UOWD Students Turn Ideas into Enterprises at the 2025 Young Entrepreneurship Competition

Tuesday, 01 July, 2025

The University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD) recently concluded the latest edition of its Young Entrepreneurship Competition (YEC), a dynamic initiative that challenges students to transform ideas into viable ventures. Organised by Ms Nikita Kirplani and Mr Sherwin Fernandes, instructors in the School of Business, the competition offered students a high-impact platform to put their innovation, planning, and leadership skills into action.

This year’s competition featured 25 student teams from diverse academic backgrounds including Business, Engineering, Computer Science, and Humanities. Each team developed a business idea and followed it through a complete entrepreneurial journey, from concept to market.

A Structured Path to Practical Learning

YEC unfolded across three stages. In the first phase, teams pitched their business concepts to a panel of judges from industry and academia. The top 15 teams were selected to proceed to the next stage.
Over the following ten days, these teams prepared to launch their ventures, sourcing materials and setting up fully operational stalls on campus. For three days, the UOWD campus became a lively marketplace where students sold products and services to real customers. The final phase focused on business performance and reflection, with teams presenting their outcomes and insights to the judges.

A Panel of Experienced Judges

The judging panel featured a blend of entrepreneurs, alumni, and faculty, including:

• Mr Atish Andrade – Incubator, Trusity
• Mr Mohammed Mukhtar – Co-founder, Unipreneur
• Mr Saad Suhail – CEO, Lets Ecom It and UOWD alumnus
• Ms Niki Kazeroonian – Director of Operations, The BLOCK Dubai and UOWD alumna
• Ms Sreelakshmi Achuthan – Auditor, Mahendra Asher & Co and UOWD alumna
• Ms Shireen Mansoor – Accountant, Eco Green Contracting and Landscaping and UOWD alumna
• Dr Sadaf Khurshid – Faculty, School of Business
• Dr Marouane Khallouk – Faculty, School of Business

The evaluation criteria included feasibility, sustainability, market demand, scalability, and financial planning. Judges offered detailed feedback based on their expertise and real-world expectations.

Celebrating Student Excellence

The top-performing team was PrepBar, a health-conscious snack bar developed by Anish Sood, Varun Kalkani, Bhavik Kourani, Hasnain Hashim, and Abhijit Roy. The first runner-up was Click & Connect, a student networking service created by Chandani Kishore, Mahek Menghrajani, Aliza Khan, Nuraiman Hisham, and Iva Rodricks. Stick-On, offering creative wall décor for students, earned the second runner-up spot, with team members Yamile Arzave Romero, Muhammad Babar Khan, and Mahar Khan.

Real-World Experience on Campus

YEC gives students an opportunity to step into the role of entrepreneurs in a supportive but challenging environment. In just a few weeks, participants navigated the entire business cycle—developing ideas, managing budgets, sourcing materials, creating marketing strategies, engaging customers, and measuring performance.

Year after year, UOWD’s Young Entrepreneurship Competition showcases the ambition, resilience, and capability of our student community. It’s a reminder that with the right support and platform, students can go far beyond what’s expected of them—and take their first real steps into the world of entrepreneurship with confidence.