Bank Mandiri has officially brought its flagship entrepreneurial empowerment initiative, the Wirausaha Muda Mandiri (WMM) 2026 roadshow, to the bustling economic hub of Surabaya. Held on Tuesday, November 3, the event marks a crucial stop in a multi-city campaign designed to expand young business owners’ access to high-level strategic insights, practical educational frameworks, and invaluable commercial networks.
By focusing on contemporary marketing methodologies, the Surabaya leg of the roadshow aimed to bridge the gap between early-stage innovation and scalable commercial enterprise, reinforcing Bank Mandiri’s long-term commitment to nurturing Indonesia’s future economic leaders.
The Power of Narrative: Mastering Storytelling in Modern Commerce
Under the central theme "Storytelling as a Weapon: Why Storytelling is a Powerful SME Tool to Increase Product Sales," the Surabaya roadshow tackled one of the most critical yet underutilized components of modern entrepreneurship. In an era saturated with digital noise and intense competition, the program emphasized that traditional product-centric marketing is no longer sufficient to capture consumer loyalty.
The educational modules and panel discussions illustrated how effective narrative frameworks allow small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to humanize their brands, communicate core values, and forge emotional connections with target audiences. By framing business challenges and product utility into compelling narratives, local startup founders were taught how to elevate their conversion rates and distinguish their offerings in crowded market sectors.
Malhind Desianty, Vice President of CSR Center at Bank Mandiri, underscored the overarching philosophy of the initiative during her opening remarks. She highlighted that the modern business landscape demands more than just capital; it requires resilient ecosystems that foster continuous learning and strategic alliances.
"We want more young entrepreneurs to gain access and opportunities to take their businesses to the next level," Desianty stated. "Through WMM, Bank Mandiri strives to present a space for them to learn, expand connections, and explore collaboration opportunities that can support business growth."
Inspiring Success Stories: Insights from WMM Alumni and Industry Titans
A central highlight of the Surabaya event was the "Wirausaha Talk" session, which featured two prominent figures who transitioned from modest beginnings to nationwide commercial prominence. The panel provided attendees with firsthand accounts of the grit, adaptability, and vision required to weather market fluctuations and achieve sustainable scale.
The discussion featured Jhonny Thio Doran, Founder and CEO of Jete and Doran Group, alongside Arief Susanto, Founder and CEO of Dus Duk Duk and a distinguished alumnus of the WMM 2015 cohort. Both entrepreneurs dissected their corporate trajectories, offering practical blueprints for identifying market gaps, refining product-market fit, and aggressively expanding operational footprints.
Jhonny Thio Doran shared his journey dating back to 2008, when he began his commercial venture selling watches and mobile phone accessories with minimal capital. Relying on sheer resourcefulness, strategic digital marketing adoption, and early e-commerce platforms, he successfully scaled his operations. This persistence culminated in the creation of JETE, a powerhouse brand that now operates a robust distribution and retail network spanning over 175 stores across the archipelago under the Doran Group umbrella. Jhonny’s sustained market impact recently earned him a prestigious spot on the Fortune Indonesia 40 Under 2026 list.
Complementing this perspective, Arief Susanto detailed the unconventional origins of Dus Duk Duk, which he initiated in 2013 while still an undergraduate student at the Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS). What began as an academic assignment and a Student Creativity Program (PKM) entry transformed into an innovative enterprise manufacturing knock-down furniture constructed entirely from recycled corrugated cardboard. Arief’s commitment to sustainability and circular economy principles earned him recognition on the Forbes Indonesia 30 Under 30 list in the Creative and Social Entrepreneurship category for 2020.
M. Ashidiq Iswara, Regional Chief Executive Officer (RCEO) of Bank Mandiri Region VIII/Jawa 3, noted that the experiences shared by the guest speakers served as a vital barometer for evaluating modern business acumen.
"We hope that the insights from these practitioners and alumni can serve as a provision for participants in determining the next steps for business development," Ashidiq remarked, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of agility and deep consumer understanding in navigating today’s economic climate.
Immersive Showcases and Accelerated Exposure Opportunities
Beyond panel discussions and theoretical frameworks, the Surabaya roadshow prioritized experiential learning through a dedicated physical showcase. Five prominent WMM alumni presented their commercial innovations directly to attendees, allowing aspiring founders to evaluate physical products, supply chain executions, and packaging designs.
The showcase featured:
- Dus Duk Duk: Pioneering sustainable, knock-down cardboard furniture and modular spatial solutions.
- Bayiku.id: Offering specialized, high-quality products tailored for infants and modern parenting needs.
- Al Warits Batik: Preserving traditional textile heritage while modernizing designs for contemporary fashion markets.
- Maritjee: Delivering creative, lifestyle-oriented consumer goods with strong domestic appeal.
- Truly Natural Organic: Capitalizing on the burgeoning health-conscious consumer movement through organic wellness products.
To further incentivize immediate action, Bank Mandiri introduced an exclusive stimulus for the Surabaya leg. Five registered participants who completed their formal WMM application submissions within two days of the event were granted direct exposure opportunities via comprehensive business profiling covered by Bank Mandiri’s internal digital influencer network.
Chronology and Expansion of the WMM 2026 Pre-Program
The Surabaya roadshow does not exist in a vacuum; it represents a meticulously planned geographic progression within the broader pre-program phase of WMM 2026.
- Initial Phases: The campaign previously rolled out foundational workshops and roadshows in key economic and educational centers, specifically targeting entrepreneurial clusters in Bandung and Yogyakarta.
- Current Phase: The Surabaya event builds upon the momentum generated in West and Central Java, consolidating East Java’s standing as a fertile ground for tech-enabled and creative enterprises.
- Upcoming Deadlines: The overarching registration window for WMM 2026 officially closes on November 15, 2026, setting the stage for subsequent national curation, semi-finals, and the grand pitching finale.
Rigorous Eligibility Criteria and Sectoral Focus
Designed to unearth high-potential enterprises capable of driving national employment and GDP growth, the WMM 2026 program maintains strict eligibility parameters to ensure quality output.
Applicants must satisfy the following baseline criteria:
- Nationality: Must be Indonesian citizens (WNI).
- Age Bracket: Must be between 21 and 35 years of age.
- Leadership Role: Must act as the primary founder or co-founder of the applying business entity.
- Operational Maturity: The enterprise must have been legally operating for a minimum of one consecutive year.
- Revenue Threshold: The business must generate a minimum annual turnover of Rp500 million.
To accommodate the diverse economic activities driving contemporary Indonesian commerce, submissions are categorized across five distinct industry verticals:
- Fashion
- Beauty & Lifestyle
- Food & Beverage (F&B)
- Health & Wellness
- Technology
Strategic Innovations in WMM 2026
Entering its latest iteration, Bank Mandiri has introduced several structural enhancements to maximize the tangible return on investment for participating founders. Recognizing that capital alone cannot guarantee survival, the 2026 program integrates comprehensive institutional linkages.
Key structural upgrades include:
- Corporate and Investor Pitching: Participants are granted direct access to pitch their business models to major corporate buyers and venture capital investors, bypassing traditional bureaucratic barriers.
- Data-Driven Mentorship: Mentorship programs are no longer generalized; instead, they are customized based on rigorous empirical research and the specific operational requirements of each participating business.
- The WMM Club: A newly established lifelong networking apparatus designed specifically for alumni, facilitating ongoing B2B transactions, strategic partnerships, and peer-to-peer advisory boards.
Substantial Financial Incentives and Economic Implications
To underscore its institutional backing, Bank Mandiri has allocated a total prize pool exceeding Rp2 billion for the WMM 2026/2027 cycle. This financial injection serves as direct capitalization for winners to accelerate production capacity, upgrade technological infrastructure, and expand geographic market penetration.
From a broader macroeconomic perspective, initiatives like WMM play an instrumental role in absorbing Indonesia’s demographic dividend. By systematically transitioning informal micro-enterprises into structured, scalable, and export-ready SMEs, programs of this scale contribute directly to national economic resilience, regional wealth distribution, and job creation. As global supply chains continue to evolve, empowering digitally native founders with storytelling prowess and institutional backing positions local brands to compete effectively on both regional and international stages.
Bank Mandiri continues to encourage eligible young business owners across the nation to seize this opportunity. Interested applicants meeting all formal requirements can submit their business profiles and documentation ahead of the November 15, 2026 deadline directly through the official portal at bmri.id/WMM2026.
