The 2021 JCI Academy and Leadership Training

Every year, a select group of delegates hone their leadership skills at the JCI Academy. Since it was recognized as an official JCI event in Amsterdam in 1987, more than 2,500 global networkers have graduated from this unique program. The JCI Academy empowers the future leaders of the organization to learn about strength, cooperation and cultural understanding. Delegates immerse themselves in the culture of their host city and discover how to be inspiring global leaders with a focus on creating lasting change. Held as a hybrid event this year in Sendai, Japan, the academy helped delegates hold many earnest discussions, complete challenges and deepen friendships.

In particular, this event held two very unique programs including “Spirit of Date’’ and “Disaster Risk Reduction.” The Spirit of Date was held by Mr. Date Yasumune, the 34th owner of the Date clan of the Sendai domain. During this event, he discussed the deep culture he has inherited and sparked discussions on the commonalities and differences between the birthplace of each delegate. The “Disaster Risk Reduction” program was held in memory of the 10th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake with Associate Professor Takako Izumi as a lecturer. During this event, participants learned about the status of disaster prevention and mitigation efforts around the world. They strengthened their understanding of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the need to increase social resilience and the concept of “build back better.” After the lecture, delegates discussed the status of efforts in each country and how JCI is involved in disaster prevention work and mitigation.

Despite attending a remote event, the international delegates were still able to immerse themselves in the nature, history and culture of Sendai. Participants onsite went into the city of Sendai in small groups and discovered its charm. They collected materials during their excursions and presented their findings to those joining online, conveying the beauty of Sendai. A highlight of the event included a Presidential Seminar from 2021 JCI President Ryubun Kojima where future leaders of each country learned more about what it means to represent JCI in various roles. Mr. Argenis Angulo, the 2022 JCI President Candidate, made an appearance during a module and exchanged opinions on the outlook for JCI in the year to come and Secretary General Kevin Hin led a session on the JCI RISE initiative.

In the end, the five-day 2021 JCI Academy was a unique opportunity to explore the international nature of JCI. At the graduation ceremony, President Ryubun Kojima presented all participants with diplomas at the graduation ceremony. The Academy concluded with an online farewell party where delegates celebrated and vowed to someday reunite.

“No matter where our enterprising young leaders of JCI are in the world, they are not alone…. Our connection to each other, whether it’s other members, partners, or friends of JCI, gives us true strength.”

-2021 JCI President Ryubun Kojima

3-6 June, 2021

For only the fifth time in the last 50 years, JCI Panama once again organized a prestigious international meeting for our international organization. The 2021 JCI Conference of America brought together enterprising young leaders from all over the world, united under the common desire for connection and personal growth, right along with the conference theme of “Connecting Lives.”

By focusing on this theme, attendees were brought together. With many JCI members worldwide still isolated due to the pandemic, JCI Panama recognized the importance of purposefully finding ways to connect with each other across borders, no matter the method. By converting to this online format, members were still able to participate in classic JCI programs and support their JCI family at this conference.

30 June- 3 July, 2021

To provide amazing opportunities while keeping public health in mind, the 2021 JCI Africa and the Middle East Conference took place as an online event from 30 June to July 3. From panel discussions on pressing global issues to Public Speaking competitions, a diverse catalog of activities, speakers and sessions was made available to all who attended. Originally deployed at last year’s Africa and the Middle East Conference, the Creative Young Entrepreneur program in 2021 was a riveting success.

The Conference Organizing committee understood the dire need for new solutions and created a conference committed to these ideals. Through engaging sessions, keynote speakers and JCI’s new innovative platform, the

“With your new knowledge and the JCI RISE initiative at your back, we can cure the thirst of enterprising young leaders around the world.”

-2021 JCI President Ryubun Kojima

10-13 June, 2021

With the theme “Connecting Leaders,” members of JCI in Europe brought together some of the most ambitious and innovative entrepreneurs from Europe and JCI’s global membership in an effort to unite us in our goal to follow the JCI RISE initiative and by sustaining and rebuilding economies. This theme touched on every pillar of JCI by strengthening the Individual, connecting Businesses, nurturing our global JCI Community and giving birth to new International relationships. Every attendant was given an inspiring list of programs and interactive

“(Leadership) is knowing that we will never be perfect but still must try, that good leadership comes not from feelings of superiority but instead humility, to remember that you are not always right and most of all to be thankful for those around us who accomplish what we cannot do alone.”

19-22 August, 2021

opportunities. This event helped build every individual member stronger, thus fortifying the greater ambitions of JCI, to develop leaders for a changing world.

Full of expert keynote speakers, skills development sessions, a JCI RISE lab and other practical topics, the organizers of the 2021 JCI European Conference made sure that no two sessions were alike. These events were a space for attendees to exchange stories and experiences and work to create solutions for sustainable economic impact and growth.

The much anticipated 2021 JCI Asia and the Pacific Conference was the final event in JCI’s Area Conference season and successfully set expectations high for the 2021 JCI World Congress in Johannesburg. Like all the Area Conferences this year, members were able to participate in major programs like JCI Public Speaking and JCI Debating and also indulge in a variety of brand new Conference Organizing Committee sessions. Much like the other Area Conferences, conference content was also made available on the JCI Virtual Community for 60 days

JCI Virtual Community, they adhered closely to the timely theme of “Technology - Innovative Opportunities and Crisis Solutions.”

By addressing topics from “Big Data: Blockchain Panel Discussion” to “Innovation at the Time of Crisis: Gender Equality and Social Inclusion,” the 2021 COC laid the groundwork for young entrepreneurs to succeed in the emerging post-pandemic world. JCI members have always held a deep-seated desire to grow and become the best possible versions of themselves and any young entrepreneur who attended this conference undoubtedly left changed for the better.

“True change takes time. It takes patience, resilience, openness and a desire to look across boundaries whether they are global or defined by rank. Even if you learn one thing from this event, one small change can still create big future impacts.”

-2021 JCI President Ryubun Kojima

following the event, so attendees could maximize development opportunities.

Each day of the conference was structured around its own unique theme: Raise, Imagine, Salute, Excite. The COC cultivated a schedule fit for any modern entrepreneur with thoughtful topics such as the “Act 4 Gender Gap 2021: Key to Post-Pandemic Economic Recovery.” With a rich program full of opportunities for personal and professional development, the 2021 JCI Asia and the Pacific Conference hosted by Taichung was one to remember for all who attended.

16-20 November 2021

The 2021 JCI World Congress expertly pivoted to a fully digital format to offer the best possible experience for delegates while still featuring the vibrant feel of South Africa. Held on the JCI Virtual Community, attendees were able to discuss active sessions and seminars live with a brand new chat feature. Participants enriched their skills with incredible offerings such as the first-ever Creative Young Entrepreneur world finals, a presentation from BNI Founder and Chief Visionary Officer Dr. Ivan Misner on networking for success, daily Rise and Shine morning segments and other incredible opportunities.

The theme for the 2021 JCI World Congress was “Ignite Compassion and Unite Humanity,” a fitting concept that also tied very well into President Ryubun’s personal goal of creating “One Future.” This theme was inspired by the philosophy of ubuntu and the universal values expressed at the Cradle of Humankind, an archaeological site outside Johannesburg. Participants attended an assortment of new programs, sessions and keynote speakers that focused on igniting compassion and uniting humanity, including sessions such as “Negotiation Skills,” “Self Awareness and Empathy” and “Collaboration Across Networks and Leading by Influence.”

During the General Assembly, Argenis Angulo of JCI Venezuela was elected and sworn in as 2022 JCI President. In his inaugural speech, he talked about his theme for the year — “Leading is Our Duty” — and emphasized that we have a duty to both the world and to ourselves to use our leadership skills in the best possible way.

Towards the end of the week, a celebratory 2021 Awards Ceremony was held. Here, attendees could celebrate collective and personal achievements in projects, programs and leadership. The Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the year were also celebrated for their contributions and encouraged to become expert ambassadors for the JCI mission and vision. With this World Congress, JCI members felt more prepared than ever before for the new challenges of the upcoming year.

Jci Toyp

The JCI Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the World (TOYP) honorees demonstrate extraordinary achievements and innovation when it comes to creating solutions to societal and business problems. With 218 applications submitted in 2021, 66 more than the year before, the competition was fierce and full of talented individuals. In the end, only ten young leaders were selected to receive this prestigious title and take on the role of JCI’s 2021 Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the Year.

Chadi Khatib | JCI Syria

Medical Innovation

Chee Sian Kuan | JCI Malaysia

Medical Innovation

Christopher Arida | JCI Lebanon

Business, Economic and/or Entrepreneurial Accomplishments

Edmund Heng | JCI Malaysia

Personal Improvement and/or Accomplishment

Hansley Noruthun | JCI Mauritius

Scientific and/or Technological Development

Jennifer Canaveral JCI Colombia

Personal Improvement and/or Accomplishment

2,636 90

Delegates Countries

Saleem Najjar | JCI Syria

Business, Economic and/or Entrepreneurial Accomplishments

Sinead Kane | JCI Ireland

Personal Improvement and/or Accomplishment

Srikanth Bolla | JCI India

Personal Improvement and/or Accomplishment

Temie Giwa-Tubosun | JCI Nigeria

Business, Economic and/or Entrepreneurial Accomplishments

An exciting and fruitful new development in 2021 was the reinvigorated launch of our JCI Creative Young Entrepreneur (CYE) program! This international competition was created from the ground up to encourage, honor and celebrate exceptional young entrepreneurs and the role of innovation in their climb to global success. For this program, JCI was looking for open-minded young people with a drive to push forward and rise above everyday obstacles, especially in the wake of COVID-19.

For this competition, participants pitch their business ideas to a jury of delegated experts in the hopes of winning the monetary grand prize. Participants submitted proposals of businesses in the startup phase, concept development phase or working businesses that had been in operation for less than 18 months. In 2021, during the pilot period of CYE, this program was open not only to current JCI members, but to all entrepreneurs ages 18 to 40. There were live translations of the contests at the Conference of America for Spanish, and at the Africa and the Middle East Conference in French. All participants who registered for CYE at the

2021 Creative Young Entrepreneur Winners

To celebrate the CYE program’s triumphant first run, this year’s Annual Report will take a closer look at the top three CYE finalists for Africa and the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, America and Europe! Each finalist showcased their companies and startups with immense professionalism and innovation. It was a tough selection process for the judges, but here are the finalists that rose above the rest and competed at the 2021 JCI World Congress in November.

2021 Area Conferences received complementary training and mentoring valued at thousands of dollars. This full day of training was delivered by jury members such as top entrepreneurs, CEOs and angel investors. By giving participants the unique opportunity to pitch their business ideas to experts and receive feedback, CYE provided a huge return on investment that supercharged the future earning potential of applicants’ business.

CYE was able to have generous grand prizes thanks to the outstanding kindness and generosity of benefactors amongst our global membership, namely 2021 JCI President Ryubun Kojima and 2021 JCI Vice President Pheng Kouch. President Ryubun Kojima donated $20,000 USD while JCI Vice President Pheng Kouch pledged to donate $10,000 USD annually for the next 3 years. With these incredibly gracious donations, the four first place winners in the CYE Area Conference programs won a $5,000 USD prize. The JCI CYE winners from each Area Conference as well as the top 2 runnersup were then invited to the JCI World Congress to compete in the finals for a Global Grand Prize of $10,000 USD.

CYE World Congress Winners

The final round of the competition brought together the top three winners from each Area Conference of the year. Contestants had months to refine their pitches before taking them to the global stage, where they delivered detailed plans of consumer need, value and profitability.

In the end, it was Maria Victoria Martinez’s standout company, TalktoDok, that took the lead. Martinez took the lessons she learned at the Area Conference Competition and applied them to her company and presentation, showing that with hard work and adaptability, great ideas can be realized.

1st Place: Maria Victoria

Martinez | Philippines

TalktoDok

2nd Place: Tawanda Chihambakwe | Zimbabawe

Drones in STEM Education

3 Top Finalists: Africa and the Middle East Conference

1st: Tawanda Chihambakwe | Zimbabwe

Drones in STEM Education

The mission of Drones in STEM Education is to transform the drone technology workforce by educating and training people and organizations and making hazardous work safer. By leveraging the power of drones, companies can increase operational efficiency and students can gain valuable skills. This company aims to develop new mindsets for young, budding STEM leaders by targeting two specific age groups: primary school (7 to 12 years old) and high school (13 to 18 years old). Through collaboration with Zimbabwe Flying Labs and Precision Aerial, they’ll make sure to provide industry-specific services such as commercial and educational drone services, consultancy and training. Growth in this specific niche area of youth education will involve four key pillars: a drone training program, drone pilot instructors licensing, marketing and capital investment.

2nd: Moussa Thiam | Zimbabwe

Waste to Wealth (W2W)

Engineering

W2W Engineering specializes in the production and sale of products made from an innovative and durable material: ecological concrete. This company assists with the development of roads and the interior decoration of houses, but their main goal is to become the top manufacturer of slabs and pavers. Moussa intends to expand the company’s expertise by also expanding into the fields of waste management, consulting and environmental assessment of projects and programs. The plan is for W2W to become a limited liability company in the future.

3 Top Finalists: Asia and the Pacific Conference

1st: Willie Ng Wei | Malaysia

Global Cerah

Global Cerah is an agri-tech startup that integrates waste treatment and the production of alternative protein sources into solutions to sustain the future of the food ecosystem. This company tackles such problems as harmful food and agricultural waste, inorganic fertilizer and inefficient waste treatment. Through a highly innovative method, Global Cerah transforms waste through reengineering into a feed material for animals or breeding grounds for larvae — the final output is completely organic animal feed, protein powder and fertilizer.

3rd:

Ibraheem Tiamiyu | Nigeria

Plan B Wellness

With less than 2% of drugs consumed in Africa produced on the continent and 50% of Africans unable to afford healthcare at all, Plan B Wellness hopes to be the solution by generating products locally at affordable costs. The vision for this business includes offering over a dozen different 100% organic herbal products and a customized diet or therapy plan. Plan B Wellness wants to focus on both B2B as well as B2C selling. In the early stages of this company, their products have performed well to meet the needs of the target consumers.

2nd: Maria Victoria Martinez | Philippines

TalktoDok

TalktoDok’s is a free online medical chat-based platform for Filipinos to get credible, private healthcare advice from top professionals. This has allowed individuals in rural areas direct access to qualified doctors without having to visit a clinic or a hospital. The chat-based platform requires only low-speed internet, making it widely accessible to all. As of July of 2021, TalktoDok has helped over 2,300 people via its platform and has engaged with 135 healthcare providers. TalktoDok has captured the telemedicine industry in the Philippines at its early growth stage and has the potential to become a major player.

3rd: Ng Yee “Eddie” Heng Malaysia

Vanzo

With Malaysia ranking 10th in the world for car ownership per capita, Vanzo set out to make the driving experience more pleasant for this significant user base. Scouring Asia for raw materials and after much market research, Vanzo partnered with companies based in Japan (Ogawa Flavours and Fragrance and Taiyo Corporation) to source high quality, non-toxic materials for air fresheners specifically designed for cars. Vanzo has been publicized across television and magazines, and has been recognized for their high quality.

3 Top Finalists: Conference of America

1st: Nicholas Thiago Oliveria Martins | Brazil

BioFocus Nutrition

BioFocus Nutrition offers an innovative food product aimed at supplying vital nutrients in an efficient manner. Their items are created with an algae-based food called BioGel, a ready-for-consumption gel and with edible packaging. It is formulated to supply the necessary nutrients for a low-cost balanced diet. This product can assist in the recovery of severe cases of malnutrition, supplement nutrients for those with dietary restrictions, and aid in sports performance. A versatile food source, BioFocus can help meet the desires of a wide range of customers.

3 Top Finalists: European Conference

1st: Sandra Garn and Christoph Seydel | Germany

Mededis GmbH- Medical Device Consulting and Distribution

This product would help with the development and distribution of an innovative SaaS software solution (Software-as-a-Service) for medical technology companies. More specifically, Mededis deals with services in the medical device and pharmaceutical environment, including the validation and qualification of computer-aided systems. Sandra planned the step-by-step development and distribution of the software solution with four interlocking applications; easyCMDB, easyDOMA, easyITS, and easyQC.

2nd: Julián Rodríguez | Colombia

Kamio - Last Smile Delivery

Kamio is a logistics tech platform that uses technology, crowdsourcing and special vehicle development to enable SMEs to transport their sold goods in an efficient and economic way. Utilizing route-sharing and low operation cost vehicles, this platform aims to address the inefficient last leg of the supply chain — movement which comprises up to 53% of the total cost of moving goods.

2nd: Yoann Lacombe | France Symone

At Symone, they believe in a virtually carbon-free future and a better quality of life. With this in mind, Symone’s goal is to combat car pollution with an innovative product: a car trailer combined with a passenger cabin ‘grafted’ onto existing hydrogen trucks. The road unit is parked upstream of the motorway while the vehicles are loaded onto the trailer. Then, passengers ride in the front in a comfortable cabin. With even only one Symone on the road by 2022, 475 tonnes less carbon dioxide would be released per year into the atmosphere. This will also limit the number of automobile accidents by helping to remove multiple drivers exhausted from long hours of travel on the road.

3rd: Tyler Hiranaka | United States of America

Sango

Sango - A Fine Jewelry Company

Founded in Honolulu, Hawaii, Sango Sango offers fine jewelry collections using some of the world’s most prominent natural gemstones, such as pearl and coral. This emphasis allows Sango Sango to convey the full brilliance of mother nature and her gifts to their customers while also highlighting the exclusivity and scarcity of some of Earth’s great treasures. The company works to source these materials responsibly. Sango Sango plans to meet the demand of a renewed global tourism market.

3rd: Sébastien Lambla | Monaco

DouxVillage

DouxVillage is an online marketplace specifically designed to boost local retail stores in Monaco with the goal of expanding to other markets. Existing local shops can join easily, with no entry fee, and start selling in a week or less, paying DouxVillage a sales commission. Consumers can visit the online high street to discover new products and shops and from the safety of their home receive fast, same-day delivery. An idea born long before the 2020 COVID-19 health crisis, the co-founders have paid attention to the rise of online shopping in the 2000s and hope to address that need. While many initiatives only focus on solving the merchants’ problems, DouxVillage aims to reconcile the needs of retailers and shoppers and to revive the local economy.

For the past year, 11 dynamic coaches and the JCI World Headquarters team worked hard to create a revolutionary product for enterprising young leaders who want to develop their skill sets. The JCI Global Leadership Masterclasses were created to bring high quality training from professionals around the world to anyone looking to evolve their potential.

The Global Leadership Masterclasses are digital courses organized into four different packages: Global Entrepreneur, Global Changemaker, Global Communicator and Global Networker, each aligned with one of JCI’s Four Areas of Opportunity. In 2021, JCI released Global Entrepreneur, more than five hours of incredible courses from more than ten top coaches. The remaining three series will be released in 2022 and beyond.

Thanks to the expertise shared by coaches in these in-depth training modules, becoming an enterprising young leader is easier than ever before. During 2021, Global Entrepreneur was only available to JCI members, but in the future anyone will have the opportunity to learn from these courses.

Series 1 - Global Entrepreneur Masterclass

The Global Entrepreneur Masterclass had a total of 17 different modules, structured in three easy to follow levels. Each level had a staggered release to allow participants to fit Global Entrepreneur into their lives and schedules easily. This course was taught by several exceptional professionals in the JCI network.

Saleh Al-Hanash - 2020 JCI Vice President, Expert in Healthcare Sector, Virtual Training, VR and E-learning Specialist

Jay Johnson - 2019 JCI Vice President, International Renowned Speaker and Forbes Business Council Member

Olena Prykhodko - 2021 JCI Vice President for Europe, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Modelex Education Monaco

Unotida Nyoni - 2020 JCI Vice President, 2021 Foundation Committee Member for Africa and the Middle East, Founder and CEO of Grand Scale Consultancy

Ellimaija Ahonen - 2020 JCI Vice President, CEO of Learning Scoop, CEO and Co-Founder of LessonApp

Segun Aina - 2021 JCI Skills Development Committee Member, Experienced Project Manager

Andy Lau - 2021 Marketing & Merchandising Chair, 2020 JCI Vice President, Founder and CEO of Chariton Hotel Group

Diana Mardarovici - 2018 JCI Vice President, Business Development Consultant, JCI Senior Manager for Corporate Partnerships

Alejandra Castillo - 2021 SDC Chair/2019 JCI Vice President, Commercial Manager and Owner of FAREC’s Quimica Veterinaria Consultancy

Ismail Haznedar - 2015 JCI President, Strategist and Managing Director of Stratejik Isler

Kevin Hin - JCI Secretary General, Marketing/ Sales Director and hospitality entrepreneur