Mr. Wang, with over 20 years of experience in brand marketing, planning, and integration, shared his insights and experiences in founding a social enterprise at the NCCU Research & Innovation-Incubation Center. By posing the question, “Do you feel happy today?” he engaged students to reflect on the mission and goals of social enterprises. About 50% of the students raised their hands, reflecting a happiness index of around 50%, while the remaining represented areas requiring further effort and service. Leveraging this scenario, he illustrated the role of social enterprises in creating social value and addressing societal problems. Wang introduced the “Three-Step Startup Concept Review,” which focuses on positioning, fundamental differentiation of products and services, and innovative business models. He emphasized the importance of validating concepts like “Who am I? Who am I for? Why must they buy our products or services?” and ensuring clear differentiation from competitors with substantiated claims.

Following Wang’s session, Ms. Chan shared her extensive experience in international market strategy and sustainable brand building. She provided insights into showcasing brand value during pitches, advising students to utilize every minute effectively. She suggested focusing on business models, financial mechanisms, and target markets in the first four minutes, leaving detailed discussions for the Q&A segment. Chan emphasized the importance of preparing backup slides to support responses to judges' questions, showcasing professionalism and adaptability. She demonstrated how strategic brand thinking and storytelling can resonate with judges, encouraging them to connect with and support the pitch. She also stressed the importance of a clear call-to-action (CTA) to enhance the persuasiveness of proposals.

Drawing from her entrepreneurial experiences in the UK and France, Chan encouraged students to integrate their professional backgrounds and passions to create ventures with long-term social impact. She reflected on co-founding Taiwan’s first youth-led climate change initiative and emphasized the importance of value-driven entrepreneurship that fosters positive social and environmental change. She advised students to highlight teamwork and expertise in their pitches and use visual tools to strengthen their brand messaging.

This workshop not only provided students with opportunities to present and gain practical experience but also enabled them to enhance their business plans and pitching skills under the guidance of two expert speakers. Both speakers emphasized the importance of clear brand positioning, compelling storytelling, and demonstrating confidence and team cohesion during presentations to elevate the impact and persuasiveness of proposals. Through this event, students deepened their understanding of social innovation and brand value while refining their final pitches.