UBM Holds Community Service “Winning Beyond the Hype” with Startup HaloBestie
Jakarta, 10/08/2026 – A Community Service (Pengabdian kepada Masyarakat) activity was organized by the Digital Business Study Program at Universitas Bunda Mulia (UBM), titled “Winning Beyond the Hype: Digital Trends That Matter for Startup Growth”, held online via Zoom together with startup partner HaloBestie. The activity is part of the implementation of the Tri Dharma of Higher Education and supports the learning outcomes of the course BDB04 Digital Business Strategy, featuring four lecturers and one student from the Digital Business Program as resource persons who equipped participants with both academic perspectives and applicable digital business practices.
Collaboration with HaloBestie, a Mental-Health Startup Founded by a UBM Student
HaloBestie is a digital startup offering an anonymous, instant mental-health platform with a peer-support approach, serving as a safe space for people to share experiences and obtain emotional support. It was founded by Richard Benedict, a Digital Business student at UBM, who developed the idea from a student competition into a fully operating startup — now backed by one of Halodoc’s co-founders and several other strategic investors. This collaboration is concrete evidence that UBM’s academic ecosystem can nurture impactful digital entrepreneurs, while opening sustainable synergy between the study program and its students and alumni.
Participant Enthusiasm and Interactive Discussion
The activity was attended by 12 participants comprising HaloBestie’s founder, management team, and members. The event ran interactively; participants not only followed the resource persons’ presentation but also actively engaged in discussion, Q&A, and sharing experiences about the real challenges startups face. This dynamic atmosphere encouraged participants to think critically in connecting digital business strategy concepts with the actual conditions they encounter in the field.
Unpacking the Digital Trends That Truly Matter for Startup Growth
During the session, the resource persons equipped participants with a framework to distinguish short-lived digital trends (hype) from innovations of genuine strategic value. The discussion covered the importance of customer-centric innovation, setting innovation priorities for growth-stage startups, and making adaptive decisions amid the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI), automation, and data analytics. The material emphasized that the success of digital transformation is not determined solely by adopting the latest technology, but by the ability to focus resources on initiatives that deliver real value to users and support sustainable business growth.
Conclusion
Overall, this Community Service activity made a positive contribution in strengthening HaloBestie’s strategic capacity while enriching participants’ insights into the direction of startup growth in the digital era. Through the collaboration between UBM’s Digital Business Program and a startup that grew from its own academic environment, the activity also opens opportunities for sustainable cooperation in talent development, internship programs, applied research, and practitioner lectures, strengthening readiness to face the evolving dynamics of the digital industry.
KAMPUS ANCOL
Jalan Lodan Raya No.2, Jakarta Utara 14430
No Telp: 021 690 9090
KAMPUS SERPONG
Jalan Jalur Sutera Barat Kav. 7-9, Alam Sutera, Tangerang, Banten 15143
No Telp: 021 8082 1428
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