社会创业计划竞赛

的 Showcase event, the finale of the annual SVPC, occurred virtually on Wednesday, April 22, 2020.

最重要的项目是 Safa雪山被选为价值5000美元的赫伯特. Jones Grand Prize winner by the combined votes of 67 judges representing the business, 非营利性的, 学术和专业团体. Bountifull 获得了第二名，赢得了3000美元的亚军. 在一天的过程中, a record-breaking 1300 people logged on to the public Showcase site and voted for their favorite project, 给唐纳德B. 萨默斯人民选择奖1000美元给 导师.

Safa雪山 translates as “clean mountain” in Nepalese and the focus of the winning business idea would do just that. Climbers at high altitudes do not have good solutions for the removal of human waste, as the thin air and cold temperatures defy quick decomposition. This is nowhere more evident than on the world’s tallest mountain, 珠穆朗玛峰, 超过25人,000 pounds of feces have accumulated to contaminate drinking water, 并且玷污了风景. Safa雪山 会销售和维修一台便携式电脑吗, dehydrating toilet to adventure tour operators and other climbers on 珠穆朗玛峰, 减少人体排泄物的大小和重量高达75%. 便携, dehydrated feces can then be carried down the mountain to a biogas decomposition plant and converted into methane fuel. 的 Safa雪山 团队成员包括小拉克巴·夏尔巴, a Business Administration and Global Development Studies double major, 艾米·弗雷德里克, 全球发展研究专业的大三学生, 詹娜·海恩斯和瑞安·肯尼迪, both juniors double majoring in 经济学 and Global Development Studies.

In rural Alaska, many communities suffer from food insecurity. A short growing season and high costs for importing fresh fruits and vegetables lead to few options for communities such as the remote town of Bethel. Bountifull 提议把温室运到伯特利, Alaska to start a 社区 Supported Agriculture (CSA) business. 的 team would grow fruits and vegetables year-round using hydroponics, 并以订阅模式出售食物, increasing nutritional benefits in the community and lowering costs. Bountifull was comprised of senior Global Development Studies major Isabel Chapman, senior Electrical and Mechanical Engineering major Elli Fisher, 全球发展研究专业大三学生Emily Geringer, 工商管理专业大三学生Emma Hamann, 高级工商管理专业的乔希·罗杰斯, 还有小艾琳·史密斯, a double major in Global Development Studies and Social Justice and Cultural Studies.

资源市场 会是一个零浪费的杂货店和咖啡馆吗. 通过消除一次性塑料, the team plans to give consumers the power to reduce their environmental impact. 资源市场 was the work of senior Mechanical Engineering major Samantha Search, 全球发展研究专业大四学生Abigail Tierney, and senior Business Administration and Global Development Studies double major, 妮可湖底.

Two-wheelers (mopeds) in India account for 32% of transportation air pollution, prompting the Indian government to tighten emission standards. 团队 锡拉岛 开发了一套廉价的套件来改装轻便摩托车, ensuring that lower income families won’t be left out as the country moves to electric vehicles. 的 锡拉岛 group was comprised of senior Mechanical Engineering major Zach Brant, 全球发展研究专业的Renee Knepper, junior Global Development Studies majors Ethan Sager and Isabel Walker, 高级电气工程专业的马修·本扎尔, and junior 经济学 and Political Science double-major Brenda Valencia Flores.

飞翔 would provide culturally relevant career advising to support international students as they pursue their career dreams. Understanding the obstacles that international students face in the US as they attempt to complete their optional professional training (OPT), 找到实习, 以及其他专业经验, 飞翔 会提供定制的、可扩展的职业服务吗. 的 飞翔 plan was written and presented by junior Global Development Studies major Rachel Lilly, 计算机科学专业大三学生宋俊元, 工商管理专业大三学生Bonnie Tran.

导师 以巨大优势赢得了人民选择奖. 的 team has created a peer-to-peer tutoring app for college students, 让学习在按下按钮时发生. 通过开放接受辅导的渠道, 该项目希望赋予学生权力, 缩小高等教育不平等的差距, 提高留校率和毕业率. 导师 was composed of Business Administration major Kaitlynn Burnett, 计算机科学专业的Soren Rood, 政治, 哲学, 和经济学专业的Steven Kotansky, and Computer Science major Justin Shaw from the University of Washington. 这四个人都是一年级学生.

This is the fourteenth year of SPU’s 社会创业计划比赛. Sixteen teams presented at the Showcase event, comprising approximately 65 students. In addition to SPU projects, three teams from Northwest Nazarene University (Nampa, ID) competed. 除了近70名社区法官, a record-breaking 1300 people voted in the on-line People’s Choice balloting.

的 Showcase Round was the final leg of the 社会创业计划比赛. Earlier stages in the competition included a series of seminars on the basics of business plan writing, 对团队的书面商业计划进行评分, 以及与知识渊博的商人进行培训, 非营利组织高管和其他人. In all, more than 150 community volunteers gave time as readers, instructors, coaches, and judges.

比尔埃德加, an IT executive and business consultant noted what a bright spot the competition was during dark times: “It’s very uplifting to hear so many young folks with vision and thoughtful ideas. 谢谢你让我成为今天的一部分.”

返回的志愿者弗朗西斯·沃克, 当地的健康, 社会正义, 开发专业人员, 同意. “It was a wonderful experience and I was just blown away by the professionalism of the teams – both in their understanding of the social issues and how to create impactful and financially-sustainable projects.”

泰米米勒, a Senior Vice President at Wells Fargo and long-time SVPC volunteer commented on the virtual format, 说, “I have to say that I was impressed with many of the video messages and presentations, especially when you recognize that the 视频 were required late in the game due to the new format. Everyone should be congratulated for their ability to respond so well to the challenges and uncharted territory.”

SVPC的财政赞助者包括赫伯特. 琼斯的基础, 斯科特和凯瑟琳·康明斯家庭基金会, 费舍尔的公司, 先锋人力服务, Bellmont橱柜, 和西北中心. 的 competition is organized by the 应用学习中心 (CAL) in the 商学院，政府, 及经济(SBGE).