Want to get a better understanding of what to expect for your Sandbox journey? Have questions that you want to ask? Would like to meet some of your like-minded peers and connect to share ideas, thoughts and dreams? Join us at the Pre-Launch Briefing session, specially organised just for you! Mode: Online on Zoom - link has been sent via email

Aaaand we're off! We'll open the session with a welcome by Melissa Kwee, CEO of NVPC, followed by a thoughtful icebreaker session and a quick recap on the Groundup Sandbox journey. Then we'll jump in to the Human Library session, where you'll get to speak with 3 groundup founders, hear from their experiences running their own initiatives and ask them anything you want! Remember to indicate your preferred choices of Human Library Books so that we can allocate them accordingly! And to end off, we'll close with a reflection activity to the future you. Programme for the day: Registration & Networking (9am) Opening & Welcome Icebreaker Briefing on the Groundup Sandbox journey Human Library (please select your Human Library Books here) Round 1 10 min break Round 2 Round 3 Closing activity End (12.30pm) Mode: In-person Location: National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre

How well do you know your users, and the problems they encounter? Have you put a human face to your 'beneficiaries'/ target audience? Or thoroughly validated your assumptions? Before we jump headlong into 'solution-ing', it's important to test our understanding of the key issues at stake, to ensure we don't do more harm than good. Whether you're just starting out, or midway through a solution, come with an open mind as we apply Human-Centred Design principles. We will peer deeper into users, their motivations, the worlds they inhabit, fears, hopes and needs, and launch into a brief time of rapid ideation to get you started. Key Takeaways: Suspend all current assumptions, start with a blank slate & open curiosity Explore the world of your "beneficiaries"/ "users"/ "customers" by better understanding the Problems they face, Pain Points, Frustrations & Challenges of current solutions Do a visual mapping using a selection of tools: Empathy Maps/ User Personas, Value Proposition Canvas, Jobs to be Done Time permitting, to come up with an initial list of user interview questions Create a clarified "How Might We" (HMW) statement, and launch into a time of rapid ideation End the session with 1-2 prioritised solutions to test and develop further Mode: In-person Location: National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre Bring along: Zoom-enabled device (for the Meet the Mentors segment happening immediately after this) Earphones

Right after you're done with the Community Needs Analysis Workshop and have gotten a clearer picture of identifying the real needs, you'll be Zoom-ed off to meet your potential mentors! We've helped to narrow down your potential mentors based on your initiative and the interest areas of the mentors, and you'll be informed beforehand on who you'll be meeting. Finding the right mentor-mentee fit is a two-way street, so remember to take a look at the mentors' profiles, have a think about what you'd like to share with them, and the questions you'd like to ask. After the video calls you'll indicate your preference of mentors. The mentors will indicate their preferences too, and from there the pairings will be done and you'll be informed of your mentor by 18th Jan 2021. Mode: Online on Zoom - link will be sent via email Location: We'll allocate spaces within the NVPC office for you to have your video calls with your potential mentors - Wifi and snacks provided! Bring along: Zoom-enabled device Earphones

Take the initiative and schedule your first session with your mentor! Feel free to chat over coffee, on Zoom, or whatever works for both sides. If you would like to meet in-person and require a meeting room, let the NVPC team know and we'd be happy to make the necessary arrangements for a space :)

After better understanding your target users, ideating and coming up with your initial solution in the previous workshop, it is now time to put your solutions to the test. The 3 hours will fly by in a flash, as you get your hands working on storyboards, wireframes and paper prototypes, so you can test out some of your solution features and get concrete feedback. Your peers in the session will act as your initial test objects, but the true 'test' will ultimately take place outside of the workshop, in the real world! Key Takeaways: Be exposed to user testing & prototyping methods (e.g. low vs high-fidelity prototyping, storyboarding, sketches, paper interfaces, wire frames, app mock-ups etc) Learn interviewing & observation best practices, to optimise user feedback Create your team's rough prototype, prep for testing Conduct raw testing in-session, with other teams role-playing as your customer; gain feedback & simulate user testing for the real world Mode: In-person Location: National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre Bring along: Any necessary stationery and props (eg. cardboard, boxes, bottles, scissors, glue, magazines/newspapers, craft material, and your favourite markers/sharpies, pens and highlighters as you fancy to jazz up your prototypes!) Water bottle

As we push towards demo day, expect a fast-paced, experiential workshop targeted at helping you pitch your revolutionary ideas for change. Come learn the golden standard of pitching best practices, as used by the most successful startup founders and social entrepreneurs to fundraise and gain buy-in. You will walk away with elevator pitches, ready to be adapted to your specific audience and context. Learn how to stand out by infusing your pitch for good with engaging personal/user stories. Participants will: Be equipped with the SUTW Pitch Narrative Arc, as applied by award-winning startups worldwide for their Demo Day pitches See how these best practices come alive, as they are applied to your own pitches in bite-sized practice segments Weave in compelling stories and sensory approaches to evoke interest and resonance with the "problem", and the need for a better solution Craft crisp and targeted elevator pitches, and try it out on one another for effect Receive live critique and helpful feedback from your trainer and peers Get started on an initial version of your pitch deck; pitch deck templates will be provided by the trainer in-session Mode: In-person Location: National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre Bring along: Your laptop, fully charged All of your working materials, templates and notes from the previous sessions Any props that you think might spice up the storytelling element of your pitches, or your prototypes to illustrate your "Solution" and how it works Water bottle *This session is a pre-requisite for the 1-to-1 pitch coaching sessions.

Take the initiative and schedule your second session with your mentor! Feel free to chat over coffee, on Zoom, or whatever works for both sides. If you would like to meet in-person and require a meeting room, let the NVPC team know and we'd be happy to make the necessary arrangements for a space :)

Set aside dedicated time with your trainer, Ruo-Mei, and work on delivering that smooth, silky pitch for Demo Day! In this 1.5 hour session, you will refine how you communicate your vision and ideas across for greatest impact, in an entire session tailored just for you. Indicate your interest by 20th Feb, and we'll follow up to let you know if you've secured a slot!

Tadaaaa! We’ve come to the closing of Groundup Sandbox programme, but we promise it’s not a goodbye 😊 We'll open the session with a flashback playthrough of your Sandbox journey, before commencing on the pitching segment. Don’t forget to send in your pitch deck by 8th March for our first review! And to end off, we'll close with a celebration over great food! Programme for the day: Registration (8.45am) Opening (Flashback playthrough) Pitching Segment Celebration! End (1.00pm) Pitch Format: 4 mins pitch + 3 mins Q&A + community feedback Mode: In-person Location: National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre

It sure isn't easy navigating the world of groundups, with administrative questions like whether to register your initiative, funding processes, options and the works. Schedule a session with the NVPC team to help guide you through these thoughts, so that you can keep the precious time with your mentors focused on your idea and the execution and strategy of it! Of course, the NVPC team is also here as a bouncing board, so if you'd like a friendly face to speak to, just reach out anytime :)

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Fret not! Get in touch with us and let's chat :)