Own the Room Parent Guide

Along with millions of other weary viewers, I have spent the coronavirus pandemic binge-watching seasons of The Great British Baking Show. There’s something about the kindness of the oh-so-nice contestants that provides a blissful escape from the realities of covid. If you’re also looking for an alternative to the stressful realities of 2021 and want to watch a real-life story of bright, helpful people who will fill you with hope for the future, Own the Room is just the documentary for you.

Made by National Geographic and streaming on Disney+, Own the Room is the inspiring story of five young entrepreneurs competing against dozens of other national champs to win the 2019 Global Student Entrepreneur Awards competition held in Macau, China. The prize is $100,000 but to win it, the victor will have to prove that his or her business idea has the power to change the world.

I must admit that this documentary put me smack in the middle of a dilemma: I wanted all of the young people to win. There’s Henry from Kenya, developer of a student housing app, with a big smile and fierce determination, who struggles against opposition none of the other contestants face. Then comes Alondra from Puerto Rico, who has developed an app to help the deaf access medical care, and who’s determined to help rebuild her island after Hurricane Maria. There’s Santosh, an ebullient Nepalese whose business tries to spread happiness amongst his fellow citizens. We also meet Jason, a confident engineer from Greece who is using technology to help parents interpret their babies’ cries. And finally, there’s Daniela, a soft-spoken student from Venezuela, who is pursuing her PhD in New York and has developed technology that can make the chemical industry more profitable and less environmentally destructive. Watching this movie made me wish I had a Jeff Bezos-sized fortune so I could invest in all these amazing young people.

There’s no denying that Own the Room is the kind of movie that will make you feel good about the world. The dedication, diligence, and charm of the young entrepreneurs are infectious and will uplift those who watch the movie. In fact, the documentary is replete with the kind of messages that parents and teachers want teens to see. Who doesn’t want teens to learn from people who are committed to changing the world and are willing to work extremely hard to achieve their goals? As Henry says, “If opportunity won’t knock on your door, break the wall.”