Own the Room

Shopify believes in the transformative power of entrepreneurship. We produced this documentary film “Own the Room” to expand the definition of what it means to be an entrepreneur, and show the diversity of experiences that can be part of that journey. By sharing stories like this, we hope to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs.

Original Documentary

The story of pursuing dreams

From the directors of the Emmy® award-winning documentary “Science Fair”, “Own the Room” follows five students from disparate corners of the planet as they take their big ideas to Macau, China, host of one of the most prestigious entrepreneurship competitions in the world. They’ve each overcome immense obstacles in pursuit of their dreams, from hurricanes to poverty to civil unrest. Their ideas have already changed their own lives, but are they ready to change the world?

Game-changing entrepreneurs

“Own the Room” is the story of young people who take their problem-solving to global levels, competing in the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards with ventures that could change the world.

Daniela Blanco

USA / Venezuela | Sunthetics

Daniela is taking on the chemical industry from her lab at NYU, developing a sustainable competitor in the materials industry.
Jason Hadzikostas

Greece | iCry2Talk

Jason is a marketing machine from Greece, who may have cracked the code of one of parenting’s great mysteries.
Henry Onyango

Kenya | Roometo

Henry is a programming wiz from Nairobi, working to open doors to students throughout Africa.
Santosh Pandey

Nepal | Offering Happiness

Santosh is from a small farming town in Nepal, working to make happiness a shareable commodity.
Alondra Toledo

Puerto Rico | UnderstHand

Alondra works the register at her family’s bakery in Puerto Rico, and develops a way to make medical consultations more accessible.