Malaysia’s Biggest Kidpreneur Programme, Goodday KidSTART 2.0, Empowers Next Generation

Goodday Milk is proud to announce the conclusion of Malaysia’s Biggest Kidpreneur Programme KidSTART 2.0 campaign, with the spotlight on the top winner, 9-years-old Lee Yumi, who wowed the judges and audiences alike with their ‘OnBoard: School Bus System’, bringing home RM20,000 to make her idea come to life. Supported by the Ministry of Education and Alliance Bank as the Official Bank Partner, the campaign garnered over 4,000 submissions nationwide and continues to build on its mission to empower children with essential financial literacy and entrepreneurial skills, further solidifying Goodday Milk’s commitment to nurturing the next generation of kidpreneurs.

12-years-old Muhammad Basyeer Bin Mohamed Ackiel Mohamed, the brother of last year’s KidSTART 2.0’s champion Fatimah Basyeerah Binti Mohamed Ackiel, won second place with their presentation on ‘The Academy of Future: Peer to Peer Learning Coding & Robotics’. Meanwhile third place went to 9-year-old Lim Zhi Fung with their MindACT: ACTor Program idea.

The event also saw additional award winners: this year’s Most Innovative Idea goes to 12-year-old Alea Dalil binti Mohd Khairil Azhan, while 11-year-old Olivia Leong Yue Shuen won Most Sustainable Idea. The Best Presenter (Above 10), Best Presenter (10 & Below) goes to 12-year-old Kaviesha Abishri A/P Shathya Kugan, and 10-year-old Chong Ruyi respectively. Finally, this year’s Rising Star award which was specifically sponsored by Alliance Bank goes to 9-year-old Elsa Khaw Wen Qing.

Goodday KidSTART 2.0 saw an overwhelming response, with a total of 141 schools across Malaysia participating enthusiastically. The campaign’s success was bolstered by on-ground roadshows covering the Central, South, and North regions, complemented by two online webinars in 27th April and 4th May.

This year, Goodday Milk has included a new award for Schools With Highest Participants to encourage more participation. Taking first spot and a prize of RM10,000 was SJK (C) Puay Chai, with an impressive 478 entries with 3 students shortlisted in the Top 20. Olivia Leong Yue Shuen, recipient of the Most Sustainable Award is a student of SJK (C) Puay Chai, and was witnessed by Headmistress Yeoh Li Choo, who appeared during the grand finale to support her students in person.

This level of engagement reflects the growing impact of Goodday KidSTART, which was launched in 2022 and quickly became Malaysia’s largest kidpreneur programme. The initiative aims to raise awareness and promote better financial literacy among the younger generation.

Recognizing the critical need for improved financial literacy among Malaysian youth, Goodday KidSTART aims to equip children with the essential knowledge to develop strong money habits early, setting them on a path to a financially sound future.

By empowering children with entrepreneurial skills and the knowledge to develop strong money habits early, Goodday Milk is reinforcing its dedication to providing goodness not only through nutrition but also by enhancing the well-being of the community and promoting financial soundness for the next generation.

Amy Gan, VP of Etika’s Marketing, recalled the inaugural KidSTART while expressing her excitement about this year’s success: “When we launched KidSTART 1.0, our goal was to provide the future generation with a platform to showcase their ingenuity and take a significant step in their journey as young entrepreneurs. We wanted to empower them to make the right financial decisions through a fun and engaging initiative successfully bringing in over 300 applicants, making us Malaysia’s Biggest Kidpreneur Challenge. We had an amazing bunch of finalists and winners who truly won us over with their ideas and business plans.”

“For Goodday KidSTART 2.0 we wanted it bigger and better. We knew this was a task that required the fostering of strong relationships with partners who shared our vision for a more financially literate younger generation. We wanted to ensure we reached out to as many children as possible so they too can benefit from the campaign. With the help of the Ministry of Education, we were able to expand our search, bringing KidSTART 2.0 to more children via visits to schools nationwide as well as online webinars. I am truly grateful to the ministry, our sponsors Alliance Bank, and everyone who played a part in this year’s success, breaking last year’s record with over 4,000 participants taking part. This is truly a proud moment for me.”

She added, “My heartiest congratulations to our winners and top 20 finalists. Once again I am blown away by the depth of creativity and intelligence of our future generation. To the parents who played a part in their submissions, thank you. Your commitment to excellence for your children will leave a lasting and positive impact on their lives I’m sure. Goodday Milk is committed to providing goodness beyond nutrition and enhancing the well-being of our community. We look forward to welcoming more partners to join us in inspiring and future-proofing the next generation.”

Dr. Aaron Sum, Alliance Bank’s Group Chief Strategy, Marketing, & Business Development Officer, and a member of the judging panel shared his thoughts: “Today, entrepreneurship has become a key and popular life path among our youths and this programme provides a great platform to nurture, develop and prepare the next generation in becoming savvy business leaders. This is very much aligned with our strategy of helping aspiring businesses, SMEs and MSMEs thrive and succeed by providing a combination of financial and non-financial resources.”

He further shared, “As the Bank for Life, we empower aspiring entrepreneurs and help accelerate their business growth through the provision of financial support, entrepreneurship training, coaching and mentorship as well as assistance in introducing ESG elements or sustainable practices to their business operations and many more. We are committed to supporting the community through programmes such
as these to help our youth succeed in the future.”

9-year-old Lee Yumi, KidSTART2.0’s Champion expressed her excitement and gratitude: “Thank you to my parents who have greatly helped in inspiring this idea because without them I might not be able to present the idea in detail in front of the judges. I also want to thank Goodday Milk for giving me the opportunity to present my idea.”

Yumi’s idea to create the application arose after often getting stuck in traffic congestion on the way to school every day. “This application was also created to encourage students to use the school bus service as it can help reduce traffic congestion issues,” she said.

The esteemed panel of judges for the event included Dato’ Dr. Hartini Zainuddin from Yayasan Chow Kit, Dr. Aaron Sum from Alliance Bank, Shahmeez Reza, Senior Manager of Trade Marketing and Marketing Services, and Chen Chow Yeoh, Angel Investor. Their combined expertise and diverse backgrounds provided invaluable insights and guidance to the participants, ensuring a comprehensive evaluation of each innovative idea presented.

The Goodday KidSTART 2.0 campaign ran from 4th March to 23rd June 2024, featuring a series of online webinars, school activations and a rigorous selection process that culminated in a 2-day comprehensive workshop on the 29th of June, providing the top 20 kidpreneurs with essential skills such as Business Models, Design Thinking, Effective Presentation, Creative Problem-Solving, and Environmental Entrepreneurship.

The workshop was a key component of the programme, equipping the young entrepreneurs with better financial understanding and the knowledge and skills needed to refine and present their business ideas on the 30th of June before the judges. Cash prizes from a fund pool of RM60,000 were up for grabs to help these young entrepreneurs kick-start their business ideas.

For more information about Goodday KidSTART 2.0, follow Goodday Milk Malaysia on Facebook and Instagram for updates.