A lot of positive things can be said about the diversity of startups in Georgia and the country’s growing ecosystem, but the number of platforms where one can access professional advice is rather few. One may then inquire as to where entrepreneurs can get the desired information about the necessary steps for personal business planning, obtaining grants, digitization, world trends, challenges, or where they can simply read about success stories in Georgia. The answer to this inquiry does not quite measure up. Perhaps this has become the source of inspiration for companies with high social responsibility, such as the world leader in digital payments Visa and the most influential business publication Forbes Georgia.
2021 ended with yet another successful project developed by these companies that have been cooperating for several years, during which a number of successful projects have been implemented. Among them was Visa’s global initiative to support women entrepreneurs in Georgia titled “She’s Next, Empowered By Visa”. The business project regarding the startup ecosystem, in the format of podcast series, presents yet another successful initiative.
Among the key areas of Visa’s strategy are: introducing and developing innovations, promoting small and medium-sized businesses by offering them a variety of projects, initiatives, innovative technologies or products, both globally and locally. In collaboration with Forbes Georgia, an open discussion platform was created in the format of podcast series, informing the audience about Georgia’s growing innovation potential, current trends in business and startup ecosystems, as well as modern business models for digital payments. For its part, Forbes Georgia consistently informs its audience about the latest trends and innovations in the world.
30-minute audio episodes are available on Forbes Georgia’s digital platforms: SoundCloud, Spotify, YouTube, as well as the official YouTube channel for Visa CISSEE.
Podcasts have been running for eight weeks every Monday since October 11, 2021. The main topic of discussion was Georgia’s innovation ecosystem. More specifically, along with small and medium-sized businesses, representatives of leading banks, industry experts, the Forbes Georgia team, Visa and its partners, topics that were discussed included: business growth opportunities in Georgia through new partnerships and innovative payment technologies, the Age of Fintech Technologies, Innovative Digital Banking Features, Investment Opportunities and Characteristics, Startup Support using acceleration program 500 Georgia as an example, the latest digital innovations and digital GEL development prospects, as well as entrepreneurship bringing social change.
The audio format of the interviews is quite convenient for people in business. It allows for multitasking, ensuring the efficient use of time.
For those who have not been able to follow the podcasts yet, Forbes Georgia compiled the following highlights from the episodes:
Finally, it should be noted that sharing a series of podcasts with the audience is another step forward in raising awareness of the need for business development and innovation in the community. In addition to professional advice, the episodes have also proved to be inspiring, as the now-established and successful businesses can lead by example and help young entrepreneurs navigate. The collection of success stories was imbued with ambition for continuous development. One can be confident in saying that Georgia is a frontrunner in the development of the innovation culture, doubling the sense of pride by being Georgian and, at the same time, a world-class innovator.
