110 registrations, ten business pitches and a powerful message: Entrepreneurship begins with the courage to take the first step.
Media Release
Bengaluru, Nov 4: What happens when young minds, successful entrepreneurs, experienced mentors and a room full of ideas come together? At KE VisionX Bengaluru 2026, the answer was an inspiring exchange of ideas, bold thinking and a glimpse into the possibilities of entrepreneurship.
Organised by Kanara Entrepreneurs (KE) at Paalanaa Bhavana, Bengaluru, on November 1, VisionX attracted 110 registrations and brought its theme, ‘DREAM. DARE. BUILD.’ to life through entrepreneurial conversations, interactive learning and a high-energy business idea challenge.
VisionX is a key initiative supporting KE's ambitious mission of nurturing 500 entrepreneurs by 2035. Launched in Bengaluru in 2025, it seeks to spark entrepreneurial curiosity among young people and encourage them to see opportunities where others see obstacles.
The programme commenced with a prayer led by Cdr Lawrence D'Cunha, setting a thoughtful and purposeful tone for the day.
Dream Big. Dare to Begin.
“Entrepreneurship is a gamble.” With this provocative opening, keynote speaker Rohit Fernandes of Shippr and Brands of Bharat challenged participants to look beyond the glamour of entrepreneurship and understand what it truly demands.
Through insights on belief, passion, perseverance, self-awareness and the courage to question assumptions, Rohit encouraged participants to embrace uncertainty and recognise that every entrepreneurial journey begins with conviction.
Taking the conversation forward, Vinod Goveas, founder of Pinnacle Career Partners, challenged popular myths about entrepreneurship. Through engaging activities and practical examples, he demonstrated that starting a business does not always require enormous capital, an extraordinary invention or even leaving one's current job. Sometimes, it begins with identifying an everyday problem and finding a customer willing to pay for a solution.
The entrepreneurial conversation gained further depth through a lively panel discussion featuring Shona Prabhu (Nutrifymydiet), Preine Pereira (Palasa) and Denzil Lewis (Bhasha.io). Moderated by Sanjeena Menezes, who also anchored the event, the discussion brought real founder experiences into the room, exploring opportunities, challenges, difficult decisions and the realities of building a business.
Ten Teams. Ten Ideas. One Entrepreneurial Challenge.
The real excitement unfolded during the Idea-to-Action Workshop, where participants moved from listening to entrepreneurs to thinking and acting like entrepreneurs themselves.
Facilitated by Alan Williams and Alan Aranha, the workshop combined energetic co-facilitation with an innovative use of artificial intelligence, demonstrating how technology can support entrepreneurial thinking and collaborative problem-solving.
Working in ten teams, participants had to identify a customer problem, develop a solution, work out how the business could earn revenue and prepare a compelling pitch.
Naveen D’Souza, Sunil Attavar, Ravi Dasgupta, Roshan Sequeira, Vijay Lobo, Zaveena Lobo, Laveena D’Souza, Reshma Saldanha, Dr Bryan Menezes, Victor Edward D’Souza, Vinod Goveas, Eugene Mathias and Cdr Lawrence D’Cunha stepped in as mentors, challenging assumptions, asking tough questions and helping teams transform initial thoughts into sharper business propositions.
The result was ten business pitches, each reflecting the creativity, teamwork and entrepreneurial spirit of the participants. Presentations included ideas on Women Safety, hobby clubs, sustainability and more.
The ideas were evaluated by Shona Prabhu, Preine Pereira and Denzil Lewis, on criteria’s covering Problem & Customer Clarity, Solution & Differentiation, Business Model & Revenue, and Risk Awareness & Conviction.
Team Pawclub emerged as the winner, with Ecosphere securing second place.
Pawclub: An exclusive luxury pet club offering grooming, wellbeing and community services for pet parents to have a smooth and hassle free experience.
Ecosphere: A collective initiative to promote responsible waste management, encourage waste segregation and recycling, and build a cleaner, greener, and more sustainable community.
For participants, the workshop offered something valuable: the experience of taking an idea from a conversation to a business pitch, with guidance and feedback from experienced entrepreneurs.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Ajay M Noronha, who expressed gratitude to the director and staff at Paalanaa Bhavana, speakers, mentors, participants, organising team and KE members for their contributions to the success of VisionX 2026.
The Real Impact? What Happens After VisionX.
The strongest endorsement of VisionX came from the participants themselves.
In the live Mentimeter feedback, words such as ‘amazing’, ‘insightful’, ‘great’ and ‘awesome’ dominated the responses. Networking and meeting new people emerged as the most valued experience, closely followed by the Idea-to-Action Workshop.
More significantly, participants rated their likelihood of exploring entrepreneurship after VisionX at an average of 4.2 out of 5.
When asked what they would do in the next 30 days, participants spoke about researching opportunities, talking to potential customers, building business plans, finding collaborators and taking the first steps towards launching their ventures.
Their interest extended beyond the event. As many as 29 respondents wanted to remain connected while exploring entrepreneurship, 20 wanted to find like-minded collaborators, and 15 wanted further opportunities to learn directly from founders.
These responses highlighted a powerful outcome: VisionX had sparked curiosity and created an appetite for continued entrepreneurial engagement.
For those ready to explore further, KE's ACE entrepreneurship programme, introduced by Rohit Fernandes and elaborated upon by Sanjeena Menezes, offered a pathway to continue the journey.
Powered by a Community That Believes in Entrepreneurship
Behind VisionX was a dedicated team united by KE's mission.
Evonne Gomes and Denzil Lewis drove the creative communication and social media visibility. Ajay M Noronha and Victor Edward D'Souza led outreach to FKCA associations, with Victor also promoting KE at Kalanjali. Sanjeena Menezes and Comd. Lawrence D'Cunha connected with parishes and youth groups, while Silvester Souza ensured participant outreach and communication.
Jyoti Menezes, together with the VisionX Core Team and the support of KE members, coordinated the initiative. The contributions of the speakers, judges, workshop facilitators, mentors and volunteers were instrumental in bringing the experience together.
The Vision Goes Beyond Bengaluru
VisionX Bengaluru 2026 reinforced a simple belief: entrepreneurial potential exists in every community. Sometimes, all it needs is exposure, encouragement and an opportunity to take the first step.
As Kanara Entrepreneurs works towards nurturing 500 entrepreneurs by 2035, VisionX offers a platform to ignite that potential, connect aspiring entrepreneurs with experienced founders and encourage ideas to take shape.
Bengaluru has demonstrated what is possible when a community comes together to inspire its next generation.
The next big idea could be waiting in another city. The next entrepreneur could be someone who has never considered starting a business. And the next VisionX could be where that journey begins.