Malang, October 9, 2024 - The Faculty of Economics and Business, State University of Malang (FEB UM) again held the Creative Innovator Competition (CIC), a business development program designed to foster student creativity and innovation through entrepreneurship. The event, chaired by Mrs. Ria Zulkha Ermadya, S.ST., M.Si., CSRS, not only provides opportunities for students to start a business, but also provides support in the form of funds, training, and mentoring from the Creative Center FEB UM.
The program is open to students in their 7th semester, and as of September 29, 2024, 270 teams from various majors have registered. After a rigorous selection process, 43 teams were selected to proceed to the next stage. The participants were divided into four categories, namely: Growth Stage, Creative Industry, Production and Cultivation, Food and Beverage. This division of categories is expected to accommodate various types of student creative businesses while encouraging expertise in specific sectors that are relevant to today's business world.
On Sunday, October 6, 2024, a technical meeting was held as part of the Creative Innovator Competition event series. At this meeting, the committee discussed the competition mechanism in detail, as well as introduced a mentoring session for teams that made it to the CIC 2024 funding stage.
This series of CIC events then continues with Mentoring for those who have passed funding. The event was opened by the Deputy Dean I of FEB UM who motivated the participants to continue to be enthusiastic in developing their business. "This is a golden opportunity for you to learn and innovate, take advantage of every opportunity given in this competition," he said.
The event was then followed by a talk show session that presented two successful young entrepreneurs as speakers. Kak Asri Nastiti Primadani, owner of Snackbucket.co, was the first speaker. Kak Asri, who is familiarly called Kak Rima, shared her experience in starting and developing Snackbucket.co. In her presentation, Kak Asri discussed the various challenges she faced when starting a business, from production management to marketing strategies. She also emphasized the importance of adaptation to market changes and the importance of having a strong mentality to remain consistent and creative in the face of competition. "Success in business does not happen instantly, but through a long process full of learning. Never be afraid to try and fail," said Kak Rima.
After Asri's session, the talkshow continued with a presentation from Astried Zuraida, owner of Oyi Buttermilk. Kak Astried gave an insight into how she started a dairy drink business and managed to develop it into a widely recognized brand. She also emphasized the importance of product innovation and good customer service in maintaining customer loyalty. In addition, she shared tips on efficient financial management and how to utilize social media as an effective promotional platform.
Deputy Dean I FEB UM, who opened this mentoring session, again emphasized the importance of the learning process in this competition. He hopes that students will not only pursue victory, but also make CIC a place to develop themselves, both as entrepreneurs and as creative and innovative individuals.
The whole event went smoothly, and the participants ended the day full of enthusiasm. As a token of appreciation, all participants will receive a certificate uploaded to the SIMAWA system, signifying their participation in this prestigious event.
Through the Creative Innovator Competition, the Faculty of Economics and Business, State University of Malang hopes to produce young people who are ready to compete in the business world. CIC is not only a competition event, but also a forum that prepares students to become innovative and highly competitive business actors. The faculty hopes that this program can continue in the coming years, making a real contribution to the development of young Indonesian entrepreneurs.
Author: Anastasia Faculty of Economics and Business
State University of Malang