Innovation Bootcamp ‘Inspire – Prepare – Succeed’ with young startup innovation enthusiasts!

Within the framework of the Project ‘JuniorUP – Support, Networking and Promotion of Youth Startups’ with the support of the Minister of State for the Protection of Entrepreneurship, on September 16-19, 2022, an innovation camp was held for JAA startups and young people interested in entrepreneurship and innovation.

Motivated by the 3 main pillars of the Junior Achievement Worldwide approach, Inspire – Prepare – Succeed, the participants of this camp experienced a very unique journey. Each day was focused on one of the pillars with inspiring success stories of entrepreneurs, guest speakers from the digital and innovative sector and field visits where innovation happens with extraordinary people. Equipping young people with the right knowledge, tools and experience, constructive role models and lots of fun, that’s what this Bootcamp promised and achieved.

With the participation of young people aged 18-35, from all over Albania, through presentations and interactive conversations with the trainers, in this bootcamp the young people were introduced to the following topics:

Inspiration sessions:

1. Lona Aliaj – Founder of Style Lend, who shared the entire journey of her entrepreneurship starting from the admission to Y Combinator,
2. Kushtrim Xhakli – Director of Connected Inventions, did not hesitate to show the difficulties as well as a ‘discipline’ for entrepreneurs towards success, based on his journey.
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Topic-related training:

1. Who is an entrepreneur and how can you become one with Shkelzen Marku,
2. Where to find good ideas and how to return them into a Startup with Shkelzen Marku, who in his experience as a consultant and entrepreneur guided young people to look around to find tangible problems,
3. Why employees should behave as entrepreneurs within their organization with Dritan Mezin, who emphasized the importance of an entrepreneurial mindset even if you are employed together with some techniques and tools on digitalization.

Field visits:

1. TUMO,
2. Lufthansa Industries,
3. Coolab coworking space.

This Bootcamp was financially supported by the State Ministry for the Protection of Entrepreneurship, within the support of Junior Achievement of Albania as an ecosystem facilitator.