DUEDC circulates entrepreneurial spirit through Powerpreneur 3.0

The Grand Finale of Powerpreneur 3.0: National Startup Analysis Competition, a flagship initiative by Dhaka University Entrepreneurship Development Club (DUEDC), has concluded successfully on the Dhaka University premises on Sunday (21 January).

Dhaka University Entrepreneurship Development Club (DUEDC) strives to achieve its core vision - acquainting curious learners with soft skills that are elemental in the field of entrepreneurship. It aims to nurture future entrepreneurs with crucial skills and knowledge to build an entrepreneurial mindset that would be essential for reaching their goals, reads a press release.

After two successful intra-university level iterations, for the first time, Powerpreneur 3.0 has opened itself to the national stage, including all colleges and universities across Bangladesh. Powerpreneur 3.0 is specialized to enhance the analytical skill and communication skills of participants, grooming them for their professional growth. 

A total of 174 teams have signed up from across Bangladesh for Powerpreneur 3.0 to face the challenge and unfold an unforgettable chapter on their development. Powerpreneur 3.0 started with three online sessions, which were followed by Dr Rafiuddin Ahmed, professor, Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka, and Mahtab Abdullah Monjur, director of Mahtab's Care and also by Naymul Hasan, professional UI/UX designer, mentor at Shikhbe Shobai, equipping them with key tools and knowledge for the upcoming battle.

After the conclusion of the First Round on 30 December, only 20 teams advanced to the following round. After providing another analysis on video format and an online pitch deck on the Zoom platform, only eight teams have advanced to the final round. 

The Grand Finale started with a beginning note from the honorable Chief Patron and Moderator of DUEDC – Dr Rafiuddin Ahmed (professor, Department of Marketing, University of Dhaka), who has been the leading figure of DUEDC since its formation, catching the attention of the participants and audience with his captivating speech. He expressed his belief in building an entrepreneurial mentality from a very young age and advised how it should be achieved.

After the pitching session, the judges Dr Rafiuddin Ahmed, Ariful Alam, senior manager, Brand and Digital, Nagad Ltd, and M Sohel Rana, program lead, GP Accelerator, Grameenphone gave their closing notes, showing appreciation for the hard work and the skills of the finalists. 

In the end, Team 'Shinobi' was crowned the winner out of eight finalist teams and won prize money worth Tk5,000. The first runner-up team is 'Honey Nuts' and the second runner-up team is 'Party Planning Committee' receiving prize money of Tk3,000 and Tk2,000, respectively. It was also announced by Md Ferdous Rahman Razon, president of DUEDC, that the winners would be invited to Nagad and be given gifts and goodies. 

Abdullah, a student of Jagannath University and Mehnaz Tamanna Oyeshi, a student of the Islamic University of Technology, were awarded as the best campus ambassadors of Powerpreneur 3.0.

Powerpreneur 3.0 has included Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC), Dan Cake and Crunch, The Business Standard, Shikhbe Shobai, Dhaka Post, The Excellence of Dhaka University, Jontro Bazar and Grameen Danone - Shakti+ as event partners.

Powerpreneur 3.0: National Startup Analysis Competition has set out to be an exceptional platform where participants from all levels get to challenge themselves with their analytical and entrepreneurial skills, enabling them to acquire practical skills, broaden their networks, and explore new opportunities. Additionally, it allows the club to maintain its tradition of organising exceptional events. Incorporating more impactful events like this is crucial to its mission of inspiring young minds and guiding them towards the path of successful entrepreneurship.