizWorld.org is a global non-profit organization based in San Mateo, CA, whose mission is to enable youth from all backgrounds to unlock the power of entrepreneurship to create career opportunities, inspire self-reliance, and build confidence that drives economic prosperity globally. Founded over 25 years ago by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, BizWorld.org programs teach students real-world 21st century skills and leadership that encourage them to become responsible leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. More than 850,000 students in more than 100 countries have participated in BizWorld programs. https://www.bizworld.org/

July 19, 2026 No Comments

Draper Innovation Index News

Draper Innovation Index US June 2026

BizWorld Updates Monthly Draper Innovation Index U.S.States Compete to Land in Top Ten of Best Places to Launch a Startup DII US Top 10 Sees Major Shakeup; Florida Retains 1st PlaceLegacy Tech Hubs California, Massachusetts, and New York All Register DeclinesEmerging Ecosystems Utah, Texas, Wyoming, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona Rise in Top 10New Hampshire and Colorado Fall in Top 10Tennessee Breaks into DII US Top 10; South Dakota Falls OutOklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin Post Largest GainsSouth Dakota, Kansas, and Washington See Largest Declines San Mateo, California – BizWorld announces the June 2026 update to the Draper Innovation Index U.S. (DII US), which evaluates each state’s innovation environment and entrepreneurship climate. Published monthly since 2021, the DII US provides the most well-rounded, up-to-date ranking of entrepreneurial locations, reflecting both traditional and emerging economic metrics, from taxes and regulations to venture capital investment, cryptocurrency friendliness, and blockchain investment trends. In the pursuit of continuing to integrate insightful, up-to-date information regarding state’s economic and business environments, the DII US has newly incorporated CNBC’s Top States for Business 2025 dataset. “California’s continued drop in the DII US is a monumental shift. While it still commands the highest overall venture capital growth, the state’s high cost of living and heavy regulatory burdens are actively driving entrepreneurs to look elsewhere to launch their startups,” said BizWorld Founder Tim Draper. “We are seeing the consequences of complacency in California. You cannot rely on a historical legacy of innovation if the current economic environment creates insurmountable barriers for new founders. Until the state addresses its core livability and regulatory issues, we expect this downward trend to continue.” the country – and globe.” Top Takeaways from the DII US April 2026 Update Key Risers: Utah, Texas, Wyoming, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, Oklahoma, Ohio, Pennsylvania, WisconsinKey Fallers: California, New York, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Colorado, South Dakota, Kansas, Washington “This month’s DII US paints a clear picture: the old guard is struggling. With California, New York, and Massachusetts all slipping in the ranks, it’s evident that founders are no longer tethered to traditional coastal tech hubs and are instead flocking to states that offer better economic freedom and lower operational costs,” said BizWorld Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “The simultaneous declines of New York, Massachusetts, and California signal a massive decentralization of American innovation. High taxes, strict regulations, and towering costs of living in these legacy states are suffocating new business formation, allowing agile, pro-business states in the Sunbelt and Mountain West to capture an increasing share of the startup market.” The DII US will continue to post monthly updates which can be accessed here. About BizWorld BizWorld.org is a global non-profit organization based in San Mateo, CA, whose mission is to equip future generations with entrepreneurial life skills to unlock their potential and create economic opportunity. Founded over 25 years ago by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, BizWorld.org programs teach students real-world 21st century skills and leadership that encourage them to become responsible leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. More than 850,000 students in more than 100 countries have participated in BizWorld programs. https://www.bizworld.org/

July 6, 2026 No Comments

Draper Innovation Index News

Draper Innovation Index Global June 2026

BizWorld Updates Monthly Draper Innovation Index Global Nations Compete to Land in Top Ten of Best Places Globallyto Launch a Startup Global Innovation Ecosystems Reshuffle — Canada Plummets Out of DII Global Top 10New Zealand Rises into the Top 10, India Sees Strong GainCyprus, Namibia, Argentina, and Zambia See Largest GainsVanuatu, Lebanon, Sint Maarten, and Tunisia Register Largest DeclinesCayman Islands Improves; Turkey FallsChina and Russia Remain Stable San Mateo, California – BizWorld announces its June 2026 update to the Draper Innovation Index Global (DII Global), which evaluates each nation’s ability to develop, support, and retain entrepreneurs, innovators, startups, and investors. First published in 2021, the DII Global provides the most well-rounded and up-to-date look at entrepreneurial environments across the globe. The June 2026 DII Global includes a number of updates, including: Heritage’s Index of Economic Freedom, DHL’s Global Connectedness Rank, World Intellectual Property Organization’s (WIPO) Global Innovation Index (GII), and inflation data from the World Bank. Despite constantly shifting global instability, many countries continue to drive forward with upgrading their innovation landscapes, helping them climb the DII Global rankings. “Canada’s abrupt departure from the DII Global Top 10 is a stark reminder that innovation ecosystems require constant care and attention,” said BizWorld Founder Tim Draper. “Unfriendly policy frameworks, stagnant economic growth, and a cooling venture capital environment, particularly in crucial sectors like AI and Machine Learning, have quickly eroded their competitive edge on the global stage. Entrepreneurs thrive when property rights are secure and regulatory burdens are light. Without improving its policies geared toward innovation investment, Canada could continue to fall down the DII Global ranks. Top Takeaways from the DII Global June 2026 Update Key Risers: India, Argentina, Cyprus, Namibia, Zambia, Cayman IslandsKey Fallers: Canada, Turkey, Lebanon, Tunisia “This month’s DII Global highlights a definitive trend: nations that embrace economic freedom are seeing immediate dividends and illustrate how critical these foundational economic liberties are to launching successful ventures,” said BizWorld Chief Economic Advisor Dr. Wallace Walrod. “The Heritage Index of Economic Freedom proved to be a major differentiator in June. As we observed with the massive climbs of Cyprus and Argentina, reducing bureaucratic friction and committing to open markets directly correlates with a thriving environment for startups and investors.” The DII Global will release monthly updates to continually reflect the latest developments in global innovation and entrepreneurship, available here. About BizWorld BizWorld.org is a global non-profit organization based in San Mateo, CA, whose mission is to enable youth from all backgrounds to unlock the power of entrepreneurship to create career opportunities, inspire self-reliance, and build confidence that drives economic prosperity globally. Founded over 25 years ago by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, BizWorld.org programs teach students real-world 21st century skills and leadership that encourage them to become responsible leaders and entrepreneurs of tomorrow. More than 850,000 students in more than 100 countries have participated in BizWorld programs. https://www.bizworld.org/

July 6, 2026 No Comments

News & PR

From Pharmacy Student to Funded Founder: How Sakhi Patel Built CuraVoice Through BizWorld’s YES! Program

When Sakhi started building CuraVoice at the end of 2024, she wasn’t thinking about paid contracts, joining BizWorld’s YES! Program, or pitching her new MedTech startup at conferences. She was a third-year pharmacy student who had noticed a gap – healthcare schools teach students what to say to patients, but rarely how to say it. That observation became a platform. CuraVoice lets healthcare students practice real patient conversations with a custom AI voice agent, receive graded feedback and build the communication confidence that clinical training often skips. Today, the platform has over 550 users across more than 100 universities worldwide, and a paid workforce training contract with an independent pharmacy. Getting to this point though, required more than a good idea. Finding the Right Room Sakhi heard about BizWorld’s Young Entrepreneur Success (YES!) Program through a LinkedIn post from a previous cohort winner. At 21, she was still learning the language of startups – terms like customer acquisition cost, and lifetime value were new territory – and most accelerators she encountered weren’t built with students in mind. “A lot of big accelerators are not always built with a student in mind,” she explained how BizWorld’s YES! Program is differnt. “Just being in a space where you also see other young people like yourself is really motivating.” What drew her in wasn’t just the curriculum, it was the environment, one where not knowing something wasn’t a liability, and where every participant was just like her, figuring things out in real time. Treated Like a Founder, Not a Student Founder One of the things Sakhi kept coming back to was how BizWorld reframes the idea of a student entrepreneur. There’s an unspoken assumption in many programs that a student led project has an expiration date; that it ends when school does. BizWorld pushes back on that idea. Her mentor made it clear early on: don’t let the momentum stall on your ideas just because you’re still in class. The focus wasn’t on surviving the semester, it was on building something that would still be running in five or ten years. “That’s what differentiates this program,” Sakhi said. “It forces you to think long term.” A Safe Space to Get It Wrong One thing the startup world doesn’t always advertise is how much trial and error actually goes into building something. For young founders especially, that process can feel high-stakes – particularly in rooms full of people with decades more experience. BizWorld is deliberately different. The YES! Program is built around the idea that getting things wrong is part of the process, not a disqualifier. Sakhi described it plainly, “What better place to fail than in a very supportive environment surrounded by other young entrepreneurs that are all just trying?” That culture of a business accelerator program matters more than you realize. It means founders show up willing to test ideas, ask basic questions and change direction without it feeling like a setback. Sakhi herself didn’t expect CuraVoice to pivot into workforce training, that direction emerged through conversations, feedback and the willingness to keep questioning early assumptions. But BizWorld’s support doesn’t stop at encouragement. What makes the program genuinely distinctive is what happens after the final Demo Day pitch event where participants have the chance to take home $30,000 in funding. Winners aren’t handed a cheque and sent on their way, they’re brought back for structured six and twelve-month check-ins to report on how their funding is actually being used. It’s accountability built into the model, and it sends a clear message: this isn’t a school prize, it’s an investment in a real business! “BizWorld wants you to tell them, ‘Hey, in six months I said I would do this, and now I did it,’” Sakhi said. “That’s where treating us like real founders actually comes in.” Demo Day: A Different Kind of Pitch Competition The YES! Program’s pitch even Demo Day, isn’t structured like a typical pitch contest. There’s no fixed first, second or third place winners. Founders make their own funding ask, explain exactly what they’ll use the money for and the judges decide from there. This year, five companies walked away with funding between $2,000 to $10,000. But would you believe it that at first, Sakhi almost didn’t make it to Demo Day at all. Due to the quality of her pitch at the end of the YES Program’s 10-week accelerator, she wasn’t selected in the initial round to proceed to the finals at Demo Day, but a wildcard community vote – which she won – put her back in the room. She went on to deliver a new pitch, answer the judges’ questions with confidence and expertise, and walked away as the top-funded company, taking home $10,000. “I was not counting on being the absolute winner,” she said. “Seeing people really rally for me was good enough in and of itself.” So what will this new found investment be sued for? The funds are going toward cloud infrastructure to support CuraVoice’s growing data needs, conference attendance to reach pharmacy owners and hiring managers, and a targeted marketing push. BizWorld also builds in six and twelve-month check-ins to hold winners accountable – another signal that this is real investment, not a prize cheque. What’s Next for CuraVoice CuraVoice is expanding beyond the student market into workforce training, giving employers a credentialing layer to assess how well candidates can actually communicate with patients, not just what they know on paper. It’s a pivot that came directly from conversations at a pharmacy conference, where owners and hiring managers asked for exactly that tool. For Sakhi, the BizWorld experience didn’t end at Demo Day. The connections, mentorship and community have continued, which she says is exactly what young entrepreneurs need most. “There are spaces where you will feel supported,” she said. “but if you don’t try, you’ll never find them.” Support the Next Generation of Founders Many people are often surprised by the fact that the YES! Business Accelerator program is free

June 15, 2026 No Comments

education

What Taiwan’s Top Students Are Still Missing | BizWorld × Taiwan

One of the most important things BizWorld teaches young people is not a business framework or a pitch structure. It is independent thinking – the ability to question, challenge, and reason through problems on their own terms. According to Roick Feng, founder of Hohoka and BizWorld’s new Taiwan partnership, independent thinking is also the skill that most school systems are failing to build. “They are masters at answering other people’s questions,” he said of Taiwan’s students, “but not at solving their own problems.” That gap between academic performance and real-world capability, sits at the centre of what BizWorld’s entrepreneurship education is designed to close. Feeling the Problem Before Solving It Most education systems teach students to process problems that have already been defined for them. The question is on the paper. The method is in the textbook. The answer exists somewhere, and the task is to find it. BizWorld’s approach starts somewhere else entirely. “Through entrepreneurship, you can feel other people’s pain points and find the solution,” said Roick. Before a young person can pursue any venture truly worth building, they have to first develop the capacity to notice what is wrong, to sit with a problem long enough to understand it from someone else’s perspective. That is empathy as a practical skill. And it is one of the things a 2025 global analysis of project-based learning research, mapping over 2,200 peer-reviewed studies over a decade period, points to consistently as a differentiator between students who can perform academically and students who can actually create something. Why Independent Thinking Is the Real Outcome The deeper skill being built through BizWorld’s entrepreneurship curriculum is the power of independence of thought. The ability to receive information and to interrogate it, before accepting it. “Challenging all the ideas and challenging all the impossibilities or the pain points you’re facing; that’s exactly what the entrepreneurship program wants to bring you,” Roick says. “And that’s why you learn to think independently.” It is also the exact skill that protects people from being misled. In a world where information – real and fabricated – arrives faster than it can be verified, the person who pauses to ask “is this actually true?” has a significant advantage over the person who was only ever taught to absorb and repeat. BizWorld builds that pause. It builds the instinct to ask why, to stress-test assumptions, and to reach conclusions through your own reasoning rather than someone else’s. The Skills That Are Uniquely Human What makes this urgent right now is not just the school system, it is everything outside of it. “AI can replace knowledge, but it cannot replace entrepreneurship,” Roick says. “Skills like human empathy, making tough calls in deep ambiguity, and having grit to bounce back from failures; they’re very uniquely human. So if we don’t teach this now, we’re failing our kids.” That framing shifts the conversation. Entrepreneurship education is not a supplement to academic learning. It is preparation for a world where retrieving information is trivially easy and where the value sits entirely in what you do with it. Why Hohoka Chose BizWorld | BizWorld x Taiwan International Partnership Hohoka had already built its own entrepreneurship and financial literacy programs in Taiwan, earning recognition from both public and private sectors before the BizWorld partnership came into the picture. Thus, the decision to bring BizWorld in was not about filling a gap, it was about connecting Taiwan’s young people to something larger. “I’ve been researching and looking at BizWorld’s programs for a long time,” Roick explains. “I believe we share the same values and we care about the same issues. The most important addition to us that BizWorld brings is connecting Taiwan’s kids to the world. BizWorld’s programs and infrastructure provides exactly the key to that.” Taiwan produces outstanding engineers. It is one of the most technically capable workforces on the planet. But Roick saw clearly what the next step required. “That’s good, but that’s not good enough. We want to cultivate the visionary business leaders who can actually lead those engineers to change the world. That’s one thing I believe BizWorld can bring to Taiwan.” BizWorld’s curriculum provided the international framework, the global network, and the project-based structure that HohoKa wanted to bring to Taiwanese classrooms. The partnership was built on shared conviction: that entrepreneurship is a life skill, and that the right time to teach it is now. If you’re an educator, school leader, or organisation exploring what it would take to bring entrepreneurship education to young people in your country, BizWorld’s international partnership program is a good place to start. Learn more about joining us as a BizWorld International Partner now, and follow along with Hohoka and their work bringing entrepreneurship education to Taiwan.

June 15, 2026 No Comments

Draper Innovation Index News

Youth Entrepreneurship in Japan: Potential in a Cautious Culture

The Draper Innovation Index (DII) ranks Japan 17th in the world for innovation and entrepreneurship – a top-tier score reflecting strong performance across government quality, economic environment, and social sub-indices. By every structural measure, Japan should be one of the world’s most active startup nations. And yet, Japan has a well-documented reputation for caution when it comes to entrepreneurship. One commentator famously described it as “a country where young people don’t start businesses.” The data backs this up and understanding why, matters for anyone working in entrepreneurship education. The Numbers Tell a Clear Story Compared to global averages, Japan’s entrepreneurial participation is strikingly low: These numbers do not reflect a lack of capability. Japan is one of the most educated, innovative, and technically skilled nations on earth. What they reflect is culture, and culture can change. The Demographic Challenge Japan’s entrepreneurial scene is also shaped by a powerful demographic reality: it is one of the oldest demographic countries in the world, with a median age of 49.5. Over the last 30 years, the average age of a new entrepreneur in Japan has increased. The percentage of founders under 40 has been decreasing, while the share of those over 50 has been rising. This decline in youth entrepreneurship reflects the country’s broader aging population – a challenge affecting all aspects of its society and economy. Japan’s Strengths Are Significant Despite the cultural caution, Japan possesses immense underlying strengths that could fuel a new generation of entrepreneurs if properly activated: What Could Change This Japan has all the ingredients needed to produce a new generation of entrepreneurs. The challenge is putting them all together: Japan does not lack the talent, the infrastructure, or the ideas. What it needs is a cultural shift that makes entrepreneurship feel like a viable, respected, and exciting path for young people, the same shift that produced Sony, Nintendo, and Pokémon in an earlier generation. The foundation is already there. The next wave just needs to be encouraged to build on it. Explore Japan’s complete innovation ranking and the full Draper Innovation Index at https://bizworld.org/index/

June 12, 2026 No Comments

Tag: BizWorld

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Youth Entrepreneurship in Japan: Potential in a Cautious Culture

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