The “Association of Armenian Online Media and Journalists” NGO and Mediamax media company, in general partnership with Viva, have completed the “Get Started” program for high school students.
Through the two-stage “Get Started” program, participants explored the experiences of successful companies, learned the nuances of attracting investments, and fine-tuned their ideas during mentor-led workshops.
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Participants received answers to their questions, such as how to succeed in establishing a startup, take the opportunity that technologies provide, turn a hobby into a project, then – into a successful business, and contribute to the country’s development.
“The program has given us the chance to discover how many bright young people we have in Yerevan and in the regions. The representatives of startup companies and the mentors involved in the program helped participants deepen their understanding of the startup ecosystem. I hope they will continue working on the implementation of their ideas as enthusiastically as they did,” said Ara Tadevosyan, director of Mediamax.
Participants showed imagination, creativity, and revealed aspirations through different projects. Most of them focused on ideas concerning peer development. They had projects on establishing innovative platforms, thematic quest rooms, building an observatory for border-line community students, attracting youngsters towards pottery and turning it into a business, as well as contributing to tourism development using modern technologies, etc.
“Each time you participate in programs, strive to get the most out of them, explore who you are, identify what you really want to do in life, and push the limits of your abilities. Be proactive, consistent, and bold. The sooner you start building a valuable knowledge base for yourself, the faster you will achieve your goals. The projects you’ve presented demonstrate that our youth has analytical minds and great creativity, which are important in facing the challenges posed by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence and in coexisting peacefully with it. I am confident that the knowledge and experience you gained within the program will be key to navigating different stages of your life. Congratulations, and I wish you more achievements,” noted Viva’s general director Armen Avetisian.
Seven out of the twelve participants reached the final stage of the program. They presented their startup initiatives to the juries. The top three projects received monetary incentives: AMD 500 000 for first place (Anna Tsatryan), AMD 300 000 – for second (Larisa Hovhannisyan), and AMD 200 000 – for third (Sofik Karapetyan).