Aurel Putri, a student of the Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Brawijaya (UB) batch of 2021, successfully won the award as “Best Individual” in INKOMPASS Innovation Challenge 2024. The competition and bootcamp held by PT HM Sampoerna Tbk, was successfully held for three days, starting from Tuesday (19/11/2024) to Thursday (21/11/2024) in Jakarta. Aurel successfully achieved an achievement competing with 50 finalists who passed the selection.
Through an exclusive interview with PRASETYA Online team, Aurel shared her inspiring journey during this competition, starting from the initial selection stage to the precious moments during the bootcamp.
According to her, success as the Best Individual is inseparable from the ability to stay focused and maintain good relationships with all team members. “The key to my success is being proactive, but still relevant and not excessive. I also try to maintain good teamwork. In addition, the ability to tell stories while presenting in English may be one of the reasons I can stand out,” she said.
The competition organized by Philip Morris International (PT HM Sampoerna) raised the topic of human resource development and economic value creation through the Sampoerna Retail Community (SRC). The topic is in line with the company’s commitment to provide a positive impact to the wider community.
A total of 50 finalists who successfully passed the bootcamp stage have gone through a strict selection based on short proposals and one-minute presentation videos. In this bootcamp, the finalists were divided into 16 teams to further develop their ideas and present them in front of a panel of judges consisting of senior Sampoerna leaders.
Not only the competition, participants also received intensive training related to developing effective and innovative business proposals. They also have the opportunity to initiate network with mentors, industry leaders, and fellow finalists from various universities in Indonesia and abroad.
In addition to provide valuable experience, Sampoerna also provides attractive prizes for the winners, including a total prize of IDR 30 million, the opportunity to intern or work at Sampoerna, free mentoring with senior company leaders, and a visit to a Philip Morris International affiliate in Japan. “Initially, I felt challenged because this competition was international. Many participants came from abroad, such as China. But I always have the principle of nothing to lose, so I remain focused on giving my best,” said Aurel.
The initial stage of the competition requires participants to submit a short proposal and a video presentation that is concise and relevant to the challenges given. Aurel explained that she generated many ideas before combining them into a main idea that was consistent and on target.
When she successfully passed the bootcamp stage, Aurel felt the most memorable moment was when she had to work together with two other participants from ITB and BINUS in one team. “We had just met, but we had to work together straight away to solve the case together. That was an extraordinary teamwork experience,” she said.
During the bootcamp, Aurel also received valuable training, such as material about design thinking. “This is new knowledge for me. This material is very useful and can be applied anytime. The presentation is also very interesting, so I can immediately understand the essence,” she added.
In this competition, Aurel’s team proposed the concept of “one quick stop” which was designed to be applied at SRC. “We want to develop SRC into a place that not only had function as a retail store, but also a space for consumers to relax, such as having coffee or eating snacks. In addition, we added a recycling bin feature that allows consumers to exchange their plastic waste for rewards in the form of savings at certain moments,” explained Aurel.
Experiences gained at INKOMPASS Innovation Challenge provided many valuable lessons for Aurel. She now has a new perspective on the business world. “In business, it’s not about what we can give to consumers, but what they need. We have to provide solutions that are truly relevant to their needs,” she said.
Aurel also gave an inspiring message for UB students who want to try something similar. “Don’t feel small to try something big. Maybe we have the destiny to be part of those big things,” she said.
However, Aurel also hopes that Universitas Brawijaya can support more of its students to participate in national and international competitions. “The bureaucratic process for submitting accommodation and competition funding should be simplified. Sometimes, the submission process can dampen the spirit of students. Fortunately, this competition is fully funded by Sampoerna, so I don’t have to think about accommodation,” she added.
INKOMPASS Innovation Challenge 2024 is real proof that innovation and collaboration can have a big impact on the future. Through the achievements of Aurel and other finalists, this competition not only encourages creativity, but also strengthens the relationship between students, mentors, and industry leaders. [dea/sitirahma/UB PR/ Trans. Iir]
