Skip to main content

Advertisement

Advertisement

Young entrepreneurs showcase their business dreams at inaugural Sandbox Somerset event

SINGAPORE – Launching a start-up is not easy for young entrepreneurs such as 24-year-old Angelica Yeo Wei Ting, the founder of The Seventh Hour, an up-and-coming bakery.

Some of the pop-ups set up by young entrepreneurs at the Sandbox Somerset event on Nov 25, 2022.

Some of the pop-ups set up by young entrepreneurs at the Sandbox Somerset event on Nov 25, 2022.

Follow TODAY on WhatsApp

SINGAPORE – Launching a start-up is not easy for young entrepreneurs such as 24-year-old Angelica Yeo Wei Ting, the founder of The Seventh Hour, an up-and-coming bakery.

She is one of many entrepreneurs aged under 35 with an industrial container-sized space at Sandbox Somerset this weekend (Nov 26 and 27), an inaugural event designed to celebrate their entrepreneurial spirit.

Ms Yeo quit her full-time job to fully commit to her small business this year. For the previously home-based business owner, the pop-up gives her the opportunity to sell her baked goods fresh from the oven. 

“This space is at least three to four times bigger than my previous pop-ups because those were push carts or just one table... whereas I can bake here (within the space).”

This space is at least three to four times bigger than my previous pop-ups because those were push carts or just one table... whereas I can bake here (within the space).
Ms Angelica Yeo Wei Ting, founder of The Seventh Hour bakery

She had been “doing pop-ups here and there to get exposure” for her small business after failing to get enough traction for her business online. And within the first day of Sandbox Somerset, she had already been approached by other businesses for collaborations.

“When they were walking around, I got to know a few different founders and people kept trying (my products) because some of the founders bought my stuff and they shared it with other people, who came back.

"So today, I got to connect and exchange name cards with other business people.” she said.

Sandbox Somerset aims to inspire young entrepreneurs and give their 100 featured youth founders — spanning the creative, retail and food-and-beverage (F&B) industries — a platform to share their stories and innovations. This will be done via network sharing, pop-up opportunities, panel programmes and mentorship. 

The organisers, the National Youth Council (NYC) and a retail concept firm called Invade, assisted the small businesses in the opening of their pop-ups at the Somerset Youth Park. They helped the fledgling businesses by applying for licences for them and offering them short-term rentals for about S$500 to S$1,000 a weekend.

Budding young entrepreneurs may visit the event at the Somerset Youth Park from Nov 25 to 27 and Dec 2 to 4, from 2pm to 9pm. The event will include retail and F&B pop-up stores and performances by young artists.

The event is part of Somerfest, a festival running from Nov 25 to Dec 18 at the Somerset belt. It aims to celebrate the aspirations of young people and will showcase youth-led projects submitted to NYC in March.

Speaking at the first panel discussion of the event on Friday, Invade founder Kent Teo said: “Sandbox is really the beginning. We set up the perimeter, we built the containers, we optimise the space here (so that) everybody has an opportunity to showcase their businesses.”

The organisers have also arranged for curators from different industries to join the event. 
 
“Curators are the veterans in their own industries. So I hope that they will also be open to provide funding, resources, and also some insights,” Mr Teo said.

Sandbox Somerset will also feature a series of panel discussions and hold Shark Tank-style pitching events by Seed Ventures.

Related topics

Youth Sandbox Somerset start-up

Read more of the latest in

Advertisement

Advertisement

Stay in the know. Anytime. Anywhere.

Subscribe to get daily news updates, insights and must reads delivered straight to your inbox.

By clicking subscribe, I agree for my personal data to be used to send me TODAY newsletters, promotional offers and for research and analysis.