At the Velvet Innovation Meetup in Brno, we brought together two worlds that naturally belong together – young ideas and innovative practice. Dagmar Peřinová presented the HackaTEEN project to participants ranging from entrepreneurs and investors to public administration institutions, academics, and other key players who actively shape the startup and innovation ecosystem not only in Brno.
Until now, we have focused primarily on the participants of the competition themselves, i.e., elementary and high school students. We were looking for young people who think differently, see the problems around them, and have the courage to propose solutions.
However, the greatest value is created when a student's idea aligns with the realities of the market, technology, and experience.
That is why we are taking HackaTEEN further. We don't want ideas to end up as "nice school projects," but to have a chance to grow.
We take the award for the best presentation of the evening as a sign that connecting young talent with the innovation ecosystem makes sense.