The final mentoring session of the "Business and Management" educational and practical program took place in Bucha. For two months, students from Kyiv and the region worked on their own business projects, learning to calculate costs, analyze audiences, and present their ideas to experts.
From online lectures to original business ideas
The program involved 50 teenagers aged 13 and older. Most are schoolchildren from Bucha, Irpin, and Hostomel, with others from Kyiv. The project is implemented by the NGO "Talanovytyi" (Talented), which focuses on career guidance and educational initiatives for teenagers.
The final offline session was held on April 25 at the Bucha Forest Classroom space in the "Olivtsi" (Pencils) Park. It was here that the teams finalized their preparations for the final pitching: structuring presentations, assigning roles, practicing speeches, and finalizing their business models.
"Children are already thinking in terms of real business"
According to Maryna Tokareva, a mentor for the "Diia.Business" accelerators who worked with the participants from the start of the project, the teenagers went from initial abstract ideas to a fully practical understanding of how business works in just 7 weeks.
"At the final mentoring session, it was already clear how deeply the children had immersed themselves in their projects. They spoke freely about target audiences, cost price, margins, and financial planning. The teams independently distributed roles and began thinking in terms of real entrepreneurship," says Maryna Tokareva.
When expenses exceed income
One of the key stages of the work was creating financial models. During the calculations, participants saw that planned expenses often exceeded expected income. Consequently, teams revised budgets, optimized costs, and looked for new ways to monetize.
"For many, this was the first experience where they had to actually calculate the viability of an idea, rather than just coming up with an interesting project," the program mentors commented.
Teamwork, positioning, and public speaking
The program's training combined online and offline formats. Participants completed thematic modules via a chatbot with video lectures from entrepreneurs, managers, and industry experts, while during in-person meetings, they worked with experienced mentors on their own cases within teams.
Topics included financial planning, marketing, team building, positioning, product presentation, and management basics. Simultaneously, the teenagers created project passports, analyzed potential audiences, and prepared presentations for the final defense.
Career guidance through real-world tasks
The authors and organizers of the program say the main idea of the project is to allow teenagers to try themselves in different roles before choosing a future profession. In the process of working, the children learned to negotiate, take responsibility for their part of the project, communicate within a team, and justify their decisions. They began to better understand their strengths and which roles they feel most comfortable in—leader, analyst, or communicator.
Final pitching coming soon
The final mentoring session was also attended by representatives of the community and the public sector, including Daryna Shchypakina, head of the Youth and Sports Department of the Bucha City Council, and representatives of the NGO "Zelena Bucha" (Green Bucha)—Board Chair Taisiia Masina and organization members Oksana Slupska and Olena Konstrova.
"The hackathon in Bucha left a very positive impression. It is especially valuable to see projects related to ecology and the environment among the participants' ideas. This shows that the younger generation already wants to influence the environment in which they live," shared Taisiia Masina.
Ahead of the teenagers is the final pitching, where they will present their projects to a jury. The program mentors note that during the training, participants gained experience as close as possible to real business processes—with teamwork, financial planning, and the defense of their own ideas.