UBS Optimus Foundation Hong Kong has launched a joint partnership with non-profit social enterprise Project Melo. 

As its seed funder, the partnership involves a competition aimed at tackling the some of the most pressing environmental issues facing Hong Kong, Greater China and the wider region, as well as educational challenges for young people.  

Small teams of young people will work directly with company CEOs and climate experts to come up with new solutions.  

Their concepts will be presented in front of a live audience at the two-day impact summit on 21 – 22 June 2024, the ‘Melofest’. The winning team will recieve seed funding to make their proposed solution come to life. 

‘The UBS x Melo Social Challenge represents a shared commitment to nurturing responsible, empathetic leaders capable of addressing the complex challenges of our time. Through this partnership, we hope to make a lasting difference in the lives of Hong Kong’s young generation and the broader society,’ Maggie Luk, CEO at Project Melo said. 

UBS Optimus Foundation, an arm of UBS bank, agreed to be an anchor investor in the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) Outcomes initiative back in August as part of a ‘blended finance’ initiative.  

Shafi Musaddique is the news editor at Alliance Magazine.