Press release from Business Wire India
Source: Dell India
Friday, May 13, 2011 12:49 PM IST (07:19 AM GMT)
Editors: General: Consumer interest; Business: Advertising, PR & marketing, Business services, Education & training, Information technology; Technology
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Indian University Team in Finals for Dell's Global Social Innovation Competition
Bangalore, Karnataka, India, Friday, May 13, 2011 -- (Business Wire India) -- -- Global contest to recognize and encourage young entrepreneurial ideas
-- India entry among five finalists from across the world
In the recently announced finalists for Dell Social Innovation Competition, one of the finalist teams is from an Indian University. The project entry submitted by the Indian student team SIFE CBS from the Shaheed Sukhdev College of Business Studies is among the five finalist teams competing from across the world.
Dell and the University of Texas at Austin's RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service are working together for the fifth consecutive year to help fuel the entrepreneurial spirit of the best and brightest young minds with the 2011 Dell Social Innovation Competition.
The program inspires university students to approach global social problems through entrepreneurship, technology and sustainability and empowers them with unique skills and opportunities to succeed in a globally competitive workforce. The contestants with the best idea and venture plan will be awarded a $50,000 grand prize.
Project 'Sanitation Solutions' is a unique project aimed at simultaneously increasing the awareness for the use of hygienic sanitary napkins by women in slums across Delhi while also providing them with a sustained means of livelihood. The project aims at helping these women learn the basic skills of selling, encouraging them to be independent in financial matters. As part of the project, regular awareness camps about sanitary hygiene are held in various slums of Delhi to teach them the basics of hygiene and answer their queries about the same. Sanitary napkins are procured from the manufacturers directly, thereby reducing the cost, and given to the sellers in the slums who in turn are able to earn a reasonable profit margin. The product is available to the slum women at a price which is much lower than the market price and at the same time the quality is not compromised with.
"True change comes from the ground up. Many times it's the small ideas that evolve into revolutionary organizations," said Trisa Thompson, vice president of Corporate Responsibility, Dell. "Dell was founded on these ideals and we want to build on the entrepreneurial spirit these students possess and equip them with the tools they need to turn their innovative ideas for social good into a reality."
"We like to create a culture that empowers students to think big," stated Suzi Sosa, associate director for programs at the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service, a research unit at the University of Texas' LBJ School of Public Affairs. "This competition extends that opportunity to students worldwide, giving them a platform to share their idea on a global stage and possibly even the chance to fund and launch it. Our vision is a world in which thousands of students are daring to make a difference."
The other finalist project entries are:
-- Project 'Malo Traders' from the Temple University, USA, that looks to use cutting edge technology towards solving problems of post-harvest losses and malnutrition in Mali.
-- Project 'Community Bazaar, from Carnegie Mellon University, USA to use renewable energy to bring prosperity and wealth to rural Sierra Leone in an innovative way.
-- Project 'Sustainable Sanitation in Urban Slums' from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA, to increase access to safe, affordable sanitation in urban slums.
-- Project 'TakaTaka Solutions' from the London School of Economics, UK, for waste-collection & recycling.
The 115 semi-finalists were invited to develop their ideas into detailed venture plans and create video pitches on April 1, 2011. The plans were be judged by leaders in academia, business, government and the non-profit sector. From these semifinalists, five finalist teams were selected.
The grand prize winners will be announced at a reception following the presentations. The first place winner will receive $50,000; second place, $20,000; and third place, $10,000. Each of these cash awards is given to help the contestants turn their ideas into a new business or non-profit organization. The first, second and third place teams also will receive two Dell laptops each and be granted access to the top social entrepreneurship networks and events. Additionally, entrants are eligible to win a $10,000 Dell Technology Award, $10,000 Tomberg Prize in Environmental Sustainability or $10,000 People's Choice award.
Past winners of the Dell Social Innovation Competition include Shining Hope for Communities, the 2010 grand prize winner that links tuition-free school for girls to accessible, income-generating social services for all to combat gender inequality in places of extreme poverty. Gardens for Health, the 2009 winner, is dedicated to enabling people living with HIV/AIDS to improve their nutrition, health and treatment adherence through sustainable agriculture. Other ideas encouraged by the competition include Embrace, a $25 infant incubator for developing nations, and Waste to Watts, which creates innovative products from repurposed electronic waste to meet the energy dilemmas of the developing world.
To learn more about the Dell Social Innovation Competition and past winners, visit http://www.dellsocialinnovation.com, become a Facebook fan or follow the competition on Twitter.
About Dell
Dell (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to its customers and uses that insight to develop and deliver customized technology solutions to government, healthcare and educational organizations worldwide. Learn more at www.dell.com
CONTACT DETAILS
Ajay Arora, Dell, +91 9810383663, Ajay_Arora@Dell.com
Shweta Makhija, 20:20 MSL, +91 9886089479, shweta.makhija@2020msl.com
KEYWORDS
CONSUMER, MARKETING, BUSINESS SERVICES, EDUCATION, IT, TECHNOLOGY
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