Two Harris Public Policy Teams Win 2020 Social New Venture Challenge

Two teams led by students from the Harris School of Public Policy tied for first place in the 10th annual John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge (SNVC). The challenge, hosted by the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, launches enterprises with a social impact mission and a plan for financial sustainability. The teams, LivingWaters and ImpactToolbox, each received $40,000 in venture funding. The competition, which was hosted in a fully online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, launches enterprises with a social impact mission and a plan for financial sustainability.

“Harris Public Policy students are leading the way in tackling the world’s most complex social problems,” said Ron Gibbs, a lecturer at Harris who serves as faculty advisor for social entrepreneurship. “A huge congratulations is due to LivingWaters and ImpactToolbox, as they continue their vital work of providing clean water for refugee camps and displaced populations globally and to facilitate meaningful growth opportunities for a new generation of social entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa.”

The winning Harris teams are:

• LivingWaters, which has developed a low-cost, easily deployable rainwater collection system to provide clean water to the world’s displaced populations in refugee camps and informal off-grid settlements. Team members include Harris’ Caleb Kao, MPP Class of 2021. In addition to Harris, the team is affiliated with Booth and the Law School. 
• ImpactToolbox (I-Toolbox), a digital incubation platform that provides youths and emerging social entrepreneurs in Sub-Saharan Africa with the opportunity to learn, network, and access seed funding to transform their ideas for social change into viable social ventures. Team members include Harris’ Linh Dinh, MSCAPP Class of 2021, and Segun Fatudimu, MAIDP Class of 2020.

Another team led by a Harris student also placed as a finalist:

• NGOrganize, a revenue-generating tech company providing SaaS solutions for organizations to manage social initiatives, analyze results, and report impact to donors, investors, and stakeholders, with a near-term focus on supporting organizations responding to the pandemic. Team members include Harris’ Anirudh Ani Ajith, MPP/MBA Class of 2021. In addition to Harris, the team is affiliated with Booth.

As finalists, the teams will also share in more than $100,000 of in-kind services, including office space, legal services, and professional consulting.

"All of our SNVC finalists showed tremendous commitment to driving forward meaningful impact in diverse ways – from providing clean water in refugee camps to making the American democratic process more inclusive for people with disabilities,” said Robert H. Gertner, Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Strategy and Finance at Chicago Booth and John Edwardson Faculty Director of the Rustandy Center. “We are proud of all students who presented their ideas and look forward to continuing to support their ventures as they grow.”

Nearly 20 judges—including experienced social and traditional entrepreneurs, impact investors, nonprofit leaders, and many Chicago Booth alumni—provided feedback throughout the SNVC program. Judges included Keith Breslauer, ’88, founder and managing director of Patron Capital; Tasha Seitz, a partner at Impact Engine; William Towns, managing director of Chi-Town Impact at 4S Bay Partners; and Erik Wallsten, ’04, cofounder and managing partner of Adobe Capital. A full list of judges can be found on the SNVC website.

The SNVC is run by the Rustandy Center, in partnership with the Polsky Center. This year, 16 teams competed for seven spots in the SNVC finals, including students representing the Booth School of Business, the College, the Law School, the School of Social Service Administration, the Pritzker School of Medicine, and Harris.

The SNVC is the cornerstone of the Rustandy Center’s Edwardson Social Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Chicago, which is an initiative named in recognition of a 2016 gift by John Edwardson,’72, retired chairman and CEO of CDW, a leading provider of technology solutions, and co-chair of Advance Illinois, an independent statewide education organization.

“This year’s teams embody the heart of the SNVC: tackling vital social impact challenges with resilience and creativity,” Edwardson said. “As we look forward to the 10-year anniversary of the SNVC, I’m excited to support UChicago’s newest group of social entrepreneurs.”

By the Numbers:

• Since 2011, the SNVC has helped jump-start more than 100 companies and nonprofits
• SNVC companies have gone on to raise more than $35 million in philanthropic dollars, grant support, and venture capital funding
• Among them: solar-powered light company LuminAID, which has twice appeared on Shark Tank; Nigeria-based tractor leasing company Hello Tractor; autism therapy provider AIM Clinics; and B2B e-commerce platform for Africa's informal retailers, Sokowatch
• Harris Public Policy teams include: 2019 second place finisher Shakti, a venture which focuses on educating illiterate women in India; 2018 third place finisher KitcheNet which provides low cost nutritious meals to low income families in Chicago; and 2015 first place entry BallotReady, a growing enterprise that aims to help voters make more educated choices