1. Home
  2. News
  3. Give a Day in Battambang 3: Building Stronger Leaders for a Thriving Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Give a Day in Battambang 3: Building Stronger Leaders for a Thriving Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Cambodia
Growth entrepreneurship
30.07.2025
On July 26, 2025, the third edition of Give a Day in Battambang—and the first for 2025—was organized on the theme “Essential Leadership and Team Management Skills”. Building on the momentum of previous Give a Day events; this session addressed a pressing need identified by Battambang-based entrepreneurs in a recent Social Network Analysis (2024) and a targeted survey conducted in early 2025: the need for stronger leadership and team management capabilities to drive business growth.

Battambang’s entrepreneurial ecosystem continues to demonstrate strong local connections, inclusivity, and a growing culture of mentorship. However, as businesses scale, entrepreneurs face increasing challenges in leading teams effectively and sustaining internal alignment. The third Give a Day event was designed to meet these challenges head-on by equipping participants with practical leadership tools they could immediately apply within their enterprises.

"As a trainer, my perspective is that Battambang's entrepreneurial ecosystem is a vibrant landscape, characterized by its strong local ties and a culture of mentorship. This initiative serves as a vital platform to further strengthen this community. What was particularly inspiring was the active participation from the attendees, who were business owners and managers genuinely invested and willing to improve their enterprises. This "Action Give a Day" has made a significant contribution by delivering targeted training on leadership and team management, a topic that local entrepreneurs themselves identified as a pressing need. By equipping these motivated owners and managers with practical toolkits for proactive leadership, emotional intelligence, and building high-performance teams, the session has directly enhanced their capacity to solve challenges, boost team performance, and drive sustainable business growth."
Mr. Sy Vanna, Senior Manager of Human Resource Development, Cambodia Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC)

Led by Mr. Sy Vanna, a certified trainer in Japanese-style management and business development service (BDS) provider specializing in Human Resource Development and Business Strategy, the event delivered four core sessions: Proactive Leadership and Diagnosing Core Challenges, Leading with Emotional Intelligence, A Toolkit for High-Performance Teams, and Creating Action Plans and Q&A. Mr. Vanna’s extensive experience in leadership development, business transformation, and SME coaching positioned him as an ideal trainer for this highly practical workshop. Participants engaged actively in each session, discussing real-world challenges and applying new frameworks to their team management approaches. 

"Honestly, this session was very hands-on and practical for me. As a business owner, I’ve got to stay on top of staff management and daily operations, and what really stood out was how clearly it broke down team tasks and responsibility. The “Dance Floor vs Balcony” view gave me a fresh way to see things from different angles. Plus, the toolkit for team allocation is so useful. Big thanks to the trainer for such an insightful and well-rounded session and organizing team."
Mrs. Pich Kim Oun, Owner of Sun Shield Khmer Herbal Medicine
"I'm really glad in joining this training! It was both interesting and super beneficial for me as a manager. I bring the key takeaway with a clearer picture of how to actually form and lead a team and know how to achieve goals effectively. The toolkit session was especially helpful. This training fits exactly where I’m at right now in my work, and I’m excited to bring it back to my team."
Mr. Nget Piseth, General Manager of Sepakam Sreymom

In addition to leadership skill-building, the event continued to serve as a networking platform, connecting grassroots ESOs and entrepreneurs. The collaborative spirit of Give a Day was evident throughout the day, with participants exchanging experiences and co-developing solutions to common team-related challenges.

A total of 19 participants attended the third Give a Day in Battambang. Post-event survey results showed high satisfaction, with most rating the session as “Extremely Satisfied” or “Satisfied.” Participants reported strong knowledge gains across all core topics, especially in diagnosing challenges, emotional intelligence, and team toolkits. The “Dance Floor and Balcony” framework emerged as a key takeaway. Attendees valued the networking opportunities and all expressed interest in future sessions.

The Give a Day event is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and Khmer Enterprise and co-implemented by Khmer Enterprise and Swisscontact through the Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei) initiative.

2023 - 2027
Cambodia
Growth entrepreneurship
Enhancing Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and Investments (3Ei)
The overall goal of the 3Ei is for the private sector to actively contribute to Cambodia's socio-economic development and attain the goals of the SDGs. The achievement of this overall goal will be driven by two outcomes. Outcome 1: Enhanced coordination, and collaboration within the entrepreneurial ecosystem; and Outcome 2: Increased business performance and investments in the ecosystem and impact enterprises.
Learn more