Solar Conduction Dryer Wins Grand Prize in 2013 Dell Social Innovation Challenge
15 Mai 2013 - 3:51PM
Business Wire
Dell announced today that Solar Conduction Dryer received
the $60,000 grand prize in the Dell Social Innovation
Challenge (DSIC) to help fuel their innovation. Solar
Conduction Dryer and young social innovators from four other
finalist teams convened in Austin this week to compete for the cash
prize as part of the DSIC, which recognizes undergraduate and
graduate students from around the world who envision, create and
implement social innovation projects that help communities around
the world.
Solar Conduction Dryer aims to address the 20 to 30 percent food
spoilage rate for poor rural Indian farmers, via cost-effective
dehydrators powered by solar conduction. The innovation will enable
farmers to keep more of their crops and sell dehydrated fruits and
vegetables as another income source.
“Our solar conduction dryer will act as a boon for the farmers
and fishermen with poor access to electricity,” said Shital Somani
with Solar Conduction Dryer. “The platform provided by DSIC will
help us in scaling up our technology to reach the farmers and thus
provide them with a revolutionary sustainable technology, to cope
with the agrarian crisis and prosper.”
The other four 2013 finalists included:
- Foot Soldiers: In second
place, Foot Soldiers received $40,000 to sell affordable shoes for
the 48 million Bangladeshi who cannot afford proper footwear and
are thus at risk for various diseases associated with bare feet.
The project will use rubber tires that are currently thrown away or
burnt as Bangladesh’s car population rises.
- Good-Benefits.com: In
third place, Good-Benefits.com received $20,000 to create a “401k
for charity” by helping people make payroll contributions to
tax-exempt micro-foundation accounts from which they can give funds
over time to nonprofits. The project will help companies run
simple, engaging workplace giving campaigns.
- The final two finalists, Semka
Biomedical Technologies and Citizen Power / Sunriding,
received $10,000 each to launch their ideas. Semka, from Mexico, is
developing a device capable of performing non-invasive tumor
biopsies through blood extraction. Citizen Power, a German team, is
building a peer-to-peer online social platform for crowdsourcing
urban solar installations.
The five finalists participated this week in networking,
mentoring opportunities with social innovation leaders and the
final pitches to vie for the grand prize. They presented their
entrepreneurial ideas to a panel of judges comprising business
leaders, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, and the winner was
selected following the pitches.
The DSIC identifies and supports promising young social
innovators who dedicate themselves to solving some of the world’s
most pressing problems with their transformative ideas. Introduced
in 2007 by the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service in
the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The University of Texas at
Austin, the Challenge provides students with world-class teaching
and training, as well as start-up capital and access to a network
of mentors and advisers. Entries are judged on three primary
criteria: clarity of the innovation and potential social impact;
demonstration of a high probability of success; and potential
impact from winning DSIC. In 2013, more than 2,600 projects from
teams presented ideas that addressed issues impacting more than 110
countries.
“Two of the most powerful forces in the world are innovation and
entrepreneurship,” said Suzi Sosa, DSIC executive director and
associate director, RGK Center. “The Dell Social Innovation
Challenge empowers students to become innovators and
entrepreneurs. Through our competition, university students
from any country are inspired to tackle the issues they are most
passionate about and are equipped with the tools and training to
bring their ideas to life. This year we will provide
mentorship or seed funding to more than 250 teams whose projects
span multiple issues, including health, energy, poverty, education
and much more. Through our program students are able to create
the jobs they want while building the world they want at the same
time.”
Dell’s support for the DSIC includes tools and technology,
experience and expertise, and funding. The company became the
competition’s title sponsor in 2008; at the close of the 2011
Challenge, Dell announced a $5 million grant, distributed over five
years, to expand the Challenge’s efforts worldwide and support its
goal of engaging more students per year. This year, more than 1,200
Dell employees volunteered to participate in the DSIC as both
judges and mentors.
“Dell was founded in a dorm room, and the spirit of
entrepreneurship runs deep in our company’s DNA,” said Trisa
Thompson, Dell’s vice president of corporate responsibility. “We
know that students can change the world, and we’re excited to
support them with technology, mentorship, networking and funding
that can bring their ideas to life.”
About Dell Social Innovation Challenge
The Dell Social Innovation Challenge (DSIC), identifies and
supports promising young social innovators who dedicate themselves
to solving the world’s most pressing problems with their
transformative ideas. DSIC, which is the flagship social
entrepreneurship initiative of the RGK Center for Philanthropy and
Community Service in the LBJ School of Public Affairs at The
University of Texas at Austin, provides university students with
world-class teaching and training, as well as with start-up capital
and access to a network of mentors and advisors. For more
information, visit www.dellchallenge.org.
About Dell
Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers
innovative technology and services that give them the power to do
more. Powering the Possible is Dell’s commitment to putting its
technology and expertise to work where it can do the most good for
people and the planet. Learn more at
www.dell.com/poweringthepossible.
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