We are pleased to share the results from our tenth Social Venture Challenge at the Youth Assembly at the United Nations in New York City! This was a very impressive group of competitors, and we were thrilled with the quality of ideas and the leadership potential that they conveyed. Sixteen teams pitched ideas for social ventures. In the end, we selected six new Social Venture Challenge winners, representing five exciting new social ventures:
“Aaron” Tsz Ki Lit is the founder of Chromodoris Fashion in Hong Kong. Chromodoris is a fashion brand that celebrates the beauty and diversity of life underwater through garments and accessories inspired the patterns, shapes, and colors of marine animals. Using sustainable eco-fabric for the apparel raises awareness of marine biodiversity and conservation issues, while a portion of all profits will go to marine conservation efforts.
Louise Emmanuelle Mabulo is the founder of The Cacao Project in San Fernando, The Philippines. The Cacao Project is an initiative which provides participating farmers of San Fernando with cacao seedlings (a long-term, resilient crop which provides them with a considerable income after three years and will be productive for up to 20-25 years), and short term crops such as bok choy, okra, and pumpkins (which will be productive after 19-30 days), to intercrop with the cacao. The produce will be sold to the Cacao Project Organization which we will then be sold to international buyers. Farmers will be paid a fair wage and be better positioned for sustainable success.
Suman Kumar & Avishek Sanjel are co-founding School Relief in Nuwakot, Nepal to rebuild schools destroyed by the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Students from the first school they will rebuild have been taught under temporary shelters; they will use a ‘Portal Shelter’ modular design that will allow for rapid deployment, use of local materials, safer and earthquake-resistant construction to provide a safer and more lasting solution throughout Nepal.
Apefa Adjivon is the founder of The Pearl Project in Toronto’s Regent Park area. The Pearl Project is a center that runs after-school programming for girls in this low-income community. Using a space provided by the local government, the Pearl Project will provide girls with access to mentors and career counselors, with the goal of inspiring and empowering girls and helping them to reach their goals.
Susana Machado is the founder of Write Your Future in São Paulo, Brazil. Write Your Future promotes the development of teenage orphans by addressing the many challenges they face through the support of psychologists. Along with therapy and support, the counselors will assess the children and the children will be provided with workshops to stimulate their different skills and interests so they can move towards career-readiness.