Seattle Pacific University’s School of Business & Economics just closed out its tenth annual Social Venture Plan Competition. The Competition brought together 20 teams and 85 students to showcase their new business ideas. The focus of the event was on the sharing economy, and many of the winning products featured designs for female empowerment and women’s safety.
The showcase finale was held on April 14 and ended with Afya International as the Grand Prize winner of $3,000. More than 70 judges representing the business, non-profit, and professional community came together to vote for their favorite project. P.I.N.G. received the runner-up award of $2,000.
Afya International’s idea was to help young women in the developing world combat missed days at school and work due to menstruation. Their idea is to distribute a reusable and low-cost menstrual cup throughout Africa on a sliding scale sale to upper, middle, and low-income women.
P.I.N.G.’s project focused on developing a personal safety device for college students that syncs to an iPhone. The device would send a GPS location to the Campus Security office when tapped three times.
Four other student-created projects received honorable mentions including a cell phone case to check for date rape drugs, children’s books for those with disabilities, and ceramic tiles made from recycled coal ash. Over 400 faculty, students, and staff voted in the People’s Choice balloting and attended the event.
The competition included a series of seminars on the basics of business planning, written plans, and coaching sessions. Teams had an opportunity to engage with knowledgeable business people, community leaders, and other professionals to gain feedback on their ideas. In all, more than 150 community volunteers donated their time to participate in the event. Learn more about the event in the university press release.
SPU offers a Part-Time MBA program on evenings and weekends, designed for working professionals. A key piece of the MBA is the Mentor Program, which gives students access to more than 900 business people and professionals for one-on-one meetings, and resources for future projects.