NNA -nbsp;PepsiCo and the Arab Youth Center (AYC)nbsp;have opened applications fornbsp;young Arab innovators tonbsp;apply for thenbsp;Arab Youth Hackathon,nbsp;anbsp;regional entrepreneurship programnbsp;aimed atnbsp;creatingnbsp;smarter solutionsnbsp;tonbsp;climate-relatednbsp;issuesnbsp;in the areas ofnbsp;agriculture,nbsp;circular economy, water security,nbsp;and renewablenbsp;energynbsp;and efficiency.
According to recent research,nbsp;65% of Gen Z members in MENA are concerned about the world, butnbsp;a higher proportion -nbsp;66%nbsp;arenbsp;hopeful about the change they can deliver.nbsp;50%nbsp;arenbsp;alsonbsp;actively striving to make a change through social, political, or environmental means.
The hackathon will run innbsp;Lebanon,nbsp;Jordan,nbsp;UAE, Saudinbsp;Arabia,nbsp;andnbsp;Egypt, and isnbsp;seekingnbsp;applicantsnbsp;including university students and early-stage entrepreneurs who either are looking to ideate or have a preliminary existing idea at the testing phase, which will evolve during the hackathons. Candidates must apply in teams of 2 to 3 participantsnbsp;aged betweennbsp;18 to 35 years of age, with at leastnbsp;one member older than 21 years.
Once the shortlist of teamsnbsp;hasnbsp;been selected, PepsiCo, PepsiCo Foundation, Plug and Playnbsp;andnbsp;AYC will host athree-daynbsp;localnbsp;hackathon,nbsp;providing mentorship and curated workshops to transfer knowledge to the participants.nbsp;In Lebanon, the hackathon will take place at Beirut Digital District from 28thnbsp;tonbsp;30thnbsp;October.
The proposed solutionsnbsp;will be assessed and selected based onnbsp;itsnbsp;innovation andnbsp;be financially feasible and scalable. A panel of experts will evaluate the entries based on their sustainability alignment, ability to reduce emissions, and the magnitude of impact on areasnbsp;under the four pillars of the competition (Water, Agriculture, Climate, Circular Economy)nbsp;such as climate change, energy, circular economy, deforestation, green transformation, soil fertility, waste management, water scarcity, and marine environment wellbeing.
The finals of thenbsp;competition, featuring 15 of thenbsp;most promisingnbsp;solutionsnbsp;fromnbsp;the five countries, will take placenbsp;duringnbsp;December,nbsp;in Dubai.nbsp;The three best innovatorsnbsp;willnbsp;receivenbsp;an equity-freenbsp;seed fundnbsp;from the PepsiCo Foundationnbsp;to launch theirnbsp;businesses, worthnbsp;$30,000 for the winner,nbsp;$20,000 for the runner-up, andnbsp;$10,000 for the second runner-up. In addition, they willnbsp;participate innbsp;a five-month incubation program that will help them develop and scale their groundbreaking ideasand ensure long-term success.
Eugene Willemsen, CEO ndash; Africa, Middle East and South Asia at PepsiCo said,nbsp;ldquo;Young people are comfortable in a world of dialogue and collaboration, and uniquely motivated to contribute to solutionsnbsp;to climate-related issues. They also have the power to influence behavior in their communities and urge policymakers to tackle environmental challenges.nbsp;This year, through tangible investment and collaborative action, PepsiCo is advancing COP28rsquo;s goal to promote youth engagement in climate action. We are committed to diversity in thought, perspective, and action to move the needle in ways we havenrsquo;t imagined before, and the Arab Youth Hackathon harnesses the power ofnbsp;collaborationnbsp;to channel this potential in tangible and measurable ways.rdquo;
C.D. Glin, President, PepsiCo Foundation and Global Head of Philanthropy, PepsiConbsp;added,nbsp;ldquo;At the PepsiCo Foundation, we know that global challenges require bold, innovative, local and lasting solutions. The Arab Youth Hackathon provides a platform for us to feed the potential and entrepreneurial spirit of the next generation of innovators across MENA as they develop home-grown solutions for our planetrsquo;s most pressing issues. We are proud to support them and couldnrsquo;t be more excited about the social impact they will make.rdquo;
Mr. Sadeq Jarrar, Executive Director – Arab Youth Center said,nbsp;ldquo;We are thrilled to begin accepting applications for the Arab Youth Hackathon in anticipation of COP28. We heavilynbsp;prioritizenbsp;and promote climate action at the Arab Youth Center, and always strive to formulate impactful initiatives to engage Arab youth in thinking about the future of our world.nbsp;As a means tohighlight Arab youth sustainable ingenuity across the MENA region, we look forward to seeing the results of the Hackathon and the solutions our applicants propose.rdquo;
ldquo;At the Arab Youth Center, we wholeheartedly believe in the power that youth hold when theynbsp;mobilizenbsp;and voice their opinions to collaborate. Through this initiative, we hope to foster a culture of leadership among Arab youth for the betterment of future generations.rdquo; Mr. Jarrar continued.
Private sector initiatives, especially those involving youth, play a key role in supporting COP28rsquo;s ambitious sustainability goals.nbsp;The Hackathon will be supported bynbsp;Berytech and Beirut Digital District,nbsp;as well asnbsp;a range of universities includingnbsp;Lebanese University, CentreMINE, American University of Beirut, ESA Business School, and USEKnbsp;that will work closelynbsp;with PepsiCo and the Arab Youth Center tonbsp;identifynbsp;promising talentnbsp;and guide them through the process.nbsp;Plugnbsp;andnbsp;Play, known for accelerating innovationnbsp;acrossnbsp;anbsp;widenbsp;network of accelerators, industry-leading corporations, and venture capitalistsnbsp;globally,nbsp;willnbsp;also lend its expertise tonbsp;help bring the program to lifenbsp;in MENA.nbsp;
Omeed Mehrinfar, EMEA Managing Partner, Plug andPlay said,nbsp;quot;As one of the most active global investors in sustainability, we are strong believers and renowned enablers of climate technology, thus this is a great opportunity to partner with market and thought leaders such as PepsiCo and Arab Youth Center in activating and implementing this unique cross border Sustainability hackathon in the Arab region. We hope to continue to support young innovators, corporate partners and strategic government stakeholders with the largest open innovation platform in the world that is Plug and Play; this will be a good opportunity to tackle climate challenges and find adequate solutions from an ideation and pre-MVP perspective.quot;nbsp;
The Arab Youth Hackathon is open fornbsp;applicationsnbsp;untilOctobernbsp;8nbsp;in Lebanon.nbsp;Interestednbsp;participantsnbsp;can submit their entriesnbsp;atnbsp;arabyouthhackathon.com.
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