STARTUP RUNWAY
TIMELINE
Sep 21' - Sep 23'
MY ROLE
Events Coordinator (2021):
Handled operational logistics and booth layouts. I managed direct communications with founders and ran targeted marketing campaigns across campus to maximise foot traffic and public engagement.
President (2022 – 2023):
Oversaw the teams for over 40 startups,
and negotiated key ecosystem partnerships to link our founders directly with resources at Cyberport and HKSTP.
PROJECT OVERVIEW
Over a multi-year tenure, I directed the HKUST Startup Runway, an high-impact exhibition serving as the premier launchpad and investor pitch arena for the university's startup community.
My goal was to grow the event's campus presence and turn it into a high-stakes hub for real-world validation. I oversaw three flagship showcases, managing end-to-end logistics for more than 60 participating startup teams.
By introducing structured investor networking and public product testing, the event scaled dramatically in 3 years, ultimately attracting over 9,000 attendees, including students, investors, and founders.
THE PROBLEM
Early-stage founders struggle to find a high-footfall platform to test their products with real users and get direct face time investors, which stalls their early growth and funding potential.
THE SOLUTION
The solution involved building a scalable, multi-day exhibition framework that connected over 60 university startups with major incubation networks, driving heavy public engagement and structured investor pitching to accelerate founder growth.
EVENT PHOTOS
