Give a Day

Give a Day is organized monthly meetings to provide a platform for ESOs in the Cambodian entrepreneurial ecosystem to deeply explore critical issues and foster peer-to-peer learning.   

Background

Give a Day was piloted through the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building Project (EEB), a joint venture of Khmer Enterprise, USAID’s WE Act Project through Pact Cambodia, and Swisscontact. It aimed to create a mutual system of support based on the premise that individuals have underutilized skills, experience, and talents, and companies have unmet needs that require external expertise. The initiative demonstrated its success by attracting a growing number of ESOs to attend the monthly meetings, which mainly focused on generic investment issues. However, it became necessary to separate the different groups of ecosystem support organizations (e.g., investors, incubators and accelerators, academia, associations for SGB support, and service providers (e.g., legal, accounting, marketing, etc.) so that they could discuss their specific issues. It was also essential to connect the regional ecosystem to the Phnom Penh ecosystem.

Therefore, under 3EI, Give a Day was incorporated to expand its reach and organize monthly events not only in Phnom Penh but also at the provincial level.  

Objectives of Give a Day

  • Empowering Systematic Examination: Give a Day is committed to providing a dedicated space for key stakeholders in the entrepreneurial ecosystem to systematically examine critical issues. By encouraging constructive dialogue and informed discussions, we aim to identify the most pressing challenges and co-create effective solutions that will fuel entrepreneurial growth and sustainability.
  • Cultivating Trust and Understanding: We believe that trust is the foundation of successful collaborations. Give a Day aims to foster connections and build trust among Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs). By improving their understanding of each other's work and differentiating their programs, ESOs can better leverage each other's strengths, creating a synergistic impact on the entrepreneurial landscape.
  • Facilitating Demand-Driven Collaborations: Give a Day endeavors to be a facilitator of demand-driven discussions, presentations, and collaborations. We organize peer exchange workshops, where ESOs can exchange knowledge, share experiences, and collectively address challenges faced by entrepreneurs. By nurturing a collaborative environment, we empower stakeholders to work together in addressing the needs of the entrepreneurial community.
  • Enabling Knowledge Sharing: At Give a Day, we recognize that expertise is a valuable asset that can transform organizations and services. We facilitate the sharing of expertise among ESOs, enabling them to gain valuable knowledge and insights. This collaborative learning approach leads to continuous improvement, ultimately benefiting the entrepreneurs they serve.

Vision

The vision is to be the driving force behind a dynamic and interconnected entrepreneurial ecosystem, where key stakeholders come together to address critical challenges, forge strong connections, and collaborate seamlessly. We strive to create a nurturing environment that fosters trust, knowledge-sharing, and meaningful relationships, ultimately leading to enhanced services for entrepreneurs, empowering them to thrive and innovate.

GIVE A DAY in the making

2019
Connecting the Phnom Penh entrepreneurial ecosystem study conducted
Connecting the Phnom Penh entrepreneurial ecosystem study was conducted by the Credit Suisse – Swisscontact (CSSC) Initiative. This study, funded by the Credit Suisse Financial Inclusion Initiative (FII) and implemented by Swisscontact in collaboration with Impact Hub Phnom Penh, aimed to assess the connectivity among players within the entrepreneurial network in Cambodia's capital city. The concept of Give A Day emerged from the entrepreneurial community as part of this Social Network Analysis study conducted in 2019. The Connecting the Phnom Penh entrepreneurial ecosystem study was published in 2021.
2021
Give a Day piloted
The ‘Give a Day’ initiative was introduced through a pilot program implemented with EuroCham in October to December 2021 and supported by Khmer Enterprise, Credit Suisse and  Swissscontact (CSSC) Initiative.
2022
Give A Day integrated under the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building (EEB)
Through the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building (EEB) initiative, the Give a Day events emerged as a valuable brand for the entrepreneurial ecosystem members. Under EEB, 10 Give a Day events were organized and conducted, covering topics including investment readiness, ESO’s program mapping, funding mapping, business models, collaborative approach, digital economy, human-centered design, and lastly innovative financial modeling. 34 ESO issues were identified in three areas a) mobilizing investments, b) entrepreneurship support, and c) trade and market. Based on the survey results, 85% of participants felt Give A Day was valuable to them, and 100% mentioned that Give a Day created an opportunity to meet new organizations and exchange information, and learn about others' work. Lastly, the events in 2022 also provided the basis for Give a Day to continue in 2023, including the piloting of Give a Day in one province outside Phnom Penh.
2023
Give a Day integrated into the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) Initiative
To continue the legacy of Give A Day events, the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) initiative integrated Give A Day to continue its positive contributions to the entrepreneurial community and to further expand Give a Day events outside of Phnom Penh. Under 3Ei, 4 Give a Days were organized in Phnom Penh and 1 in Siem Reap. 201 people representing 83 organizations were engaged through the five Give a Days.

Events and Articles

GIVE A DAY PHNOM PENH

Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
19.09.2024
Give a Day 24: Cambodia's Impact Investing Ecosystem in Focus
On September 18th, 2024, the 24th Give a Day event focused on "Thriving Cambodia’s Impact Investing Ecosystem." Co-hosted by the Cambodia National Advisory Board for Impact (Cambodia-NAB) under the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, the event aimed to catalyze investments and entrepreneurship for the benefit of people and the planet. 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
02.07.2024
Give a Day 23: Cambodia’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Roadmap Consultation Workshop
The 23rd edition of Give a Day, held on June 25th, 2024, focused on the “Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Roadmap Consultation Workshop,” marking a significant step in strengthening Cambodia’s entrepreneurial landscape. The event gathered key stakeholders to discuss preliminary findings of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Roadmap and to collect feedback to refine and validate the roadmap.
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
10.06.2024
Give a Day 22: Nurturing Diversity in Cambodia’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem
Phnom Penh - On May 29, 2024, the 22nd “Give a Day” event was held at the Khmer Enterprise Office, aiming to foster diversity within Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. This event has become an integral part of Cambodia’s entrepreneurial community, providing valuable insights and fostering connections among Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs).
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
11.03.2024
Give a Day 21: Unveiling the Key Findings on Gender Lens Investing Landscape Study in Cambodia
Phnom Penh, March 6th, 2024, the 21st  edition of Give a Day was successfully organized by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact in collaboration with the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF) to share the key findings of the Cambodia Gender Lens Investing (GLI) Landscape Study conducted in 2023 and published in 2024. This workshop served as a crucial event for advancing gender equality and sustainable development through inclusive investment practices in Cambodia. 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
05.02.2024
Give a Day 20: Paving the Way for Impactful Entrepreneurship in Cambodia 
The 20th edition of Give a Day unfolded on February 1st, 2024, under the topic “Navigating Impact Management and Transparency to Achieve the SDGs: Learning from Global Markets." co-hosted by Khmer Enterprise, Swisscontact and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment (GSG). 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
20.11.2023
19th Give A Day Event Caps Off 2023 with Insights and Appreciation 
On November 1, 2023, the Cambodian entrepreneurial community convened at the Khmer Enterprise Office for the culminating event of the 2023 Give A Day series, the 19th Give A Day. This event, which marked the conclusion of the year's program, served as a platform for retrospection and constructive discourse. The event was attended by 43 participants. 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
01.11.2023
Give a Day 18: Strengthening the ESO Ecosystem and E-friend’s Networking in Siem Reap
The 18th edition of Give a Day took place on October 21st, 2023, in partnership with Enterprise Vision Academy (EV), with a focus on the theme " Give a Day & E-friends’ Network." The event was attended by 70 participants.  
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
09.10.2023
Exploring Growth with Give A Day 17: Cambodia's Dynamic Business Stories 
On the 5th of October 2023, another exciting chapter in Cambodia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem unfolded at the Khmer Enterprise Office with the 17th Give A Day event. Hosted by ADB Frontier, this event zeroed in on the captivating theme, "Growth Lessons from Cambodia's Most Dynamic Companies." 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
15.09.2023
Unlocking Business Innovation: Success Stories from Resilient Entrepreneurs 
The 16th edition of Give a Day took place on September 9th, 2023, with a focus on the theme "Unlocking Business Innovation: Success Stories from Resilient Entrepreneurs." The event was attended by 42 participants. 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
26.06.2023
Give a Day 15: Driving Growth and Collaboration, Give a Day Expands to Siem Reap Province to Empower the Entrepreneurial Community Beyond Phnom Penh 
Give a Day, the key entrepreneurial ecosystem community networking event in Cambodia, is expanding to Siem Reap. The kickoff event took place on June 15th, marking the beginning of an exciting new chapter for Give a Day.  
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
09.06.2023
Driving Change: Empowering Women Entrepreneurs in Cambodia through the 14th Give a Day Event 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
02.05.2023
Give a Day 13“Exploring Growth and Expansion Opportunities for Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs)”
The third Give a Day of 2023, and the 13th edition in the series was successfully organized by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact on 28th April 2023, on the topic “Exploring Growth and Expansion Opportunities for Enterprise Support Organizations (ESOs)”. 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
29.03.2023
Give a Day 12: Challenges and Opportunities of Investing in Cambodian Startups
The second Give a Day of 2023, and the 12th one in the series was successfully organized by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact on 17th March 2023. The topic for the 12th Give A Day was Challenges and Opportunities of Investing in Cambodian Startups.   
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
01.03.2023
Give a Day 11: Credit Guarantee Schemes & Its role in Enterprise Development
The first Give a Day of 2023, and the eleventh one in the series was successfully organized by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact.
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
29.11.2022
Give a Day 10: Appreciation Gathering Event, Discuss the Way Forward 2023
 The last Give a Day for 2022,  the 10 edition was organized as a “Appreciation Gathering Event: Discuss the Way Forward 2023”, to thank each the entrepreneurial support organizations (ESOs) community for giving your day to systematically dive deep into key issues of what is working and what is not and how to address those challenges to improve the ecosystem for all actors.
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
27.10.2022
Give a Day 9: Innovative financing models supporting Cambodian entrepreneurs
The ninth edition of Give a Day has featured several of Cambodia’s leading startup financers to discuss innovative financing models in supporting Cambodia’s entrepreneurs as well as a flagship presentation on the current ecosystem.
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
10.10.2022
Give a Day 8: Human-Centered Design for Entrepreneurs, Intrapreneurs, and ESOs
On 30th September, we organized the 8th “Give a Day” monthly meeting which is an initiative within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building Project (EEB).
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
19.08.2022
Give a Day 7: Cambodia Digital Economy and FinTech Development Landscape and Policy
On 19 August, Khmer Enterprise, WE Act via Pac and Swisscontact organized the 7th “Give a Day” monthly meeting which is an initiative within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building (EEB) Project. The meeting was attended 63 participants representing investors, start-ups, entrepreneurial support organizations, government among others.
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
22.07.2022
Give a Day 6: Leveraging Collaborative Approach to Support Entrepreneurs in Accessing Investment
On 22 July, Khmer Enterprise, WE Act via Pac and Swisscontact organized the 6th “Give a Day” monthly meeting which is an initiative within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building (EEB) Project. The meeting was attended by The meeting was attended 44 participants representing investors, entrepreneurial support organizations, government among others. 
 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
17.06.2022
Give a Day 5: Identifying Startup Type, Optimal Business Models and Startups that are Funding Grade
On 17 June, Khmer Enterprise, WE Act via Pac and Swisscontact organized the 5th “Give a Day” monthly meeting which is an initiative within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building (EEB) Project. The meeting was attended by 38 participants representing investors, start-ups, support organizations, Government among others. 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
18.05.2022
Give a Day 4: Investment and Funding Landscape Mapping
On May 18th, 2022, Khmer Enterprise, WE Act Cambodia and Swisscontact organized the 4th edition of “Give a Day” monthly meeting. Give a Day is an initiative within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building (EEB) Project. The meeting was attended by 56 participants representing investors, entrepreneurial support organizations, representatives from the Government among others. 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
22.04.2022
Give a Day 3: ESOs Program Mapping
On April 22nd, 2022, Khmer Enterprise, WE Act Cambodia and Swisscontact organized the “Give a Day” monthly meeting which is an initiative within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building (EEB) Project. The discussions centered around the “ESOs Program Mapping”. The meeting was attended by 47 participants representing investors, start-ups, support organizations, Government among others. There was a lively discussion on what works and what does not in the program design to support start-ups. The participants also provided guidance on what is needed to nurture and successfully raise entrepreneurs.
The topic was delivered by Ms. Cheryl Ng, Startup Ecosystem Consultant, UNDP Cambodia
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
18.03.2022
Give a Day 2: Investment Readiness
On March 18th, 2022, Khmer Enterprise, WE Act Cambodia and Swisscontact organized “Give a Day” monthly meeting which is an initiative within the Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Building Project (EEB). 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
18.02.2022
Give a Day 1: Kick-off Meeting
On February 18th, 2022, Khmer Enterprise, WE Act Cambodia and Swisscontact organized “Give a Day” kick-off meeting of the entrepreneurship ecosystem building project. The project aims to promote collaboration and deepening trust-based relationships among Entrepreneurial Support Organizations (ESOs). The Give a Day event created an opportunity for a diverse collection of stakeholders from across ESOs to learn more about each other’s work and foster meaningful and long-standing peer learning and collaboration among the system’s actors.

GIVE A DAY SIEM REAP

Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
11.07.2024
Give a Day Siem Reap 2: Calls for Collaborations for Entrepreneurial Solutions Co-organized with YEAC SR
On June 28th, 2024, the second Give a Day event in Siem Reap was co-organized by Give a Day and the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia Siem Reap Chapter (YEAC SR). Held under the theme "Common Challenge, Collaborating Solution," the event aimed to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by fostering collaboration and support among Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs). 
Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
06.06.2024
Give a Day Siem Reap 1: Deep Dive Talks to Strengthen Collaboration in Siem Reap’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Co-organized with YEAC SR
Siem Reap, The Give a Day event, held on May 24th, 2024, in collaboration with the Young Entrepreneurs Association of Cambodia (YEAC), gathered key stakeholders to share insights and enhance collaboration within Siem Reap's entrepreneurial ecosystem. The event aimed to deepen understanding and support for entrepreneurial programs in Siem Reap by sharing challenges, identifying solutions, and discussing implementation strategies.

GIVE A DAY BATTAMBANG

Cambodia
Entrepreneurial ecosystems
10.07.2024
Give a Day Battambang 1: The Inaugural Give a Day in Battambang Co-organized with Phum Impact in Strengthening Inclusive Entrepreneurial Ecosystem.
The inaugural Give a Day event in Battambang was successfully held on June 27, 2024, marking a significant milestone in Cambodia's entrepreneurial landscape. Co-organized by Give a Day and Phum Impact Battambang, the event aimed to foster collaboration, address common challenges, and cultivate a supportive ecosystem for entrepreneurs in the provinces.