随着COVID-19大流行开始减弱, SPU held its 16th Annual 社会创业计划比赛 (SVPC), returning to an in-person Showcase for the first time in nearly three years. Student teams developed solutions to a wide variety of social problems, 从减少碳排放, 慢性疼痛管理, 发展中国家的疫苗分配. 的 common denominator across many of the projects was the use of technology to make the world a better place. 展示活动, 年度SVPC的最后一场, occurred in Upper Gwinn Commons on the SPU campus, 在星期三下午, 4月13日, 2022.
最重要的项目是 我的怪物显示器他被选为价值5000美元的赫伯特. Jones Grand Prize winner by the combined votes of nearly 60 judges representing the business, 非营利组织, 学术, 以及专业团体. Ultropia came in second, winning the $3,000 runner-up award. 在一天的过程中, 数以百计的学生, 教师, 工作人员, and community members visited the Showcase and voted for their favorite project, 给唐纳德B. 萨默斯人民选择奖1000美元给 我的怪物显示器 也.
在美国，有近25万儿童患有糖尿病.S. 患有1型糖尿病, and research suggests that the disease can be better regulated if the child engages in the management process. 我的怪物显示器 is developing an app that will gamify the tedious data entry and tracking necessary to keep T1D at bay. 的 我的怪物显示器 App利用乐趣创造游戏, monster characters to engage and educate kids about their bodies and their disease. 的 我的怪物显示器 team included senior business administration majors Faith Stehr, 曼尼·迪亚兹, and Joshua Erme; junior business administration major Jeanell Vergara; senior visual communication major Jenna Rasmussen; and senior Lydia Porter, 谁有自己设计的音乐商业专业.
Ultropia seeks to foster global access to clean laundry, while reducing the use of water and carbon emissions. 的 team is developing the first all-in-one ultrasonic washer and dryer, 这样做的时候, they hope to increase access to laundry machines and improve sanitation, 同时提供资源, 能源, 和省时产品. Ultropia consisted of master’s of electrical engineering student Cody Birkland, and master’s of entrepreneurship student Lloyd Dees, 他们都来自华盛顿大学.
Three honorable mention prizes of $2,000 were also awarded:
GLOEN 开发了一种遥控, solar-powered cart that will allow health care workers in the developing world to bring a higher volume of refrigerated vaccines “the last mile” to remote villages and other communities. 的 cart would improve upon existing solutions, such as cooler cases and backpacks. GLOEN was the work of senior global development studies majors Chloe Wesson, 凡妮莎Mosqueda, and Sophie Bilger; senior mechanical engineering majors Andrew Harper-Smith and Quan Nguyen; and senior electrical engineering major Deborah Tambunan.
一个法院 seeks to enhance the experience of visually impaired people at sporting events using a haptic (touch-based) feedback system that will allow them to experience the spatial relationships of the game or match in real time. 一个法院 was comprised of senior geography and data science major Antyush Bollini; senior electrical engineering major Clay Boyd; master’s of data science student Aaliyah Hänni; senior business administration major Michaela Isaacs; junior industrial design major Jerred Mace; and senior human-centered design major Katia Meuleman. 这六人都来自华盛顿大学.
Xpressive科技 believes that chronic pain can be better managed when doctors and patients can communicate more clearly and less subjectively about it. 的y have developed a piece of wearable tech that quantifies pain responses, thus creating a baseline for treatment conversations. 的 Xpressive科技 plan was written and presented by four University of Washington students: MBA candidates Khang To, 杰夫Shuey, 和伊恩·科普, 以及医学博士候选人Kiarra Levesque.
This is the sixteenth year of SPU’s 社会创业计划比赛. Nine teams presented at the Showcase event, comprising approximately 40 students. 在第一轮比赛中, 21份书面商业计划书, representing nearly 100 students from three different schools, 由社区合作伙伴审查和评分.
的 Showcase Round was the finale of the 社会创业计划比赛. In addition to the review of written business plans, earlier stages in the competition included a series of seminars on the basics of business plan writing; engagement with graphic design students on branding for selected teams; and coaching sessions with knowledgeable businesspeople, 非盈利的高管, 和其他人. In all, more than 100 community volunteers gave time as readers, instructors, coaches, and judges.
贝奇·约翰逊, a retired financial services executive and volunteer reader, commented: “I felt so privileged to have been a reader of 我的怪物显示器. It was amazing and they put so much thought into it.”
First time volunteer judge and local educator Karen Weber said, “What a fabulous group of students — bright young people shining light for the future! 当法官是一种福气.”
“I was extremely impressed by the level of professionalism exhibited by all participants, and the students’ passion for their projects was especially uplifting,回来的志愿评委弗朗西斯·沃克说, 社会影响顾问, “Please continue to include me in future SVP Competitions — fingers crossed that we will again be in-person next year. It made such a difference to personally interact with the students and their work!”
Financial sponsors of the SVPC include the Herbert B. 琼斯的基础, the Scott and Kathleen Cummins Family Foundation, 切特集团, Bellmont橱柜, 西北中心, 东湖地产合伙人, 高地私人财富管理, 和技能公司. 的 competition is organized by the 应用学习中心 (CAL) in the 商学院，政府, 和经济学(SBGE).
团队照片由John Godek提供.