Remote working is no barrier to success for Sofia entrepreneur team

01.04.20

Despite the closure of their school in response to Covid-19, a team of students from Sofia, Bulgaria, have provided an excellent example of how learning and collaborative projects are thriving in the new educational environment.

The participants in this year’s World ORT Taub Young Entrepreneurship Program from ORT No 134 “Dimcho Debelianov” Jewish School, remotely presented their business ventures to a panel of judges on Monday.

With their school closed, the students have been meeting online to develop their product ideas and business plans in order to continue competing in the YEP program, which promotes business entrepreneurship and encourages collaboration.

Although they were working in a new way for the first time, the team adapted well during the session and presented their ventures with confidence and persuasion.

Among the ideas put forward in a Dragon’s Den/Shark Tank format were a sleep sensor for motorists, a smart-fridge app, a holographic globe for education and mechanical solutions for self-cleaning glasses.

The polished presentation received positive feedback from the judges, and the students will now move on to select their most promising venture to take forward to the final stages of the 2020 YEP competition.

There they will present a full product specification, business model and marketing and communications plan.

With ORT schools globally adapting to the realities of online working, the Sofia group has shown how obstacles can be overcome with hard work and collaboration. We look forward to seeing their project develop and hope to see them compete in the next stage.