The Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub held their Ideas for Good Pitch last Thursday in the SunTrust Auditorium. Students had a chance to share their ideas and compete for a prize of up to $1,000. The event was well-attended by students and faculty interested in the field of social entrepreneurship.
The competition began with an introduction into the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub and the functionality of the event. Each student was given five minutes to present their idea, followed by up to two minutes of questioning from six judges. Students were judged based on their idea’s level of innovation, the feasibility of their idea, and the overall amount of social good that their idea created.
A total of ten students, five of which were Global Links students from Kolkata, India, pitched their products and organizations. Ideas ranged from a Smart Light traffic light that would reduce accidents and emissions to a new dietary supplement made from saffron and moringa that offers mental benefits. The presentations touched on a wide variety of relevant social and environmental issues such as domestic abuse, food waste, and employment for the mentally disabled.
After nearly 15 minutes of deliberation, the judges announced the winners. Third place and a prize of $500 went to Crummer student Ari Davis EAMBA E-29 for his idea PlantMates, a program that trains mentally disabled individuals in gardening and then employs them to build and maintain small gardens in people’s front lawns.
Second place and another prize of $500 went to CLA student Sunny Toreihi ‘20 for her idea Saffron and Moringa. Saffron and moringa have many health benefits and Toreihi found that she could combine the two substances to create a powder with multiple food applications that can also serve as a mental health supplement.
First place and a prize of $1000 went to CLA student Nikki Hall-Elser ‘18 for her idea LEET (Liberate, Educate, Empower, Teach). LEET is a microfinance program that seeks to help women who are victims of domestic abuse. Oftentimes, people are trapped in situations of domestic abuse because they are financially dependent on their abuser. LEET seeks to solve this problem by using education programs and microfinance to help victims of domestic abuse achieve economic independence.
Ideas for Good was an excellent event that showcased the ways Rollins students are using innovative, entrepreneurial means to tackle poignant social and environmental problems. Be on the lookout for the Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub’s other upcoming events!
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