Entrepreneurs make an impact on sustainability
Wang Zier explains the business model of his startup EazySwap to Kristin Ǐglum, the Norwegian Consul-general in Shanghai.
Nine entrepreneurial projects were presented in Shanghai at the Young Sustainable Impact China Conference 2019.
The conference featured six days of heated exchanges with young citizens and representatives from the government, the UN and multiple business entities.
Among the projects was EazySwap, founded by Wang Zier from Boston College and Lu Yuchen from Duke University. College students list their used items on EazySwap and then trade their items offline.
At the event, Kristin Ǐglum, the Norwegian Consul-general in Shanghai, discussed with Wang how the startup could potentially help conserve energy.
She jokingly said that her child was going to use the platform in the future for buying used books.
Meanwhile, a type of gel used for naval cavities has been developed by a student team from China Pharmaceutical University, led by their founder Ge Lichen.
It is more portable, less visible and better at filtering aerial particles and contaminants than traditional breathing masks, winning applause from many summit delegates and investors.
Dedicated to promoting business innovation and sustainable development, Young Sustainable Impact China, an international entrepreneurship organization that originated in Norway, combines online and offline incubation.
It has worked to help young people construct and refine innovative mindsets in all areas from technology to leadership.
It aims to resolve problems related to the environment, energy, economy, recycling, education, gender equality, public hygiene as well as many other areas.
In 2019, YSI China came up with a dual-track system of incubation for individual projects and group projects.
After three months of online incubation, 26 candidates made it to the summit out of more than 700.
Gong Yunya, the YSI China’s chief marketing officer, said that the vision of YSI China was to make the world more beautiful and more sustainable by building the Earthpreneurs international incubator.
According to Gong, the Earthpreneurs are a group of people who seek to explore innovative and sustainable modes of development.
Gong said: “As humanity’s shared destiny faces the threat posed by the existing conflicts between prosperity and poverty, between health and disease, between the environment and the development, they dedicate themselves to promoting the resolution of these social issues with the power of business, convincing people of infinite possibilities, that ‘the future is here.’”
