How a Ye! Entrepreneur Met the Queen of the Netherlands
On March 12th, Paolo Ganis had the amazing opportunity to speak to H.M Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. Paolo was invited to this private meeting by Ye! to represent its global community of youth entrepreneurs. Other attendees of this event were the Minister of Education of the Netherlands, high level investors and donors.
Paolo spoke about the challenges of being a young entrepreneur. He also highlighted that youth entrepreneurs are very important to solving the global youth unemployment crisis.
“I am really glad about this focus on youth entrepreneurship. In Italy, where I live, and in South Africa, where I grew up, youth unemployment is a serious issue. People need to realize that youth enterprises are a key driver for addressing the challenge of youth employment. I’ll give you our own example - we are a small team and we have 16 people, 13 of us are under 30 years old. So we are living proof that supporting young entrepreneurs helps other young people.
But you know it’s not very easy for us young entrepreneurs, especially when it comes to trying to finance our businesses. Banks think that we are too risky – they ask us for credit history and collateral which is especially difficult for us to provide. It’s like they are punishing us for being young! This is a really big problem. I think the banks and the regulators need to do something about it.
This is something that I had the opportunity to speak to the G20’s GPFI thanks to the Ye! community since I was very lucky to be a finalist in the Ye! Global Awards. I think platforms like this are really important for us to talk to policymakers directly. And I really have to say the event was so great for me because after the audience heard me speak, I had two banks who came to support me. One of them offered me a loan of 100,000 Euros, which helped support my business until I got support from the EU. So that was really important to me and in fact, later today I am meeting with the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture because they are interested in my work and the technology behind it.
More support from the Ye! community like this can help so many more young entrepreneurs around the world.”
Paolo Ganis and Ye!
As the founder of Laboratori Fabrici Srl, Paolo and his young team created Clairy; the smart flowerpot, that fights indoor air pollution using plants and technology! Paolo has traveled around the world to seek funding, build his network, and gain recognition for his brand. He is always advocating on behalf of other young entrepreneurs, continuously speaking up about the difficulties young entrepreneurs face.
At the Ye! Global Awards in 2017 – an official event of the G20 German Presidency, as well as during the launch event for Global Money Week 2018, Paolo shared his insights with high-level stakeholders, goverment ministers and investors.
As a finalist at the 2017 Ye! Global Awards, Paolo had the opportunity to share his views on the bankability of youth during a discussion session, hosted by the Global Partnership for Financial Inclusion (GPFI). From this session he gained exposure for himself and his enterprise. As a finalist for the Ye! Global Awards, Paolo offered suggestions on products and services that can better assist young entrepreneurs.
Participating in the GPFI discussion session and being a finalist of the Ye! Global Awards 2017 proved beneficial for Paolo and his team. Laboratori Fabrici Srl was able to secure investments and their product gained recognition. Clairy recently secured an investment of 2 million euros from the EU and is currently working closely with the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. Because of Paolo’s enthusiasm to participate in the GPFI session, Ye! selected him to represent for the Community and meet H.M. Queen Máxima. Paolo’s work with Ye! has given him more opportunities to meet international investors and gain new clients.
Working with Ye!
Ye! works closely to build relationships with Ye! Community members who take part in our events. Like Paolo! We have been with him along his startup path for a year now, with no end in sight.
Paolo will now become more involved with Ye! as the Ye! Ambassador to Italy. He will begin building the Ye! community offline by creating a Ye! local chapter. Why does he do this? Paolo believes in supporting young entrepreneurs with access to information, peer support, and monthly meetings with local experts. Paolo wants to grow the startup ecosystem in Italy and around the world to help youth entrepreneurs startup and scale their enterprise.
Ye! Ambassadors like Paolo grow the Ye! Community and ensure youth are in charge of building a global movement that best supports them. Paolo is only one example of the many young entrepreneurs that Ye! works with to provide opportunities, support, and networking opportunities.
Join the Ye! Community and become part of a global movement of young entrepreneurs who support each other to impact change.
Learn more about Paolo and Clairy!
Apply for the Ye! Global Awards to gain international exposure for your enterprise.
Related Blogs:
Ye! Previous Awards Ceremonies