This study investigates the main drivers of the internationalization process of local business champions during the COVID-19 pandemic. PEST-BCL approach (political, economic, social, technology, business, climate, and law) is employed to examine the primary data gathered through in-depth interviews in three provinces of South Sulawesi, Bali, and North Sumatera. The pandemic, which most economic sectors see as a disaster, is not the case with some creative local businesses. In Bali, a group of youths called “Petani Muda Keren” (Cool Young Farmers) has become a driving force for the agricultural sector revival during the pandemic and succeeded in exporting several fruit commodities such as mangosteen to many countries. In South Sulawesi, porang farmers and seaweed cultivators have existed during the crisis and even exported or established cooperation with exporting companies during the pandemic. Meanwhile, in North Sumatra, many creative farmers intensify farming activities in specific vegetable crops (such as chili and ginger) and fruit crops (such as salak and durian), thereby contributing significantly to agricultural commodities export growth. This study found that three main drivers of local business champions’ internationalization success are innovator entrepreneurs’ emergence, appropriate technology application, and the adaptation and proliferation of social innovation policy to the broader community and sectors. This study fills the existing knowledge gap that has not fully addressed the interaction effect among the theory of social innovation, entrepreneurship, and ERBV theory in building back better sectors slumped by the pandemic.