SINGAPORE: Representing Singapore – Greenairy and Moonbeam, young social enterprises focused on air purification and repurposing excess produce respectively, joined over 200 participants from 20 countries and territories gathered in the Philippines at the Youth Co:Lab Summit 2024.
Centred on the theme of ‘Inclusive Entrepreneurship’, the summit became a platform to celebrate and highlight the critical role of young entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds in driving sustainable and equitable economic development and in advancing the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Youth Co:Lab Summit 2024 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Citi Foundation, was organised together with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and the Department of Trade and Industry Philippines (DTI).
Held at the ADB Headquarters in Manila, Philippines, the Summit was a platform to champion inclusivity in entrepreneurship, promote youth-driven climate initiatives, and harness digital skills where young social entrepreneurs present their inclusive solutions, female-centric initiatives, support for underserved communities and innovative climate responses to build inclusive and just societies.
The 2-day summit saw participants from diverse backgrounds, including young social entrepreneurs, government delegates, private sector partners, investors, and other youth community partners also joining virtually.
Greenairy Founder, Tanvi Ravindra Thombre and The Moonbeam Co-Founder, Toh Varden showcased their innovative solutions before a high-level judging panel at the regional summit, highlighting their commitment to sustainability and inventive approaches.
Greenairy is a brand that provides an innovative plant-based air purification solution for indoor spaces, delivering clean air efficiently through active air phytoremediation technology, while The Moonbeam aims to repurpose excess produce and create high-value products that can be consumed instead of wasted.
Commenting on the experience, Tanvi said, “Meeting other youth change-makers and hearing about their diverse solutions reinforced the power of the youth in driving impactful change. We will take these insights back and continue to grow our sustainability efforts with Greenairy.”
Meanwhile, Citi Foundation Chief Operating Officer, Florencia Spangaro said, “Through our Pathways to Progress job skills-building initiative, the Citi Foundation has been a longtime supporter of organisations working around the globe to address the persistent issue of youth unemployment.”
The summit also provided a regional space for young social entrepreneurs across the Asia-Pacific region to foster knowledge and idea exchanges through networking and collaboration, inspire and engage youth to take action, discuss emerging trends in the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem, advocate for policies to enhance its resilience and inaugurate collaborative initiatives for inclusive youth entrepreneurship.
Youth Co:Lab, co-created by UNDP and the Citi Foundation in 2017, is the largest youth movement for empowerment, social entrepreneurship, equality, and social inclusion in Asia Pacific and has supported young people in 28 countries and territories. Since its inception, activities supported by Youth Co:Lab have reached 280,300 participants across the Asia-Pacific region.
