Overview:
Palauan students gained hands-on experience in entrepreneurship, marketing, taxation and AI during the 2026 Palau Development Symposium, capped by a Shark Tank-style business pitch competition in Koror.
Students pitched startup ideas after hands-on training in finance, marketing, taxation and AI tools during a youth-focused symposium in Koror.
By: Laurel Marewibuel
KOROR, Palau — “Students were open-minded to learning different solutions and ways to develop a business and how to keep your business running and stable,” an event organizer said following the 2026 Palau Development Symposium on May 25, where students received hands-on training in entrepreneurship and business development.
The symposium, hosted by the Office of the President in partnership with the Asian Development Bank, brought together students from Palau High School and Belau Modekngei School for a day of practical learning and business pitching exercises.
Students from Palau High School’s Business Academy, Agriculture and Liberal Arts programs rotated through eight interactive stations during the morning session. Each group spent about 15 minutes at every station learning key aspects of starting and operating a business.
The stations covered business idea development with the Palau Chamber of Commerce, business plan drafting through the Small Business Development Center, and opening bank accounts with Bank of Guam.
Additional sessions focused on tax filing, compliance and business licensing with the Bureau of Revenue and Taxation; marketing and social media with the Palau Visitors Authority; environmental responsibility with the Division of Forest, Land and Water Management; accounting recordkeeping with the Office of the Public Auditor; and the use of AI tools in small business with TMC Palau.
Student organizer Destiny Etpison said the symposium gave participants a deeper understanding of the work involved in operating businesses and organizations.
“What I have learned is what they do behind all the fun and things we see with regular eyes,” Etpison said. “Behind work ethics, it’s actually very complex, and what I have learned is that it’s not always easy.”
Etpison also said students learned about plants and their practical uses through the agriculture-related sessions.
Following the morning workshops, students participated in a “Shark Tank”-style pitch competition, presenting business ideas before a panel of judges.
Organizers said the symposium was designed to equip young Palauans with practical business skills ranging from business planning and accounting to marketing, environmental awareness and the use of AI tools to support small business development in Palau.