Gelephu turned into a hub of youthful innovation as schoolchildren showcased creative business ideas at the KidsMBA Bhutan Programme. The eight-day programme brought together 23 students from Gelephu Middle and Lower Secondary School.
Over eight days, 23 students from Gelephu Middle Secondary School and Gelephu Lower Secondary School took part in hands-on sessions introducing them to entrepreneurship, teamwork, and problem-solving.
The students were divided into six teams and guided to develop business ideas focused on sustainability, culture, and community needs.
The programme culminated in a Shark Tank–style pitching session, where the young participants confidently presented their ideas before a panel of judges, answering questions on cost, impact, and feasibility.
Vegetable To-Go emerged as the winning idea, proposing a farm-to-home delivery service of clean, chemical-free vegetables and fruits sourced directly from farmers, aimed at serving busy households and the elderly. Other ideas included eco-friendly bags, cultural lunchboxes, tea products, crochet items, and baked goods.
The KidsMBA Bhutan Programme is an initiative of the Youth Development Fund in collaboration with UK-based ABE Global Limited, targeting students aged 11 to 15.
“I learned a lot about business, financing and how to do budgeting properly and also reflect on my business ideas. There were lots of things that I had to take note of and it really shocked me as my previous thinking of business was very raw. But regardless of all the competition, I will try to be an entrepreneur in the future,” said Jigme Pema Yangchen, Student, Gelephu MSS, Sarpang.
According to the organisers, the programme focuses on more than just business skills.
“The whole objective of this training is to build entrepreneurial mindset and serve efficacy among the Bhutanese youth, and provide them with learning platform for entrepreneurship and innovation. And what we are doing with kidsMBA is we are integrating our own GNH values,” said Pema Gyeltshen, Social Enterprise Officer, Innovate Bhutan.
The winners will receive continued support, including three months of incubation and mentoring through 12 structured sessions to help them refine and further develop their products. They will also gain opportunities to participate in international platforms, similar to the first cohort, which had the chance to take part in the International Creativity and Innovation Award held in Vietnam last year.
Passang Dorji & Karma Wangdi, Gelephu
