Unlike previous Impact Jams, this session was structured as a pitch and feedback forum. During the event, the social impact organizations presented their pitches for a current project or fundraising idea, while volunteers from PayPal served as a panel of advisors offering insights and feedback. 

Meet The Social Impact Organizations

The social impact organizations that attended the business clinic were:

Future Education Centre (FEC): FEC partners with educators worldwide to empower individuals to realize their potential through experiential learning opportunities such as immersive study tours, internships, hackathons, and hands-on skill trainings.

Sacred Space Therapy and Wellness: An organization committed to addressing the mental health epidemic in Hong Kong and beyond. Sacred Space provides a tranquil space for healing and self-discovery through alternative therapies such as Music and Forest therapy.

Upeeling: A sustainability startup that addresses food waste and promotes healthy snacks by transforming imperfect fruit into healthy upcycled snacks with no additives. Through this innovative approach, Upeeling aims to fight against daily food waste in Hong Kong while advocating for healthier snacking.

Impact Business Founders Delivering Elevator Pitches

Delivering the first elevator pitch was Kaylini Naidoo, Founder of Upeeling, who introduced the startup’s upcycled snacks, aiming to raise awareness for the startup and find partners for pilot programs. 

Next, Jerome Bautista, Co-founder of Sacred Space Therapy and Wellness, shared details about the impact business’ previous collaborations, including organizing workshops and retreats for companies. 

Finally, Fenix Lam, General Manager and Chief Program Coordinator of Future Education Centre, closed the session with a pitch focused on securing funding and interviewing employers to better understand what circumstances would lead them to consider hiring secondary school dropouts. 

PayPal Volunters Uplifting Social Impact Leaders and Entrepreneurs with Invaluable Feedback

After the pitches, PayPal volunteers gave feedback to the social impact organization representatives, highlighting their strengths along with areas for improvement. 

For example, they suggested Upeeling to address food safety, clarifying if the product is vegan, and sharing their vision for expanding to more fruits. 

For Sacred Space, PayPal’s advisory panel recommended providing greater detail about the therapies offered, such as duration, location, and skill level, to give the audience a clearer understanding. 

To Future Education Centre, PayPal volunteers suggested refining the terminology used. Instead of saying “interviews with employers”, PayPal volunteers suggested using market research or focus groups and narrowing the pitch to a single audience.

Throughout the session, it was evident that the social impact leaders and entrepreneurs were truly passionate about their organizations’ missions and objectives, while the volunteers were fully engaged in leveraging their respective expertise to provide meaningful suggestions from diverse perspectives. 

FSI Impact Jam: A Win-Win for Corporate and Social Impact Sectors

Once the Pitch and Feedback section was complete, the PayPal volunteers were paired with a social impact leader/entrepreneur to review their pitch decks and provide more tailored feedback. 

This breakout session was incredibly helpful for the social impact leaders and entrepreneurs, as they were able to receive specific feedback from the volunteers who had taken the time to understand their organizations’ capacity and limitations. 

Kaylini Naidoo, Founder of Upeeling, shared that “The verbal pitch and the pitch deck evaluation were incredibly helpful for me. I think the structure of the session was good, and it was nice to have group breakout discussions.”

The social impact organizations weren’t the only ones who benefited from the Impact Jam, but so did the PayPal volunteers. This experience gave them a sense of accomplishment, knowing that the ideas and suggestions they contributed offered perspectives for the social impact organizations. 

Said Bill Lau, Technical Account Manager at PayPal Hong Kong: “I enjoyed listening to distinct social enterprises sharing visions that I never imagined, from recycled food snack business, to forest and music therapy, to field trips and career program for high school dropouts. These are all initiatives I want to support and be part of!”

The sentiment was echoed by another PayPal volunteer, who shared: “It’s my pleasure to know three entrepreneurs from different industries. Listening to three pitches from different industries is inspiring.”

We would like to extend our gratitude to PayPal and the social impact organizations for being part of this event. We hope this marks the beginning of a long-term partnership. 

We would also like to thank SpiceBox Organics for providing catering support with environmentally friendly, delicious, and healthy food, such as the mini quiche lorraines, oat crunch goji berry cookies, and keto chocolate ganache. 

As this Impact Jam has shown, cross-sector collaboration is an effective way to build mutually beneficial relationships while creating greater social impact. If you would like to engage and develop your employees while achieving ESG or sustainability goals through meaningful Impact Jams, get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com.

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Believed to be the month when the Qur’an was first revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, Ramadan is a sacred time observed by daytime fasting between the meal just before dawn (known as the suhoor) and another directly after sunset (known as the iftar). 

In addition to the five daily prayers, Muslims also recite a special prayer called the Tarawih prayer (night prayer) during Ramadan. In this month of fasting, worship, service, communal gathering, spiritual development, and redemption, Muslims practise self-discipline and gratitude and develop empathy and compassion for the less fortunate.

As one of our various attempts to enhance intercultural exchange and social inclusion, on 27 February, Adnan “Dani” Riaz, FSI’s Community Business Support Program Assistant, led a GuideFong Tour themed on the holy month for PayPal, our long-time corporate partner who generously sponsored our “Know Your GuideFong: TST” event in July 2025. 

Organized with the support of PayPal’s Community Impact Grant, the immersive tour offered PayPal employees an opportunity to take a deep dive into Ramadan traditions within Hong Kong’s ethnically diverse communities while supporting local entrepreneurs in Sham Shui Po, one of the city’s most vibrant, culturally rich, and impoverished districts. 

Facilitated by Dani’s introduction, participants connected with grassroots entrepreneurs from ethnically diverse backgrounds, many fasting while keeping their businesses open for fellow Muslims during Ramadan. 

Through their engagement, PayPal employees gauged the entrepreneurs’ needs for payment solutions and successfully listed three businesses in the GuideFong Directory. In leveraging their respective expertise to provide pro bono support to under-resourced entrepreneurs on the spot, the PayPal team of professionals created a positive social impact by reinforcing community bonds and solidarity with the underrepresented individuals who play a vital role in the well-being of the Hong Kong economy and society – the practices and spirit honored by Muslims during the holy month.

Getting to Know Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs

Split into groups, PayPal employees were tasked with interviewing different ethnically diverse entrepreneurs who offer a sense of home and belonging to the community of migrant workers in Sham Shui Po. 

They met Ko Apin, founder and owner of Restoran Indonesia Pondok Kita, who started the hut-like space for fellow Indonesians to gather and share classic dishes typically served at restaurants in Bali and Java. “It’s been just over a year, and we’re thrilled to be a hidden gem for both locals and visitors,” said Apin. “We stay true to authenticity, and dishes like satay, nasi kuning special, and sate sapi lontong are affordably priced must-tries. For us at Restoran Indonesia Pondok Kita, it’s about bridging cultures in Hong Kong’s multicultural identity.”

“The economic situation in Hong Kong may be challenging, but I still love Hong Kong as my home city, as I can still make a living here,” said Yunni, co-partner of Safiq Shinka Restaurant, which has acquired a presence in Sham Shui Po for 16 years, more than half the time that Yunni has been living and working in Hong Kong. “We get a mix of customers, including Pakistanis and local Chinese. We initially started as a grocery store and evolved into a restaurant specializing in Halal food.” 

“It can be challenging for people from India or Pakistan to venture out and open shops here, as they may expose themselves unnecessarily,” said Zahid Aziz, owner of Local Dhaba, a Pakistani restaurant that takes inspiration from the Hindi word for “lunchbox” and the roadside restaurants dotting highways in India and Pakistan. “I love the close-knit community here and the connections between diverse people. After coming to Hong Kong from Dubai more than 10 years ago, I quit smoking, and I used that same determination to set up the business. By next month, the renovation on the ground floor should be completed. I put a lot of effort into running the business and making sure everything complies with the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department’s regulations.” 

Gauging Small Business Challenges and Witnessing Community Resilience

Wrapping up the conversations with ethnically diverse entrepreneurs, participants reconvened for a tour of the lively streets bustling with small family-run shops, South Asian grocery stores, and Halal restaurants staying open during Ramadan. 

In the area with a high concentration of ethnically diverse entrepreneurs, participants saw cash-heavy operations, remittance needs, and digital adoption gaps. They also saw how the small businesses truly manifest the city’s multicultural identity and strengthen belonging and resilience, despite facing challenges in growth and expansion.

Concluding a Socially Impactful GuideFong Tour with Iftar

Slightly before sunset, Dani led tour participants back to Shafiq Shinka Restaurant for a guided iftar, the meal that breaks the fast after sunset during Ramadan.

Tucking into the communal meal with traditional Indonesian and Pakistani flavours, participants learned about the significance of iftar and the Ramadan tradition of sharing meals. PayPal employees also shared their experiences of the day, where they created a shared impact by strengthening rapport with under-resourced entrepreneurs and providing them with much-needed business support.

“The diversity and the superb dollar value of the services, commodities, and food provided by the community are truly fascinating,” said Bill Lau, Technical Account Manager at PayPal Hong Kong. “It’s eye-opening to venture deep into the neighborhood to meet the diverse ethnic groups in Hong Kong. It’s also touching to hear personal stories told by the business owners.”

“Really appreciate the event for also hosting my daughter,” said Serena Leung, a PayPal employee. “After the tour, she shared how much she enjoyed the trip, seeing diversity around her school district and understanding different cultures. She also spoke about the experience with our family members, transferring what she saw to how Hong Kong needs these small businesses.”

“One of my most memorable takeaways from the tour was learning about the Pakistani community in Hong Kong, and how their strong sense of togetherness drives both business and personal growth,” said one participant. “It was inspiring to see how they actively support one another—sharing resources, offering mentorship, and creating opportunities that help the whole community thrive. Their culture of mutual respect and collaboration truly highlights the power of community in building sustainable success.”

Added another participant: “It is an experience you would not get unless you take part in the GuideFong Tour. As Adnan brought us to visit different business stores with different cultural backgrounds, I got exposed to how the local community actually looks, which turned my unnecessary virtual fear into an actual supporting spirit.”

Work with Us to Build an Inclusive Community

We would like to thank PayPal for trusting us with the design and implementation of socially impactful opportunities to engage their employees. Our heartfelt gratitude also goes to the Impact Lab interns working with FSI’s Community Business Support team to provide support during the tour. Lastly, the GuideFong Tour would not have been meaningful and socially impactful without the participation of the ethnically diverse entrepreneurs behind Restoran Indonesia Pondok Kita, Safiq Shinka Restaurant, Local Dhaba, Cemilan Khas Indonesia, and AK Barbers Hair Salon Ltd.

If you are interested in participating in our mutually beneficial corporate engagement activities, whether to kick-start your personal social impact journey, engage and develop your talents, or achieve your corporate ESG and CSR goals, get in touch with us at cbs@shared-impact.com to learn more!

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On 29 November 2025, we once again partnered with Goldman Sachs’s Community TeamWorks (CTW) to host the “Small Business City Hunt”, a team-building and community outreach initiative under our Project GuideFong, where we engaged 19 CTW volunteers and seven FSI Community Business Support Interns, each bringing with them their respective skillsets and expertise. 

Goldman Sachs Volunteers and Ethnically Diverse Youth Providing Direct Support to Small Local Businesses

Structured to provide direct and tangible support to locally ethnically diverse entrepreneurs in the Yau Tsim Mong District through high-impact tasks, the Small Business City Hunt first placed the volunteers into four different teams, focused on market research, social media, menu design, and translation, respectively. 

Each group was tasked with completing specific objectives, including: 

1. Listing a Business on FSI’s GuideFong Directory: 

Volunteers gathered essential information about the businesses, including unique selling points, product photos, and shopfront images, to create comprehensive listings on the GuideFong directory. By listing businesses on the directory, volunteers can help the business owners increase visibility for their products and services and potentially reach a broader audience.

From this Small Business City Hunt, three new businesses were successfully listed on the directory: Hamro Fancy, V Dimpal Fusion and Pizza House, and Tree of Life.

2. “Meet the Entrepreneur” Interviews

Volunteers were introduced to selected ethnically diverse entrepreneurs to conduct the “Meet the Entrepreneur” Interviews, where they engaged with business owners to capture their stories and insights.

On the day of the event, volunteers interviewed Kamala Rai, Owner and Chef of Reeti Rivaz Griha, and Singh Tarsem, Owner of V. Dimpal Fusion and Pizza House. Stay tuned to GuideFong’s Instagram page for more interviews to come!

3. Micro Business Projects: 

Volunteers worked on tailored projects to address specific challenges faced by business owners and managers. In addition to creating marketing collaterals, a logo, and a banner for Hamro Fancy, volunteers also translated the menu for Reeti Rivaz Griha, and drafted a visibility strategy and conducted store audits for PFG Store.

Positive Social Impact, Gamified

In addition to these core tasks, volunteers were also encouraged to earn bonus points by completing optional activities to promote cultural immersion and digital advocacy.

For example, they could consider visiting notable checkpoints such as Bowring Commercial Centre (known as Mini-Chungking among the Nepalese community), cultural landmarks like the Kowloon Mosque to better understand the local Muslim community, or community hubs like the Home Centre to learn about the services they provide for ethnically diverse individuals. Volunteers could also support ethnically diverse small businesses by leaving Google business reviews and becoming a follower of the businesses’ social media accounts. 

Bonus points aside, these tasks prompted participants to immerse themselves in the grassroots community to explore and understand the lives of Hong Kong’s ethnically diverse communities while gaining deeper insights into the small business landscape.

A Truly Immersive Experience of Ethnically Diverse Businesses in Hong Kong

This year’s Small Business City Hunt proved to be another great success, bringing volunteers closer to the community that they call home. By rating the event 9.5 out of 10, volunteers said that they would highly recommend the experience to others. Moreover, 91.7% of participants said that the session exceeded their expectations, and 100% of participants agreed that the session was organized and run smoothly.

Said Jialin Li, one of the volunteers: “Really enjoyed visiting the Nepalese restaurant and minibus museum in the area. It’s really a surprise for me as I live close by but never get the chance to connect with the shop owners and listen to their stories.” 

“I enjoy the interaction and conversation with different shop owners,” said Nelson Chan, another volunteer. “It helped me understand the situation that the minority-owned businesses are encountering.” 

“Ethnic minorities’ businesses are not only part of the economy, but also a part that defines Hong Kong as an international city,” noted one volunteer. “We have to provide them accessibility and visibility to the public.” 

“Many small businesses are operated by ethnic minorities in Hong Kong, some for survival, some for cultural immersion,” said Elyn Zhang. “It is interesting talking to the business owners to find out what their passions and goals are.”

Work with Us to Create Positive Social Impact

We would like to thank our long-time partner, Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks, for partnering with us on multiple Impact Jams in 2025, including this Small Business City Hunt, to empower under-resourced entrepreneurs and social impact leaders through skills-based volunteering and generous sharing of knowledge, information, and resources.

If you are interested in participating in our mutually beneficial Impact Jams, whether to kick-start your personal social impact journey, engage and develop your talents, or achieve your corporate ESG and CSR goals, FSI’s Impact Jams are customizable, impactful engagements conducive to creating lasting shared impact. Get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com to learn more!

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The Business Clinic aimed to bring participants together for an afternoon to co-develop solutions addressing the social impact organizations’ operational and organizational challenges. Like every other one of our 16 Impact Jam sessions before it, the event proved that when committed individuals from different sectors come together with a shared purpose, no one leaves without making a meaningful contribution to the community or impactful professional or personal growth. 

The Impact Jam was positively received by both the seven CTW volunteers and the five representatives from three organizations who participated in the workshop. While the social impact organizations said that they obtained clear, actionable plans and advice, the Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers mentioned gaining professional fulfillment,  knowledge, and skills applicable to their professions, as well as insights into how the non-profit sector operates in Hong Kong.

Introducing the Social Organizations and Setting the Stage for the Clinic 

The clinic began with welcoming remarks from Vivian Seo, FSI’s Executive Director; Claudia  Anticona, FSI’s Community Connections Program Manager; and Ales Sladic, Head of Asia Pacific Equity Structuring and Head of Asia Pacific Equity Derivatives Sales at Goldman Sachs. 

The social impact organizations attending the Impact Jam were:

Hong Kong Momtrepreneurs:  A charity dedicated to empowering women who are juggling both entrepreneurship and family life, and creates an ecosystem of support where “momtrepreneurs” can confidently launch and scale businesses while maintaining a healthy work-life balance. 

The Hong Kong Society for Psychological Innovation: Dedicated to making psychology accessible and engaging for all by using interactive games and community events. It works to foster mental health awareness within Hong Kong, particularly among young people.

Land Education Foundation: Connecting people with nature through experiential learning. Their programs teach urban residents about sustainability, community farming, and ecological balance. They put a focus on how understanding the land also deepens appreciation for social and environmental well-being.

90 Minutes of Pure Impact

Once the representatives finished introducing their respective social impact organizations, the event dove into the heart of the Business Clinic, where, for an hour and a half, representatives of each social impact organization sat with assigned volunteers in small groups enlivened by deep engagement and collective brainstorming. 

Our strategic pairing of the entrepreneurs’ problem statements and volunteers’ expertise resulted in a high level of productivity in the breakout groups. Lena Wong, Founder and Executive Director of Hong Kong Momtrepreneurs, said: “The mentors are being very specific on what we could do, and they help us think outside of the box as they shared good insights and tips from other angles.”  

Some breakout groups focused on marketing and reaching new audiences. That was the case for June Lee, also from Hong Kong Momtrepreneurs, who shared that the Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers gave strategic suggestions in event promotions, publications, and how to get sponsorship. Other groups focused on operations, workflow bottlenecks, and more general strategy. Miffy Ng, from the Land Education Foundation, highlighted that Goldman Sachs volunteers shared their opinions on how to cooperate and consider local products and goods”.

Of course, value was not only created for our social impact partners. Besides the fulfillment from making a positive impact with their knowledge and skills, Goldman Sachs volunteers also gained insights about the deeply human reality of running a startup or social entrepreneurship today in Hong Kong. 

Brijesh Gupta from Goldman Sachs, for example, said that he “got a sense of how busy an entrepreneur’s life is”, with “such a diverse set of roles and responsibilities they carry out on a daily basis”. James Rawlin, another Goldman Sachs volunteer,  found “lots of potential for synergy with other NGOs”, describing the event as “very inspiring”.

It was unmistakable by the end of the Business Clinic that the event had achieved its goal of bridging expertise with purpose and generating actionable solutions. Both volunteers and social impact leaders left with new ideas, perspectives, and renewed enthusiasm for the work ahead.

At FSI, we extend our gratitude to every social impact partner and Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteer who helped make this session possible. The participants’ generosity, curiosity, and willingness to collaborate are what keep these Impact Jams possible, and they continue to allow us to fill in the gaps of needs in our community through mutually beneficial solutions.

Work with FSI to Engage Your Talent for a Good Cause

If you are interested in participating in our mutually beneficial Impact Jams, whether it is to kick-start your personal social impact journey, engage and develop your talents, or achieve your corporate ESG and CSR goals, FSI’s Impact Jams are customizable, impactful engagements conducive to creating lasting shared impact. Get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com to learn more!

*The blog post was written by Alejandro Abuín-Siret, Community Connections intern at the Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) during the Fall 2025 semester of the Impact Lab Course. 

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Understanding this, and the fact that many entrepreneurs within the FSI community do not have access to legal expertise to gain a good grasp of the contract law in Hong Kong, we partnered with Johnson Stokes & Master (JSM) to host a workshop on 27 October to offer practical guidance on contract fundamentals, key clauses, and negotiation strategies to nine entrepreneurs from our Mentorship Program for Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial community, as well as one ICF Hong Kong Chapter coach. 

The workshop was led by Jason Leung, Partner at JSM, who specializes in construction-related legal proceedings, contract negotiations, and dispute resolution across Hong Kong, Mainland China, and international markets; and Justine Hwang, Associate at JSM, who advises on real estate and construction-related contracts, from initial agreements to dispute resolution. 

In addition to the core elements of a valid contract, the different types of contracts, and key contract clauses, Jason and Justine also elaborated on the common issues to consider when drafting contracts and the key items to be aware of when reviewing and negotiating contracts. For example, it is important to ensure the contract terms are recorded in writing, even for verbal agreements, and they must be clear and specific to avoid potential disputes in the future. Subsequently, proper dispute resolution clauses should be put in place to prevent potential costly legal procedures after the fact.

Leveraging their expertise, Jason and Justine also responded to participants’ questions, such as the legal measures to protect the intellectual property (IP) of a new idea for a startup, and the ways to contract with freelancers, contractors, and employees in a way that protects the business’ proprietary information and core assets.

Work with FSI to Engage Your Employees to Achieve the S in ESG

From the capacity to contract, legally binding verbal and written contracts, confidentiality and non-disclosure obligations, to liability and indemnity, dispute resolution, and due diligence, participating entrepreneurs at various stages of business development were able to take away new legal knowledge to grow and protect their businesses through contracts. 

“The workshop was very thoughtfully planned and provided a comprehensive overview of the essential terms and components of a solid commercial contract,” said Amanda Yik, mentor of our 2025-26 Mentorship Program and Founder of Shinrin Yoku Hong Kong. “There are many considerations and nuances that go beyond what the two hours can cover, but thanks to the speakers who offered their insights as best they could, and I’m very grateful for their time and expertise!”

“I found the legal workshop really helpful, as I’m not from a legal background and have had limited exposure to business contracts,” said Kaylini Naidoo, mentee of our 2025-26 Mentorship Program and Founder of Upeeling. “I found the examples useful, and the practical insights and some of the sharings from JSM and the group to be relevant to my startup.”

The entrepreneurs aren’t the only ones who benefited from the workshop, but the JSM instructors, Jason and Justine, too. “The session was lively and interactive. In addition to sharing our knowledge with the entrepreneurs, we, in return, have learned more about the challenges in the start-up space in Hong Kong.

“In particular, we have listened to entrepreneurs share their experiences and difficulties firsthand. The topics covered during the session, albeit within two hours, have triggered stimulating thoughts from the attending entrepreneurs and reflection on their daily business operations. We are pleased to have taken part in this thought-provoking process.”

Our heartfelt gratitude goes to our valued partner, JSM, who not only offers pro bono legal support to the mentee entrepreneurs of our Mentorship Program, but also demonstrates how cross-sector collaboration can effectively engage, develop, and retain corporate talents while contributing to a good cause. In addition to Jason and Justine, we would also like to thank the coordinator, Alan Lau, Pro Bono and Corporate Social Responsibility Manager at JSM.

If you are interested in participating in our mutually beneficial Impact Jams, whether it is to kick-start your personal social impact journey, engage and develop your talents, or achieve your corporate ESG and CSR goals, FSI’s Impact Jams are customizable, impactful engagements conducive to creating lasting shared impact. Get in touch with us at communityconnections@shared-impact.com to learn more!

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But here’s the thing: When we tell stories, we often forget about the audience we are telling the story to. Additionally, not having the right techniques and tools very often render our storytelling effort futile. 

Understanding the challenges faced by under-resourced entrepreneurs and social impact leaders in storytelling, Accenture and Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) collaborated to host the “Accenture x FSI: Accent on the Impact – Storytelling Workshop” on 18 March, at the Accenture Interactive Studio, for the leaders at eight organizations. 

Selected from the Community Partners and ethnically diverse entrepreneurs we work with through our Community Connections Program and Community Business Support team, the participants are Gowld Art Centre, Music Children Foundation, Chatteris Educational Foundation, Project Ethnic Minority Empowerment, The Institute of Leadership and Management, Sisnu Sisters, FINYE HK, and Seekr.   

The workshop was facilitated by Benjamin Chu, Accenture Strategy & Consulting, and led by May May Wong, Accenture Song, Lead Trainer. Robert Hah, Accenture Strategy & Consulting, MD Sponsor, was also present to share invaluable advice on storytelling during an interactive exercise. We would like to thank Accenture for curating bespoke, relevant, and engaging workshop content not least by conducting pre-session interviews with each of the participants to identify some common pain points:

• Communicating the mission and vision to the general public
• Illustrating the journey and impact to funders and donors
• Creating motivation for internal staff and volunteers

To get a baseline understanding of the participants’ storytelling knowledge and skills, the Accenture team kick-started the workshop by asking each participant to tell the story of their organization in one minute.

Knowing your audience’s interest areas doesn’t only give you a tool to get their attention, but it also affects the formats and channels with which you’ll be delivering the story:  when you have a better understanding of the different stakeholder groups you are engaged with, their roles and attributes, and personality traits, you can then design targeted communication strategies for different stakeholder groups. 

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A good business pitch can not only connect entrepreneurs with funders and investors, but also clients, collaborators, partners, and volunteers who play an equally important role in jumpstarting a business idea or accelerating the growth of a company.

But here’s the thing: there is no-one-size-fits-all when it comes to creating a business pitch. Depending on the occasion, the format of the pitch varies. For example, is it for a funding application, a business competition, or a marketing campaign? How long or short should that pitch be? In what format should it be delivered? And what kind of information should go into the pitch?

Understanding that these questions are no doubt on the minds of our mentees, we at Foundation for Shared Impact (FSI) held the How to Pitch Your Business workshop on 14 October to equip our mentees with the know-how on pitching. We also engaged 23 Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers to consult with our mentees and help them create several pitching deliverables.

Preparing for Your Business Pitch

In her presentation, FSI Community Business Support Project Manager Vivian Seo elaborated on the first step of preparing for a business pitch: creating a pitch bank. “You want to prepare your inventory of written and spoken materials. Examples of these include the keywords (for hashtags and SEO), catchphrases and slogans (for your website, social media, posters), your vision and mission statements, key sentences that aptly describe your business or project, and some boilerplate language that consolidates the keywords, key sentences, and your vision and mission statements.”

The next step then is to develop the outputs. Here, it is important to consider the purpose of your pitch and the audience at the occasion of your pitch. Will you be pitching to an audience in person, and for how long? Or are you reaching out to potential collaborators, funders, and partners through emails? Does the occasion call for something that is catchy and bite-sized or something that is more formal and informative? 

Depending on the purpose and the audience, you can decide on whether to create a one-liner elevator pitch, a short pitch of one to two minutes, an information deck, a written proposal, or a pitch deck especially for potential investors. 

Amongst the different types of pitching materials, a one-liner elevator pitch is perhaps one that all entrepreneurs must have. “Essentially, an elevator pitch is a one-sentence pitch that you can use as an introduction to the people you meet for the first time at events, conferences, or by email,” said Vivian. “It serves the function of telling people about your work, the people you serve, and the reason that your work matters.”

Goldman Sachs Volunteers Brainstorming for Ethnically Diverse Entrepreneurs 

Once our mentees got the basics of business pitching, they were paired with different Goldman Sachs Community TeamWorks volunteers. In their respective breakout sessions, Goldman Sachs employees took time to understand our mentees’ business (ideas), review the pitching materials that are already available, and define whether they are relevant to the mentees’ business – are the materials tied to the company’s mission, in what ways is the business (idea) unique and how best to present it, and whether the materials are easily understandable for the audience. 

As people who are new to the mentees’ business (ideas), the Goldman Sachs employees, with professional backgrounds in asset management, sales and trading, compliance, human capital management and more – were well-placed to challenge the assumptions the mentees might have had, and ask pertinent questions to help them refine their business pitch.

Once the Goldman Sachs employees helped our mentees define and work out several business pitch deliverables, they took turns to present their respective discussion results or pitch for our mentees’ business. 

Broad Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

At FSI, we believe in the power of broad collaboration and freely sharing knowledge, resources, and information in driving systems change. As an intermediary experienced in facilitating such exchange between the private sector and the social impact space, we would like to thank the Goldman Sachs volunteers for collaborating with us again after the previous Impact Jam, to offer their expertise and skills to our community of ethnically diverse entrepreneurs.

To our mentees: we hope you were able to learn more about business pitching from the workshop. If you would like to dig deeper into creating an elevator pitch, a one-minute pitch, or an informative pitch deck, bookmark this page in our Entrepreneur’s Toolkit now! Remember, you can always book a consultation with the FSI team on Thinkific. See you at the next workshop, Marketing 101, on 25 October!

*Interested in supporting our work on helping ethnically diverse entrepreneurs start and scale their business? Donate to us or get in touch with us on cbs@shared-impact.com!

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In addition to our Community Connections Program, which connects corporate professionals with our social impact partners to facilitate long-term skills-based volunteering to accelerate change, we also host Impact Jams, which allows corporate professionals who would like to volunteer their subject matter expertise for social impact organizations but are not able to make lengthy commitments. 

Volunteering for Impact

On 19 November, we were thrilled to have Goldman Sachs’s Community TeamWorks volunteers joining our Impact Jam, to volunteer their time and expertise for BamPads!, Migrasia, Gowld Art Centre, GREEN Hospitality, and FSI. 

Each of our social impact partners, including FSI, faces unique business challenges in our mission to tackle social and environmental issues ranging from period poverty, migrant worker rights, art as a soft power, to sustainability in the hospitality industry, and bolstering the social impact ecosystem. As is typical of most social businesses, we are often under-staffed or under-resourced, which prevents us from scaling our business model to expand our impact. 

This is where Goldman Sachs’s Community TeamWork volunteers can help fill the gap. In the individual breakout sections, the corporate professionals got a better grasp of their assigned social impact partners’ vision and mission and challenges, and helped them identify solutions to marketing, fundraising, stakeholder engagement, operational efficiency, program expansion, and more. 

We would like to thank the Goldman Sachs Community TeamWork volunteers, our social impact partners, and our Impact Lab student helpers once again for this fruitful Impact Jam. Stay in touch with each other, and we look forward to hearing more about your successful skills-based volunteering projects!

If your company’s employees are also passionate about volunteering their skills and expertise to accelerate change, get in touch with us on info@shared-impact.com. While you are at it, learn more about our core programs here.

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