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Last Saturday, the Young Trailblazers competition reached an electrifying new level with 900 over recorded votes! Read along as we take your through the highlights of the amazing Validation @ Scape event.

Imagine riding in the same lift with the CEO of Google or the Prime Minister of Singapore, what would you say in those thirty precious seconds? In the world of entrepreneurship, the elevator pitch is said to be the watershed moment in many of today’s cutting-edge innovations. Having done market research, ground studies and critical brainstorming, the participants now got together to showcase their prototypes in the heart of Orchard Road.

Despite being world-class in many aspects, Singapore has much to prepare itself for. The booming youth scape, issues of sustainability, accessibility to appropriate healthcare or technology literacy in this increasingly Smart Nation. These are the four pillars YTB 2023 seeks to address, but if you were present, you would agree that our participants truly went above and beyond.
In the area of healthcare and technology – a far cry from the apathetic generation they are often labelled, we see intentional problem-solving coupled with caring, innovative minds. Ranging from safety solutions for migrant workers in construction sites, inspiring and empowering more healthcare workers for our ageing population or applications to appropriate Artificial Intelligence for timely aid. These youth show how they are not only concerned, but eager to provide solutions.
When sustainability and the next generation meet, there is power! Ideas ranging from meat-free products, environmental conservation, sustainable farming took centre stage. Most impressive were how groups wove into their solutions – the re-education of the younger generation. These participants were not looking for one-time stop gap measures to our worldwide food crisis. Instead, many groups sought to address the problem from the root. Pairing the awareness of Global Warming with Financial Literacy, or even seeking inspire whole families in efforts to make Singapore a Greener place via community education.

Aligning YTB 2023 with the SG Forward pillars was intentional, as our participants would be the major changemakers and stakeholders of the above issues in less than a decade. Yet the buzz on Saturday was not one of despair and hopelessness. Quite the contrary, the participants were optimistic and confident about breaking new ground through continual innovation. Despite being a competition, groups were eager to marry ideas in order for greater efficacy when it came to final execution. The synergy across age groups and schools impressed both staff and industry mentors alike.
Moving forward, we are excited to see the future of Singapore through these passionate and creative young lives!

-Elijah