Expo dan Demoday Program Wirausaha Merdeka (WMK) Universitas Dian Nuswantoro (Udinus) tahun 2024 resmi ditutup dengan apresiasi yang luar biasa dari pengunjung maupun tamu yang hadir. Sebanyak delapan stand mahasiswa berhasil mendapatkan pendanaan langsung dari investor setelah mengikuti pameran di The Park Semarang.
The event, which was held from December 7 to 8, 2024, involved 316 students from various universities in Indonesia. During the process, about 64 groups, consisting of these 316 students, received instructions from the mentors. These mentors consisted of exceptional business practitioners in various fields.
Udinus became among the universities trusted to host the Independent Entrepreneurship Program (WMK). The WMK Program at Udinus officially employed the theme ‘Precision Smart Technopreneurship.’
Prof. Dr. Dra. Kusni Ingsih, M.M., the Vice Chancellor III of Student Affairs at Udinus, expressed her utmost appreciation to students for courageously showcasing their entrepreneurial skills at the closing of the Independent Entrepreneurship Program (WMK) at Udinus. She explained that the 2024 WMK, which lasted for four months, had given intensive learning programs to students. These learning programs ranged from coming up with business ideas to producing marketable products.
“Everything has finally come to an end. Wonderfully done! Our investors were intrigued, and they consented to fund eight groups to further develop their businesses. We have also seen and tested their products. All of their products were excellent, with some of the judges even praising their works,” Prof. Kusni revealed.
Prof. Kusni hoped for students to keep developing their business ideas even after the Independent Entrepreneurship Program (WMK) ended.
"Those 64 groups will later become courageous entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. We will further oversee and nurture them so their products will dominate the market and become famous,” Prof. Kusni said optimistically.
The WMK Program at Udinus Giving Experiences to Participants
As additional information, eight booths that received funding from the investors were Banana Crispy Cuts, Sambek Jagad, KODAM (Processed Edamame Creation), Indo FR Woodcraft, Gunungku, Handcycling & HALOBIOFIS, CripicQue, and Pitingku. In addition to eight booths that attracted investors, the Expo and Demoday also awarded the booths for winning several categories.
Mr. Gedhunk won the Best Live Shopee category, with Gemilang Photobooth winning the Best Booth Category. Furthermore, Serenbliss Smoothie was also awarded for being the Most Visited Booth. Meanwhile, KODAM (Processed Edamame Creation) won the Best Promotional Category, with MVP Nuggets being awarded for its Best Performance. These awards were given after the assessment and observation conducted by the judges for two days.
During his interview, Dr. Wisnu Sakti Dewobroto, S.T., M.Sc., an Entrepreneur Hub Expert from the Ministry of SME, said that the Expo and Demoday of the Independent Entrepreneurship Program (WMK) at Udinus had provided the best experience for students to come up with excellent products. Udinus has taught these students well about several aspects of business, including creating good packaging and improving product’ quality. Wisnu revealed that Udinus had long since been a campus providing entrepreneurial education.
“As we have already seen, the products are diverse, and every product showcased in this mall has been validated. This means that we have seen the best ones, and most of them have acquired the permits to do business, so it will later be easy for them to further continue their businesses,” Wisnu praised.
The closing of the 2024 Independent Entrepreneurship Program (WMK) was an important momentum for students to improve their confidence as entrepreneurs. With the funding and awards, these students are expected to bring their creative and innovative business ideas to the next level. (Humas Udinus/Alex. Foto: Humas Udinus)
