Wednesday, March 26, 2025—New York, NY—Nine young social entrepreneurs from around the world have been named the winners of the inaugural 2025 Rise Social Venture Challenge (SVC). The Rise SVC was created through a collaboration between the Resolution Project and the Rise program—which supports promising young people and provides them with opportunities that allow them to work together to serve others over their lifetimes. In line with this mission, the Rise SVC recognizes young leaders with innovative ideas to transform their communities, providing them with scholarships, mentorship, networking opportunities, career development resources, and access to potential funding.
“We’re honored to collaborate with Rise on empowering young global leaders who are working to solve the world’s most pressing issues. The winners of our first ever Rise SVC are emblematic of the grit, intelligence, and talent of the young leaders of today. From reducing food waste to bridging educational gaps caused by political unrest, these students are transforming their communities in powerful and moving ways,” said George Tsiatis, CEO of Resolution Project.
At this year’s competition, a total of 25 students representing 17 innovative teams participated for a chance to win seed funding and the opportunity to join Resolution Project’s long list of Fellows. Five exceptional teams from Zimbabwe, Myanmar, the UK, the Netherlands, and the USA were recognized as winners, showcasing remarkable creativity and a deep commitment to driving social change.
List of 2025 Rise SVC Winning Ventures
Earthwise Storage – Zimbabwe
Members: Kudakwashe Chikovo
Venture Description: EarthWise Storage empowers smallholder farmers by eliminating post-harvest losses through innovative solutions. Their unique distribution model provides farmers with solar-powered refrigerators and grain dryers at no upfront cost, enabling them to retain 75% of their profits. With locally manufactured equipment and hands-on training, EarthWise helps farmers reduce food waste and combat the devastating impact of post-harvest losses.
Kyaung.org – Myanmar
Members: Yoon Yati
Venture Description: Kyaung.org is an accessible, online learning platform offering Burmese students access to Pre-GCSE, GCSE, and A-Level education in Myanmar. Through interactive video lectures using lightboard technology, quizzes, and live classes, it bridges educational gaps caused by political unrest and economic disparities, ensuring uninterrupted learning for marginalized communities in Myanmar.
LexiAid – United Kingdom
Member: Antonia Hill, Rahul Kumar
Venture Description: LexiAid is an engaging, gamified literacy training app designed to support young dyslexic students in developing essential reading skills. By making literacy learning both accessible and enjoyable, LexiAid empowers children from all backgrounds to unlock their full potential, setting them up for success both academically and in life.
MOVATE Africa – Netherlands
Member: Audrey Eyo, Hawi Odhiambo, David Mokwe
Venture Description: MOVATE Africa is a sustainable supplementary schooling solution designed to serve teenagers who cannot afford formal senior secondary and tertiary education. It equips them with essential life skills—often overlooked in traditional education—empowering them to thrive, become problem-solvers, and make a meaningful impact in their communities and beyond.
Program for Excellence in African Research (PEAR) – USA
Members: Emmanuela Ilok, Tony Odhiambo
Venture Description: The Program for Excellence in African Research (PEAR) seeks to bridge the gap in research opportunities for African high school students by fostering innovation and discovery through a summer research program and year-round PEAR Chapters. By providing experimentation kits and mentorship, PEAR empowers students with essential research skills, driving the advancement of STEM development across Africa.
From our winners:
“Being a Rise SVC winner is a significant milestone for Earthwise Storage. This grant and the mentorship we will receive are crucial in helping us launch our operations and support small-scale poultry and fish farmers in Zimbabwe. Our focus is on providing solar-powered refrigeration solutions and access to marketing opportunities, which will help these farmers thrive and improve the sustainability of their ventures. We are particularly passionate about supporting young farmers and empowering them to succeed in the poultry and fish value chains. Our long-term goal is to assist these farmers in scaling their businesses and eventually reaching international markets.“ Kudawkwashe Chikovo, Earthwise Storage | Zimbabwe
“This support will help us to grow LexiAid, reach more children with dyslexia, and make a real impact. Our goal is to offer free, gamified, dyslexia tailored reading exercises that help children aged 6-10 develop confidence and strengthen their literacy skills. With the funding, we plan to enhance our app’s interactive features, collaborate with dyslexia educators and specialists, and increase accessibility. My co-Founder Rahul and I can’t wait to take this next step in transforming dyslexia support!” Antonia Hill, LexiAid | United Kingdom
“As African students in the diaspora, winning the Rise Social Venture Challenge means contributing to creating the change we want to see. It is unbelievably exciting. During the application phase, we conducted interviews with young people within our target audience, and one individual was so excited that he said he would like to start as soon as possible. This opportunity will be an amazing launching pad to make this possible, as we refine different aspects of our initiative, and launch the pilot program for MOVATE Africa within the next year. All in all, we are delighted and grateful for this opportunity, and excited to bring this idea into reality.” Audrey Eyo, MOVATE Africa | Netherlands
About Rise
Rise is a program that supports promising young people and provides them with opportunities that allow them to work together to serve others over their lifetimes. The program starts at ages 15–17 and encourages a lifetime of service and learning by providing support that includes need-based scholarships, mentorship, networking, access to career development opportunities, and the potential for additional funding as Rise Global Winners work toward solving humanity’s most pressing problems. For more information about Rise, visit www.risefortheworld.org.
About Resolution Project
Resolution Project works with young people to build a lifetime of impact, starting today. At the core of our work is the Resolution Fellowship, which provides seed funding and lifelong support to promising young leaders on the path of social entrepreneurship. We identify these leaders early on, help them launch their first social impact ventures, and stick with them as they grow. This proven model has supported the growth of over 570 Fellows across six continents and over 80 countries. Through Resolution, social entrepreneurs who are just starting out receive unmatched guidance and wisdom from a team of partners, volunteers, and innovative peers around the globe.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Jared Proudfoot
Director of Communications, Resolution Project