一年一度的bet365中文球场比赛
展示学生的创新意念
The 2023 Pitch Competition took place in the Howard Performing Arts Center on March 31.
On March 31, 2023, bet365中文大学 hosted its second annual Pitch Competition. 该活动是创新周的一部分, which featured several events promoting student engagement and entrepreneurship. 学生 presented their original business ideas for the chance to win in-kind and cash awards in support of their projects. 今年, 这场比赛是由华尔街38号赞助的, 52华尔街, 第7天制作, 专利奖励和领导-社会创新硕士项目.
Matias Soto，创新办公室主任 & 创业, 州, “The second year of the pitch competition is significant because it continues to cement this program in the minds of our students and campus community. It shows we are serious about our commitment to support student entrepreneurs, and that we have the intention of creating an annual event that puts students on the main stage to showcase their dreams. bet365中文大学相信学生可以成为世界改变者.”
Both graduate and undergraduate students were invited to take part in the competition, 无论是个人还是团队. Applicants were required to attend information and networking sessions before submitting their ideas through a standardized pitch deck. 每个申请都经过审查和评估, 半决赛选手们向评审团进行了展示. 半决赛的前八名进入了决赛, which took place in front of a live audience at the Howard Performing Arts Center.
获奖者共获得价值4万美元的奖金. 创新办公室颁发的实物奖 & 创业精神和活动赞助商包括原型设备, 咨询顾问, 训练, 许可证, 资助写作协助, 专利申请协助, 租赁空间. 该活动还包括不同数额的现金奖励. 今年, the MA in Leadership–Social Innovation sponsored a new Social Innovation Award, 由弗雷德·厄普顿基金会赞助. 种子基金总共资助了10美元,000英镑作为奖励, which was split between two teams to aid in initiating their projects—one addressing wheelchair mobility and the other access to environmentally friendly resources. 该奖项要求项目造福于贝里恩县社区, 专注于社会创业, 宣传及服务.
决赛的评委团包括约书亚·萨纳布里亚, GoArchitect的创始人兼首席执行官, 乔安娜Theolene, 有子女囚犯法律服务政策经理, 丹尼尔•史密斯, keepinging&omenale集团公司创始人, 安东尼·夏勒, 夏勒画廊的馆长, 和Kimberly Pichot, 职业学院院长和Connection Blitz的创始人.
First-place winner of the competition was Josalynn Clark’s “Youth Discipleship Mission: Bible Mentorship Program.”克拉克, who is currently studying to receive her MA in Discipleship in Lifespan Education, 于2020年在纽约创建了一个在线日营. The program was made with the goal of bringing the community closer together, 帮助孩子参与有趣的活动, 练习学术技能，在他们的精神旅程中成长. 从那时起，它已经发展成为一个免费的夏令营，有多个年龄段的人. 因为不是每个露营者都是基督复临信徒, Clark prioritizes making the experience positive for children of all backgrounds. “一旦我开始这个项目，我就爱上了它，”她说. “Coming up with things that will help people better themselves and help them pursue their dreams makes the [community] a lot healthier and a lot more stable.”
After she found out she had won, Clark described, “It was all joy and excitement.” She plans to use the award money toward the budget for the upcoming summer program, 希望能为更多的露营者敞开大门. 除了, Clark will begin the process of making the organization a nonprofit and hopes to implement some strategies for sustainability. Eventually, she hopes to open an Adventist youth center for greater reach and impact. 她鼓励其他学生参加比赛, 提醒他们阅读细则, 获得外界的反馈, 并优先考虑他们对他人的影响, 强调, “一旦你知道了一些事情, 分享总是好的, 因为你永远不知道它会给别人带来什么好处.”
二等奖是名为“我的圣经漫画”的项目,由Stanislav Kondrat创作, 他在攻读宗教博士学位, 亚历山大·斯基别尔斯基, 谁要完成他的宗教硕士学位. “The idea of ‘My Bible Comics’ is to create the best illustrated Bible stories in the form of comic books,康德拉特描述道. “我想与未得之民分享耶稣，那里没有传教士可以去.为此目的, the team created a set of multilingual digital comics accessible through an app, 这样圣经中的故事就可以在世界各地分享. Skibelsky, 他之前既是牧师又是插画家, 很高兴能有机会把自己的技能结合起来. 他说:“这个项目是我的巅峰之作. 此外，这一切都与影响力有关. 通过这个项目，我想影响数百万人.”
在比赛中, 这个团队很高兴有机会检验他们的想法, 接受对他们项目的反馈, 和志同道合的人交流. 当他们得知自己得了第二名时, they felt incredibly validated and excited about the future of their project. 在未来, 他们计划用他们的奖金来完成他们的应用程序, 建立一个网站, 开发商品, 并聘请色彩师来简化创作过程. 在2025年，他们将把他们的计画带到圣. 路易. 他们肯定, “我们希望鼓励每个人都有远大的梦想, 尝试新想法, 实验, 永不放弃. 上帝按照他的形象创造了我们. 我们生来就是为了创造. bet365中文创新中心是一个很好的开始. 你的想法可能会改变世界.”
“以西结轮”项目,，由柯蒂斯·约翰逊创作, 机械工程专业的学生, 获得了第三名和社会创新奖. 灵感来自于他在家乡社区看到的需求, 他决定对过时的轮椅技术进行改进. “我的卖点是我设计的一个套件，可以连接到传统汽车上, non-electric wheelchair that allows the user to drive in a straight line fast and easily with one hand. This allows the user to do other things while going straight down a sidewalk or through a door,他解释道. “对我来说, there are few things more satisfying than being able to use my talents and skills to make someone else’s life better.”
这个奖项为约翰逊开辟了一条新的职业道路, 谁希望有一天创建自己的公司. He intends to use his winnings to help with manufacturing costs and machine processes. “还有很多工作要做，但大部分设计工作已经完成. I hope to work with other students with the marketing and advertising side of my company,” he notes. “多亏了投球比赛, I was also able to meet interested professors and other professionals and entrepreneurs who were both encouraging and offered support. I hope to work with them more in the future and learn more about running a small business.”
The second Social Innovation Award went to the project “Refill to Reduce” by biology students Gloria Oh, Ariana Coast和Sarah Wolf. The goal of the project is to create a low-waste “refillery” shop in the Benton Harbor community where individuals can refill reusable containers with daily necessities such as dish soap, 洗衣粉和洗手液价格实惠. 这个项目源于吴珊卓学生时代在bet365中文看到的需求. 她描述, “My goal with the refillery is to help our community members reduce unnecessary waste and fully utilize what we already have, 同时为他们提供实惠的, 为他们的生活必需品提供道德和健康的选择. It’s about practicing a sustainable lifestyle for everyone: the environment, 动物和人.”
The team has found positive community support through online surveys and a trial laundry detergent refill station on campus. 目前, 这家续水店是在校园的生物爱好者俱乐部外经营的, and the team plans to use their award to secure a non-profit status as well as open a physical shop in the fall of 2023. 最终，他们的目标是开设一家网上商店，以提高用户的可访问性. “我们相信创新必须是可持续的, 而(可持续发展)总是涉及到某人生活的改变,他们说。. “我们很高兴不仅在我们自己的生活中做出这样的改变, but also in the community by creating a place where people can experience a low-waste lifestyle!”
Other winners and competitors included “The Lehahkeen Project” by Ha Eun Park, 《bet365中文》作者:Joseph N. Muhune和Blaise M. Muhune, “Ready Shield” by Staton Westerman and “Badventism” by Nicklas Resager.
索托期待着这个项目的持续发展, 并感谢校园社区的支持. He hopes to explore further partnerships with other University departments in the future, 确认, “创新, 通过创造性思维和企业家精神, 为学生提供影响周围世界的工具. 因为我们被称为世上的盐, innovation gives us an opportunity to connect with our community in a more tangible manner. 它使我们能够真正地与周围的人接触. 改变世界需要创新. 为黑暗的世界带来光明需要创新. Innovation is needed to bring love to those starving for a glimpse of God’s love.”
