This Global Entrepreneurship Week, solve a $1 million global challenge

decorative graphicGlobal Entrepreneurship Week is the time to think about big global challenges.  So, it is the perfect time to launch the Syracuse University campus Hult Prize to tackle a huge societal problem n the world’s most prestigious social entrepreneurship competition, with a $1 million grand prize.

Syracuse applications are now open for the world’s largest student competition for the creation of new social businesses.  Undergraduate and graduate students at Syracuse University from across all academic programs and majors, and SUNY ESF students who study entrepreneurship at SU, are invited to apply.

As part of Global Entrepreneurship Week, the Blackstone LaunchPad will host a Hult Prize “Power Hour” November 14 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Blackstone LaunchPad. This Power Hour is for students to come and learn more about Hult Prize as well as brainstorm ideas to help solve this year’s wicked problem — youth unemployment.

Applications are open until November 23 and the competition will be held November 30 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. in Bird Library.

The Hult Prize will award $1 million in start-up funding to the team of students that develops the most radical and breakthrough idea to ameliorate student unemployment. With the help of the United Nations, Hult has released a report outlining the importance of the years challenge.

In partnership with the United Nations, the Hult Prize is hosting college and university events around the world in search of the next game-changing start-up. Audrey Miller will be leading the Hult Prize at Syracuse University initiative and is confident that her peers on campus have as good as chance as anyone to go all the way and with this year’s Hult Prize.  For the past two years, two Syracuse University teams have advanced to the global regionals.

The winner of the campus event will automatically advance to compete in one of fifteen regional finals happening around the world next March. One winning team from each host city will then move onto a summer business incubator, where participants will receive mentorship, advisory and strategic planning as they create prototypes and set-up to launch their new social business. A final round of competition will be hosted in September 2018, where the winning team to be awarded the $1 million prize.

Hult Prize at Syracuse University is now recruiting teams of 3 who are interested in registering for the competition.

The City of Syracuse is partnering with the Blackstone LaunchPad on this year’s Hult Prize competition. Mayor Walsh has prioritized Youth Unemployment, perfectly aligning with this year’s challenge. City officials will be attending the Hult Prize Power Hour, and also sitting in on the final pitches on November 30th to see which ideas could be a good fit in Syracuse. The city is interested in potentially working with the winning team to implement a pilot program here in Syracuse.

Students interested in learning more about youth unemployment in the city, looking for an opportunity to brainstorm, or just learn more about Hult Prize can join city officials and the Hult Prize organizing team on Wednesday November 13th at 6pm in the Launchpad for a Hult Prize Power Hour.

Apply here.