Empowering Indonesian entrepreneurs to take action

Editor’s note: This post comes from Yansen Kamto, Chief Executive and Founder of KIBAR, which mentors and nurtures startups through tech incubator programs, and by building innovation hubs. Today, they’re officially joining the Google for Entrepreneurs partner network.

Indonesia is home to 17,504 islands, 1,128 ethnic groups and 746 local languages. Half of our country is under 30 years old. These numbers are impressive, and they capture how we're a nation with big potential. There’s an Indonesian saying that comes to mind, though: Tong kosong nyaring bunyinya. Metaphorically speaking, all talk and no action won’t get us very far.

That’s why I’m so inspired by entrepreneurs like Leonika Sari and Ray Rezky Ananda, who are taking action and making a real difference each day. Leonika is the founder and CEO of Reblood, an app that is saving lives daily by making blood donations in Indonesia easier than ever. Bantuternak founder Ray set up a peer-to-peer lending platform to help local farmers raise cows and increase the quality of cattle. Bantuternak empowers local economic growth by connecting potential investors to farmers and providing training on livestock farming.

I’m especially proud of these inspiring entrepreneurs because they’re graduates of KIBAR’s incubation programs. They show us how technology, business and an entrepreneurial spirit can come together to lift up our society at home, and help support and encourage innovation in other communities around the world.

I started KIBAR in 2011 to help make Indonesia the region’s tech leader, and ultimately, a place where we build meaningful technological solutions for the world. At KIBAR, our goal is to build an end-to-end ecosystem for young Indonesian entrepreneurs, equipping them with the best resources. That’s why I’m so excited we’re joining the global Google for Entrepreneurs partner network today.

KIBAR is the first member from Indonesia joining a worldwide community of more than 50 partners. Through this Google for Entrepreneurs partnership, KIBAR members can now participate in GFE Exchanges, a series of week-long, industry-specific global immersion programs aimed at helping startups gain access to new markets and insights. We’ll also have the opportunity to represent Indonesia at Google Demo Day, an event that brings together a diverse group of startups from around the world to showcase their technology and meet top investors and mentors in Silicon Valley.

We’re thrilled to have Google’s resources and shared expertise for our community. Thanks to this partnership, KIBAR members will have access to resources and workspace from more than 30 spaces worldwide—from Denver to Dubai to Dublin and other cities across North America, Latin America, Africa, Europe, the Middle East and Asia Pacific. They can network more than ever, meeting new people and building their businesses from any one or all of Google’s six Campuses, too. This means we’re one step closer to helping Indonesia’s entrepreneurs quickly scale and succeed at home and in larger international markets.

Yes, we’re a country rich in talent and natural resources, but we’re not yet leading global conversations about some of the most important issues affecting each one of us. These matters include health, agriculture, education, infrastructure and tourism. Indonesia’s entrepreneurs are critical to addressing these issues.