Creatively Utilizing Rattan, Studio Hiji Receives Most Potential Young Enterpreneur Award at the 2015 Shell LiveWIRE Business Start-up Awards

As part of Royal Dutch Shell, a global energy company, PT Shell Indonesia has been holding a competition to develop local young entrepreneurs since 2006 through a program titled Shell LiveWIRE Business Start-up Awards.

This program is in line with efforts by the government to increase the number of local entrepreneurs. To quote data from the Ministry of Cooperatives and SMB, the number of national entrepreneurs is 1.6 percent of the total population and this number is projected to grow to 2 percent this year.

“The small and medium businesses founded by local entrepreneurs have proven to be a resilient sector in facing various challenges and economic conditions marred by uncertainty. In situations such as these, the presence of local entrepreneurs in locations throughout Indonesia, strongly contributes in supporting the national economy. Raw material consumption by local businesses for production, particularly those from the local area, will help drive the circulation of money at the local level, which will create a multiplier effect and contribute in boosting economic growth,” said CEO and Country Chairman of PT Shell Indonesia, Darwin Silalahi.

“We are proud to have successfully selected 10 young potential entrepreneurs that have contributed in their local area in creating jobs and being involved in boosting economic growth. Indonesia needs many more young entrepreneurs like them, and Shell Indonesia, through our Shell LiveWIRE program, is committed to continuously be active in developing young entrepreneurs; increase their quality so that they will become resilient businessmen able to build businesses that are durable and sustainable,” continued Darwin.

At this year’s event in 2015, out of 10 start-up finalists, the Panel of Judges selected four companies as winners.

Studio Hiji from Tangerang, Banten, founded by Abie Abdillah, was selected as the Most Potential Start-up Business category winner. In the first runner-up position, the Panel of Judges selected Oriflakes, founded by Suko Triyono from Yogyakarta, while Crispy Ikan, founded by Aang Permana from Cianjur, came as second runner-up winner.

One start-up company, Greenna, founded by Nina Nuraniyah from Bogor, was selected as the winner of the Most Impactful Start-up Business category.

“Networking is one of the keys of success for young companies like ours, and we are grateful to Shell for providing a platform to synergize, that through this program, we have been provided the opportunity to expand our business network, not just on the national level, but also to the international level,” said Abie Abdillah from Studio Hiji.

“The winners were selected after a rigorous judging process. We did not judge from only the business aspect, but we also took account of the entrepreneur’s character, product potential, their future plans, including their creativity in facing global challenges,” said Dolly Lesmana, Managing Director of Arka Media, who is a representative of the Shell LiveWIRE Business Startup Awards 2015 Panel of Judges.

The first winner, first runner-up and second runner-up winner for the Most Potential Start-up Business category, each received prize money in cash of IDR 50 million, IDR 40 million, and IDR 30 million respectively, while the winner of the Most Impactful Start-up Business category received prize money in cash of IDR 25 million.

All winners and finalists are entitled to participate in a Business Coaching program where they will receive intensive entrepreneurship guidance from Business Coaches. In addition, as part of the international entrepreneurship program, the winners and finalists will also receive the opportunity to join the Shell LiveWIRE Let’s Go Trade program, where successful participants will have the opportunity to win a business trip abroad – to a country of their choice – funded by Shell LiveWIRE International.

For more information, please contact:

Haviez Gautama

GM External Relations

Shell Indonesia

Phone: +62 21 75924700

Fax : +62 21 75924679