Teams of high school students from the countries of Turkey and Colombia, and the city of York, Pennsylvania in the United States took top honors in the third annual launchU competition hosted by the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology.
The winners faced challengers from around globe, each vying to bring their business ideas to life with the help of an incredible network of entrepreneurs during the May 12th “Shark Tank” – style competition hosted virtually.
“In the post pandemic world, there is a growing interest in learning about innovation and startups from kids around the world. And CIE is fast growing to be the hub of a startup ecosystem that connects Central Pennsylvania with the rest of the developing world through our programs like launchU,” says Jay Jayamohan, Executive Director of the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship.
- 1st place – Traffic-Free by Nuray Elif Yildiz – Private Ceceli Schools (Turkey). Cash prize of $3,000.
- 2nd place – Suministros Alemar by Alex Rocha Fadul – San Martin University Foundation (Colombia). $2,000.
- 3rd Place – Holo-At-Home by Ivy Dieujuste and Angelina Kebreau – William Penn Senior High School (York, PA) $1,000.
The event was sponsored by The Hershey Company, Merit, and Cargas Systems, Inc. Three winning teams were selected by a formal judging committee and awarded cash prizes during the event. The grand prize winner has the opportunity incubate their business idea via Harrisburg University’s Innovation Lab.
Participants were given the opportunity to bring their business idea to life with the help of Harrisburg University faculty, staff, and mentors. Entrants learned the basics of entrepreneurship, refined their ideas, and pitched them during the capstone competition showcase.
Traffic-Free – Private Ceceli Schools (Turkey) – Nuray Elif Yildiz; Zeynep Can
Traffic-free solves the problem of delays by emergency response teams due to traffic delays. The late arrival of the teams to all events that require emergency intervention causes many losses of life and property. We solve the problem by calculating the speed of the vehicles before the intervention vehicles reach the traffic light on the road and by sending the data to traffic lights to turn green in proportion to the arrival time, according to the address obtained from call center. After the vehicle has passed, the system will switch to its previous state.
Suministros Alemar – San Martin University Foundation (Colombia) – Alex Rocha Fadul
Suministros Alemaris dedicated to the transformation of recycled plastic into raw material for the return to the manufacture of low-density polyethylene bags. We also manufacture bags for sanitary use according to the colors of the national regulation of hospital waste.
Holo-at-Home – William Penn Senior High School – Ivy Dieujuste, Angelina Kebreau, Anayah Brantley, Elyzabeth Valentin
3D scanners solve the problem of ordering online clothing without the ability to try it out for fit and form creating more returns which is a problem for the customer and the seller. The way to combat this growing problem is with the Holo-at-Home!, an app that allows the user to take a 3D scan of their body, similar to 3D scans on furniture apps. Using the 3D scan, they will be able to try on clothing and see how it’ll look on them before they order it!
The judges for this year’s competition were:
- Irma Nugroho, Director Information Services, The Hershey Co.
Jeanette Pasuizaca, Lead Product Marketing Manager, AT&T.
Aaron Cargas, Vice President of Marketing and Product, Cargas Systems, Inc.
For more information about upcoming launch U Showcase Start-up Challenges + Showcases, please visit the following link https://cie.harrisburgu.edu/launchu/
ABOUT CIE
Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) at Harrisburg University, is committed to building a community of entrepreneurs who share their knowledge and encourage diverse & inclusive innovators to explore and grow. This multi-faceted goal of our center is not only flipping the script on what you must “look like” to be an innovator, but it is creating a replicable model to create a positive economic change in the region. CIE programs and community engagement efforts include initiatives that promote entrepreneurship, provide problem solving skills, empower women and underrepresented communities, and drive innovation across the region. We play an important role in empowering innovators to build successful ventures by providing tools, resources, and opportunities to make a difference in communities where they live and work.
ABOUT HARRISBURG UNIVERSITY
Accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, Harrisburg University is a private nonprofit university offering bachelor and graduate degree programs in science, technology, and math fields. For more information on the University’s affordable demand-driven undergraduate and graduate programs, call 717-901-5146 or email, Connect@HarrisburgU.edu. Follow on Twitter (@HarrisburgU) and Facebook (Facebook.com/HarrisburgU).
