Idea that could change the world: 33 student teams compete Friday, November 11 for Syracuse University’s annual Impact Prize.
One of the largest cohorts ever – 33 student teams – will compete November 11 for $15,000 in prizes in this year’s Syracuse LaunchPad’s Impact Prize. The event, designed to catalyze social impact entrepreneurship, will be held in Bird Library from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. and will feature student startups from across all majors who applied to compete. It is open to members of the campus community who want to attend and observe students presenting business models for products, projects, services, or technologies that are practical, innovative, and sustainable solutions to societal problems anywhere around the globe. Students from 134 countries are part of the LaunchPad.
The event opens with a 2 p.m. welcome by David Seaman, Dean of Syracuse University Libraries in Peter Graham Scholarly Commons, Room 114, Bird Library. Following remarks, students will pitch in this tentative order:
Judges will announce the winners at 5 p.m. during a closing reception at the LaunchPad.
Examples of impact ventures include business models or projects around:
- Agriculture
- Arts and culture
- Community revitalization
- Disability and accessibility
- Diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Employment and training
- Energy and climate change
- Environmental sustainability
- Food access and nutrition
- Health and mental health
- Historic preservation
- Literacy and education
- Poverty
- Sustainability
- Transportation and mobility
- Underserved populations
- Youth leadership and empowerment
- Other public policy challenges
This year’s competition is supported through a $15,000 gift from SU Libraries Advisory Board Member Carl Armani and his wife Marcy, in honor of Linda Dickerson-Hartsock, retiring LaunchPad executive director, who created the Impact Prize. This is the sixth annual competition, designed to help see the greater good and make a difference in the lives of people around them. Social impact is a mission that Linda personally and professionally championed through her career and at the LaunchPad.
The Impact Prize is also a gateway to spring competitions like the ACC InVenture Prize, RvD iPrize, Hunter Brooks Watson Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award and the Panasci Business Plan Competition.