By Plamena Solakova, YES 2009-2010, Bulgaria, hosted by PAX in Richland, WA

On the evening of Wednesday, October 12, after more than 12 hours of traveling, a group of enthusiastic young entrepreneurs-to-be arrived in Krushevo, Macedonia. This group was made up of 32 alumni from the Youth Exchange and Study Program in South East Europe. As participants from Bulgaria, Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia, Albania and Kosovo, we all had different backgrounds and ages (seven generations of YES were present!), but what united us was the passion to be heard and to make a positive difference in our communities through social entrepreneurship. 

So there we were at the StartQube Social Entrepreneurship Workshop, organized for us by American Councils and STARTUP Development Association. From October 12-16, 2016, we came up with business ideas, learned how to structure a team, plan our finances, attract investors, build our brand, and, finally, pitch entrepreneurship ideas to investors in a real-time challenge. The pitch challenge asked of us to prepare three-minute presentations in teams that discussed one social problem in our communities and our solution to it. 

While we were pressed for time, the results were outstanding, and included ideas like providing parenting classes for young moms and dads in Tirana, creating a health information phone app for tourists in Bulgaria, and making an Amazon.com-style website for schoolbooks in Belgrade. Out of 10 teams, the top three winners of the challenge were invited to various entrepreneurship conferences in Europe and to additional incubator programs, which were prizes well deserved. They certainly inspired the future leaders present to act and not just leave their great ideas on paper.

Part of the Macedonian experience was also to visit local businesses in Krushevo, including hostels, restaurants, and lokum (Turkish delight) makers. Precisely because of the real-life interaction with business owners, we as participants managed to see some of their challenges and battles, which helped prepare us for what’s to come when we are in their shoes as entrepreneurs. Things will never be 100% simple; however, thanks to programs like YES and workshops like this one in Macedonia, we learn how to face what life throws at us, to challenge it, and to come out better people and leaders of our communities. Hopefully we can pass on this inspiration to address social problems to both our peers and the next generations to come!