This spring, the Center for Peace and commerce will be hosting its tenth year of the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge. As you may know, it’s an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to present their business venture, at any stage that aligns to one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, to a panel of judges. First up, USD teams will be showcased on Wednesday, April 28; they’ve been through mentorship sessions, revisions, and live judge Q&A. Join us to see who will earn one of the coveted top two slots to represent USD and advance to the Global Finals in June.
We’ve called it a business for good venture competition, but it’s more of a Dove Tank than a Shark Tank - the ideas that have the greatest potential for positive impact soar to the top. Not to be fooled, these judges are sharp, their questions are direct, and ventures do experience progressively more challenging Q&A sessions as they progress in the competition. Our judges are focused on ventures that are both feasible and innovative. The top prize may be the most innovative approach to cleaning up microplastics from the beaches, or it may be a venture to convert human excreta into charcoal to reduce its health hazard and environmental impact for their Ghanan community.
We can’t wait for you to see these students at the USD Finals on April 28. Check out a few of the Kroc School Teams competing for those top two Global Finalists slots:
Team R2R (Responding to Recidivism)
R2R brings together three Kroc master’s candidates: Master of Arts in Social Innovation candidates Angela Leech and Alexandra Vredenburgh and Master of Arts in Conflict Management and Resolution Candidate 2022 Christopen Bain. Together with their teammate, Rob Bird, they propose to work in partnership with existing organizations to support services for parolees and people returning to the community from prison.
Womenly Mexico
Master of Arts in Social Innovation candidate Viviana Jiménez Coria is joined by her sister and business partner Giovanna Jiménez Coria to proposed their early-stage venture. Team Womenly Mexico has created a women-focused, peer-to-peer networking and knowledge-sharing service, with continuous business education and technology adaptation for their clients in Mexico.
Team FYI Launch
Master of Arts in Social Innovation candidate Amanda Larson is working on a technology for individuals suffering from eating disorders. With FYI Launch, she hopes to create an affordable, on-demand virtual wellness center, similar to a fitness center but focused on survivor-led classes and sharing, personal coaching, mental strength-building, and healthy habit building.
Please register for the USD Finals on Wednesday, April 28, from 5:30 -6:30 pm, and plan to vote for your favorite for the audience choice award! And save the date for the Global Finals on Saturday, June 12, 2021, from 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM PDT.
