Hey You, Let’s Go Surf Up Some Ideas in Bali with Change Ventur.es This September

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy; and for you entrepreneurs, career breakers, freelancers, or even graduates out there looking for an experience that includes a little sunshine while kickstarting that groundbreaking idea of yours, here’s a program you should look into: Change Ventur.es.

Change Ventur.es is a one-month program that will commence this September 9 and will end on October 9. It will first kick off with a weekend of business model generation and lean startup principles, and in the following weeks, talks and workshops will be tailored to the applicants’ backgrounds and knowledge. Co-founder Grace Clapham says some of the workshops the team is looking at includes idea development, design thinking workshop, finance fundamentals, opportunity analysis, scaling enterprises, setting up businesses, building confidence and an entrepreneurial mindset, cultural awareness, and marketing and branding with a limited budget.

Morning yoga

There is a good mix of work and play, but the main focus is on collaboration and moving the idea, social, or business venture forward. To be honest, I think a good balance of exercise and work allows one to let ideas flow better. Grace tells us:

Most days will start with a surf or yoga session, and then venturers are free to work on their project throughout the day. Venturers will have enough time to focus on making their idea a reality whilst being challenged at the same time through mentors and coaches from a variety of backgrounds and expertise. Workshops, sessions, and talks will be held but most are optional for them to attend – all sessions will help them with fundamental skills, creative thinking and making their ideas happen.

And no, it’s not all play for you. All participants, or venturers as Grace calls them, must partake in activities that are catered for them, and not just attend as and when they wish. Prior to the program, interviews will be conducted to ensure they have the right mindset and goals. “We are working very hard at making sure we have the right group of venturers,” says Grace, which is essential to “create an environment that has a strong community and a great team spirit”.

After the month-long program, venturers will be expected to continue their journey and launch their own projects as the Change Ventur.es team will continually provide the necessary support and help. The mentors and coaches are also willing to extend a helping hand to make projects a success, and also in a hope that program graduates will return to mentor future program participants.

Why the surfer paradise?

Grace excitedly jokes that the main reason for choosing Bali is that she is half Indonesian. But as a matter of fact we do know that there’s a lot happening in Indonesia, and that we all love strolling down the beaches along Seminyak, checking out those bikini babes, and enjoying that ice cold Bintang beer. Yes, the place offers a great lifestyle experience, which Grace believes, with both factors combined, will provide “the type of community experience we want – and Bali is also becoming an innovation hub in its own right”. It’s a short flight away from neighbouring cities such as Singapore, Jakarta, and Hong Kong too.

The price for participating in this month-long program starts from $1,995, depending on the type of accommodation which ranges across dormitory, twin, and queen bedrooms in a Joglo style villa (pictured right). Breakfasts will be provided every morning, and the 25 selected participants can take part in the yoga and surfing lessons should they be interested. There will also be dinner gatherings with invited guest speakers from across the region.

So for the participants, wake me up when September ends, because it sounds like a really fun and exciting program. If you would like to soak up the sun and drink some coconut juice while cracking your brains about a new product, visit the Change Ventur.es website here.

[Image credits: Yoga pose picture from Flickr and Change Ventur.es]