Design Terminal has helped the community over the past two months with a public benefit online series, virtual trainings, brainstorming sessions and instant donations.
If we would want to put it all in numbers, it sounds like this: nearly 27 thousand viewers, more than 20 thousand applicants, 2.5 million forints. With lightning-fast response, adaptation, collaboration, innovative and efficient solutions, DT helps not only entrepreneurs, but also a much wider social stratum in Hungary, beyond our borders and internationally.
The past two months were testing ones for everyone, during which it was a common challenge to minimize the effects of the crisis. True to its mission, Design Terminal has accepted the challange of the current difficulties and helped startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and in addition, the most disadvantaged social groups.
STARTUP FIRST AID SERIES
Nearly 27,000 viewers have seen the four parts of Design Terminal’s public service video series on Facebook. The First Aid for Startups and Small Businesses achieved its goal based on the figures and viewer feedback, and it reached those who were most affected by the crisis. Hungarian companies received support, knowledge and ideas from credible and experienced experts to survive and start again. Viewers who joined online were able to ask the participants of the show the questions that interested them most, so all parts took place along an interactive, live discourse in which everyone could actively participate in front of the screens.
Look back the episodes on Design Terminal’s facebook page!
The permanent host of the series was Gábor Gundel Takács, who talked to experts such as Gyula Fehér (Oktogon Ventures), Szabina Tomán (Toman Lifestyle), Dr. Zoltán Cséfalvay (former OECD Ambassador), Veronika Pistyur (Oktogon Ventures), Zoltán Várdy (TV2’s former CEO), Dávid Lakatos (Formlabs) and Ádám Susánszky (Zing Burger).
Veronika Pistyur, co-founder of Oktogon Ventures:
“It’s a big responsibility to answer questions that are now causing despair for most business founders. The baseline situation in this crisis was well framed by the Design Terminal series, and it was a good feeling to experience that we were able to talk about opportunities, adaptation and optimistic scenarios even taking into account the facts and difficulties. ”
Ádám Susánszky, founder of Zing Burger:
“I met a very well prepared team at Design Terminal and I had a great organization. It was fun to talk to such a knowledgeable mediator! Thank you for the opportunity!”
CRISIS MANAGEMENT HAS BEEN IN FOCUS ALSO IN THE FIRST VIRTUAL MENTORING PROGRAM
Design Terminal has adapted to the new challenges from the very first moment after the crisis broke out, and has been dictating the pace and quality in that spirit ever since. In its subject matter and format, the flagship of its activity, the Mentoring Program, has also been renewed at lightning speed. The spring semester of the support program for startups was fully transferred to the online space, for which form-breaking trainings, workshops and exciting community-building programs were put together.
In order to get a more accurate picture of the situation of the international startup world caused by the virus crisis, Design Terminal has previously launched a Startup Crisis Questionnaire. 240 responses were received from 22 countries, and the conclusions greatly helped us to compile a targeted and currently most useful training plan for the teams participating in the Mentoring Program.
Take a look at the Virtual Power Camp HERE!
SYNERGY IN THE CARPATHIAN BASIN
The Meetup for Hungarian entrepreneurs in the Carpathian Basin was also organized virtually – for the first time in the history of the program series.
200 Hungarian entrepreneurs from abroad took part from the Hungarian-inhabited areas of the neighboring countries: Transylvania, the Highlands, Vojvodina and Transcarpathia. The aim of the meeting was to provide professional assistance to Hungarian companies in difficult situations in cross-border areas, as well as to help forge closer ties between Hungarians abroad and the motherland.
About 300 Hungarian entrepreneurs abroad are already members of the Carpathian Basin network. The two-day online meeting held in early May was attended by 77 entrepreneurs from Transylvania, 43 in the Highlands, 53 in Vojvodina and 27 in Transcarpathia.
Take a look at the first Online Carpathian Basin Entrepreneurial Meetup HERE!
2.5 MILLION FORINTS IMMEDIATE DONATION TO COMBAT THE VIRUS
We also kept communities in mind when we offered an immediate donation of 2.5 million.
Design Terminal supported the Hungarian Ecumenical Relief Organization to help health care workers with HUF 1.5 million, the Single Parents’ Club Foundation with half a million and another 500,000 for the “3D printing against the coronavirus” civil initiative.
TWO HACKATHONS, 20 THOUSAND APPLICANTS, HUNDREDS OF INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS
The main goal of the Hack the Crisis 48-hour online hackathon, which was held in more than 30 countries and in which Design Terminal was a key partner and participated as an organizer, was to support professionals and institutions that play a key role in the fight against the virus, such as the health, education and economic sectors. A total of more than 800 people applied for the Hungarian round and 12 teams made it to the final selection.
As an international curator, DT was asked to join the EU vs. Virus hackathon by the Ministry of Innovation and Technology. The event was attended by nearly 250 Hungarian applicants, 50 teams. The European Commission and the European Innovation Council have co-organized a creative online competition with Member States to find innovative solutions to the social challenges of the coronavirus. More than 20,000 applicants have registered for the pan-European hackathon. A total of 2160 projects were received by the organizers, of which the international jury awarded 117 innovative solutions. Three Hungarian teams performed successfully at the hackathon, two of them made it into the top six key category winners.
