Innov8socialImpactathon 18: Virtual Distancing and Virtual Convening to Make a Whole Experience
Impactathon® 18 with Soka University of America hosted by Bridges to Business took place virtually (with an on-campus presence) on February 2-4, 2022.
After a kickoff session involving socially distanced speed networking and masks on campus and then moved to virtual with an introductory workshop on social enterprise over Zoom. Students began the ‘teaming’ process of identifying topics, team members and complementary strengths.
The next day included three virtual Impact Talks by practicing social entrepreneurs, representing a mix of business models, stages, and kinds of impact. The day also included mini-workshops on introduction to startup finances, intro to pitching, and intro to problem mapping.
Interspersed during the day were blocks of time for teams to work on their pitch deck and practice pitches with the event team, who are all social entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs, and also with each other. We used tools like a “Dashboard” with quick links and low tech message board to create a more uniform experience and make navigating between virtual and in-person a little smoother.
Many teams worked late into the night or awoke early as they prepared for final pitches on the 3rd day. Judges gathered online and teams shared screens and delivered their pitches and slides over a few minutes and then stayed on to answer questions from judges for an additional few minutes.
Watch the Pitches
Meet the Teams
| Team Name | One-line description | Team members |
| Double A Energy | Online platform for young artists and community members to display art and contribute towards mitigating light pollution and saving marine life | Alisa, Aarohee |
| Prabashi Sathi
“Friends of Immigrants” |
Bridging the gap between the Nepali immigrants and the concerned authorities for efficient communication, help, and support. | Anjan,
Mukesh, Aashish |
| Food 4 Fund | A mobile application for rescuing food loss from restaurants. | Preme,
Haruka |
| Embracing the Red
(ME-BOX) |
Destigmatizing Menstruation in Nepal through education and awareness using Me-Box, a box containing products and information related to menstruation. | Paridhi,
Nugnandini, Aakriti |
| The Tre Project | A non-profit project providing affordable eco-friendly, locally-sourced sanitary pads to Vietnamese ethnic minority groups | Carmen, Chau |
| AhotɔHealth | AhotɔHealth is a technology-powered patient management platform that streamlines healthcare delivery and maximizes healthcare outcomes through facilitated access to medical services, affordable prescription medicines, and patient advocacy services. | Anthony, Finleyrose, Kelvin, Baffour |
| Savvy Govvy | A Citizen-Centric Appointment Scheduling Software for Government in Vietnam | Thuy, Abigail |
| Enjovu Paper | Enjovu Paper raises awareness for endangered elephants by recycling elephant dung and producing paper products. | Anthea, Yixin, Qiankuan |
Each team has incredible promise and work ahead. The judges recognized the following teams with awards:
Award Winners
1st Place Social Impact Award
- Embracing the Red (ME-BOX)
- Enjovu Paper
2nd Place Social Impact Award
- Food 4 Fund
- AhotɔHealth
Most Ready to Go-to-Market Award
- Savvy Govvy
People’s Choice Award
- Enjovu Paper
Impact Talk Speakers
Impact Talks:
- jacob adams, STEM to the Future
- Nisha Desai, Ennuity Holdings
- David Ochi, V1 Ventures
- Rachel Connors, Yellow Leaf Hammocks
Judges
- Melody Estrada of Me&Co.
- Dave Landa of Kintone
- Tom Havens of HALO Branded Solutions
- Shaheen Sheik-Sadhal of Esse Law, PC
- Isabelle Bart, of Smartpreneur Women
- Brian Walker of Picture Motion
Impact Workshops
- Introduction to Social Enterprise
- Problem-Mapping
- Social Enterprise Pitch
- Financials for Startups
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