CNMI team places 3rd in biz startup contest

Donalynn Bukurou, a participant from Palau, works on pitch ideas for the Startup Weekend Micronesia event on April 27. (University of Guam)

A team from the CNMI has placed third in a sustainability-focused business startup competition hosted by the University of Guam Entrepreneur Society student organization.

The team, called “Recycle to Print,” came up with the idea to take recycled materials and create useful objects using a 3D printer.Its members are Kirsten Jensen, Anushi Joshi, Sharon Paek, and Vicente Juan Ythemar. 

They were one of seven sustainability-focused business ideas from teams representing CNMI, Guam, Palau, Pohnpei, and Yap that participated in the Startup Weekend Micronesia “Solve 2Day, Evolve 2Morrow”event hosted online from April 27 to April 29.

The first-place award went to SCRAP of Pohnpei. The concept is sustainable conservation recycling of agricultural products . Its members are Celena Albis, Isabel Emrhedrose Pacyaya Garcia, Erika Lynn Nakasone, and Marissa Quiambao. 

Second place went to Package WAAB Wellness Camp of Yap. The concept is Yap’s first recreation center aimed at holistic health. Its members are Jalani Gootinmutnguy, Teresita Laarwon, Demetria Mtag, Jamilyn Mooteb, Sebastiana Tinagpitin, and Joshua Tun 

The first-place winners of Startup Weekend Micronesia at the College of Micronesia-FSM Center for Entrepreneurship, where they participated in the Micronesia-wide event from April 27 to April 29. (Back row, from left) Erika Lynn Nakasone, Celena Albis, (front row, from left) Isabel Emrhedrose Pacyaya Garcia, and Marissa Quiambao. (University of Guam)

Other teams that took part included: Beep! (Guam), Dachelbil (Palau), Kenehke 4 Wheels (Pohnpei), and Linguistic Learning Services (LLS) (Pohnpei). 

First-place winners will receive $2,500 in seed money with provisions, second-place winners will receive three Cricut Explore Machines with supplies and AirTags, and third-place winners will receive entrepreneurship books, notebooks, bags, and other sustainable goods.

The event was hosted by the University of Guam Entrepreneur Society, UOG’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, and the Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network.

With the assistance of Northern Marianas College, the College of Micronesia-FSM, and SBDC centers throughout Micronesia, the weekend-long event engaged a total of 35 participants on five islands throughout Micronesia with the dream of starting their own business. 

Participants pitched their business ideas with a focus on sustainability. The participants then formed teams and built business plans to turn the most feasible ideas into small-business startups. The teams pitched their startups to a panel of judges who determined the winners. 

“This year’s event brought forth the diverse communities of Micronesia, along with their sustainable ideas, to solve concerns in their respective islands. The passion and drive from each team just radiated through the final pitches and was easily seen by all those who were present,” said Christasha Aguon, an officer of the Entrepreneur Society at UOG and Startup Weekend Micronesia organizing lead. 

The event is associated with Google Techstars Startup Weekend, a program that has been launched in more than 150 countries across the world that teaches aspiring entrepreneurs how to create a real company.

UOG graduate students in the Professional Master of Business Administration program and the Pacific Islands SBDC at UOG first brought the Startup Weekend event model to Guam in 2014, to Saipan in 2016, and to Palau, Chuuk, Kosrae, Yap, and Pohnpei for the first time in 2019.  (PR/Saipan Tribune)