Secrets, Curiosities and Tips and Tricks of the Tahona Society Competition 2023 Winners

Find out why Green Apple Project’s Jenny and Jeffrey participated in the Tahona Society Competition 2023, what they learned from their coaches, the advice they give to future participants and more.

How did you find out about the competition?

Green Apple Project: Jeffrey heard about the competition through the local Pernod Ricard Team and thought it might be a good fit for the Green Apple Project.

Why did you decide to participate?

GAP: We have always wanted to set up a recycling center close to the city center, so the possibility of winning this amount of funding would help us do that. Also, we had heard about the Tahona Society and knew of their social impact support, so we were keen to win and partner with them.

What did you have to do to get your project ready for the competition?

GAP: The application process really helped us to structure our thoughts and start putting our business plan to paper. When we were announced as finalists, we took part in the coaching workshops, and these were invaluable in helping us to evaluate and test the model we’d been thinking about. And then we worked very hard preparing everything for the pitch. It was a lot of work, but it was absolutely worth it, and we feel more capable and confident about taking on this project, especially with the additional preparation and support in place.

Who were your coaches and what was the mentoring process like? What did you learn from them?

GAP: Our coaches were Valerie Kramis, Megs Miller and Luis Espino, and they are all amazing, smart humans with a lot of talent and heart! Their feedback was always constructive and supportive and we respect them all so much. They each know how to ask great questions to get you thinking through your project, and they push just enough to help you improve week by week. We would love to work with all of them again!

What lessons did you take away from the competition?

GAP: From Luis Espino we learned to be shamelessly proud of our idea!

We loved meeting all the other finalists, and it was really refreshing how supportive and collaborative it was, despite competing with each other. That’s what sets the Tahona Society Competition apart from other industry competitions we’ve taken part in.

How do you inspire other projects to participate in this competition?

What advice would you give to those who want to participate in the next edition?

GAP: 

1. To have a business idea and be prepared to test and evaluate that idea from all angles – financial, social impact, resources, location, promotion, viability, brand values etc. If you’re prepared for this, your idea will improve during the coaching period.

2. Have time available to work on the project idea and the pitch. For the final weeks before the competition, we dedicated A LOT of time – and it was so worth it!

3. Enjoy it! You’re going to meet amazing people from around the world if you become a finalist, and you will have an unforgettable week. Even if you don’t win the main prize, there are opportunities that will come your way, and you will definitely learn a lot and come away with new friends!

What is the next step after winning?

GAP: For Green Apple, we are now fundraising for the remainder of the finances  necessary to realize the project, and getting down to the really hard work of launching our idea. We are bringing new people into the team, evaluating locations and machinery, talking to partners and potential clients – and starting the new coaching phase. It’s also a great boost for our profile – we’ve already had press interest, potential client interest, and inquiries from more places around the world wanting to learn from our project. 

Just last week, we spoke to people from South America and Indonesia, wanting to learn from us. It’s great to have the support of the Tahona Society team in that sense, and of course, we will also have a celebration in the city in a couple of weeks: Naturally, Allllltos will be served!