The Student Experience and Development Section of the Office of Student Affairs (OSA) successfully hosted the 10th Anniversary cum Award Presentation Ceremony of the Social Enterprise Startup Scheme (SESS) in November 2024 at the UGA Event Hall, InnoPort, CUHK. The event celebrated a decade of supporting young social entrepreneurs and recognised students’ achievements in making meaningful contributions to society through innovative business solutions. The event gathered 70+ participants, including mentors, trainers, students, alumni, and CUHK staff, to celebrate the spirit of social entrepreneurship.
During the ceremony, 6 winning teams from the SESS 2023-24 cohort were introduced for their innovative business ideas that aim to create impactful solutions for society. Each team has received a maximum of HKD 100,000 CUSE Fund (seed fund) to kickstart their social enterprises.
The highlight of the event was the Homecoming Sharing Session, which called together 3 previous SESS winners and now successful social entrepreneurs, who are Ms. Ding Ding YIP (Founder and Director of FeStyle, 2016-17 Awardee), Mr. Cyron CHAN (Executive Director of MakerBay, 2017-18 Awardee) and Mr. Kessay CHAN (Founder and Director of Wai Sing Music, 2019-20 Awardee) to deliver a fireside chat that was moderated by the 2 recent SESS awardees Miss Sherry HO (Founder of Far Away, 2022-23 Awardee) and Miss Cynthia CHAN (Founder of SEN AIIT, 2023-24 Awardee). The Sharing Session is a symbol to pass on knowledge and success stories to the new generations of young entrepreneurs. The speakers shared their personal startup journeys, inspiring the participants to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams with passion and determination.
The newly awarded teams Lok Lok Sound and The Infinity Room further embellished the event by performing music and providing delightful food and beverages.
The ceremony was warm and full of gratitude to CUHK and the mentors’ support throughout students’ social enterprise startup journeys. Mentors’ dedication and expertise have been invaluable in nurturing the next generation of social entrepreneurs. The event concluded with a networking and mingling session, where students, mentors, guests, and OSA staff exchanged ideas and built meaningful connections.
