July 2024 Virtual GE2 Workshop Idea Pitch Contest Winners
- First Place - Global Palate
- Second Place - Ads Match NUPT 2
- Third Place (ties) - Luminous, Peaceful Plates, Robolink Integrators
The Workshop
The workshop is designed to help students understand the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation in today's global economy, and to cultivate an entrepreneurial mind-set. Students will work as part of inter-disciplinary, multi-cultural teams, exploring problem solving techniques, opportunity identification, business concept development, and venture planning using standard business model frameworks to bring their ideas to reality. The workshop will culminate with a Venture Pitch Competition.
During the workshop, students will work on real-life technological/social projects, evaluate their commercialization potential and opportunity, and build a business model. Students should be prepared to explore opportunities on a global basis, thus leveraging their own national and regional knowledge. The success of any venture is built on knowledge in multiple business areas, so students will be encouraged to leverage concepts from engineering, marketing, operations, finance, etc.
Entrepreneurship Topics
- Essentials of Innovation and Entrepreneurship
- Business Model Generation, Lean Launchpad
- Customer Discovery and Development
- Design Thinking Innovation & Entrepreneurship
- Team Building and Leadership
- Market Research
- Making Presentations
- Financing New Ventures & Venture Implementation
July 2024 Virtual GE2 Workshop Idea Pitch Contest Winners
A total of 27 teams submitted their pitches to the Idea Pitch Contest! Thank you to all teams that participated.
First Place: Global Palate - A retail store for imported, authentic, snacks from multiple countries.
- Vaidehi M, Payal P, Yogitha Shetty, Shrinidhi Suvarna, Zubeida Aqsa
Second Place: Ads Match NUPT #2 - Improves the match between companies and influencers to increase value to businesses.
- WenJing He, BaoMIng Wang, Chen Zhang
Third Place (tie): Luminous - Repurposes textile waste into eco-friendly packaging solutions.
- Roshni Seema Rodrigues, Shalet Lobo, Shifanath VL, Nidhi K, Siba Shaikh
Third Place (tie): Peaceful Plates - Helps parents enjoy a peaceful night out.
- Shashank Amin, Kimphoung Bazmore, Robert Pingeton, David Therrien
Third Place (tie): RoboLink Integrators - Revolutionizes robot systems integration for SMEs with a lean, specialized team structure.
- Ajjarapu Sai Vishal, Gokul Ve, Aishwarya Lakshmi
July 2023 Virtual GE2 Workshop Idea Pitch Contest Winners
First Place: Modern Optical Store - Helping people to choose appropriate glasses that fit their appearance.
- Theda Hout, Ly Muyeng, Sonthari Dilen Keam, Arrianna Mahase, Sokheng Lai, Mona Lin, Sdar Ly
Second Place: Mentalverse - Mental health care in the metaverse.
- Ayaka Tomita, Shaun Hallion, Arthur Murray, Ryo Nakamura, Jawad Ali
Third Place: Dining Pal - A student centric application for university dining services.
- Gabriel Asmar
July 2022 Virtual GE2 Workshop Idea Pitch Contest Winners
First Place: MyHealth
- Sai Praveen Kondapalli, Hanyu Du, Yu Yan, Chang Gao, Ganesh Gollakoti
Second Place: AI Based Application in the Medical Cosmetology Industry
- Jinhua Yan, Mariko Sugiyama, Rooby Denaud, Colleen Vazquez, Chiyako Yamano
Third Place: Training Quality Workers for Developing Countries to Support a Growing Economy
- Atsuko Tsutsumi, Sarah Elie, Alexandre Bosoni, Eri Sobu
July 2021 Virtual GE2 Workshop Idea Pitch Contest Winners
Students learned entrepreneurship concepts, received mentoring, conducted customer discovery work, assembled a global venture plan, and participated in a venture pitch contest.
First Place: Borrowing Bollywood
- Nabihah Khalid, Nimra Khalid, Arjun Arora, Gagandeep Singh Rana, Sai Praveen Kondapalli, Nan Su Su Naing, Temidayo Eniola
Second Place: PPE Accessibility
- Sahil Puri, Samhitha Aniam, Rabia Tas
Third Place (tie): Online Jewelry Store
- Yovchhean Fu, Bhavin Shah
Third Place (tie): Supply Chain for Rural Healthcare
- Saurabh Bhosale, K Uday Radhesh, Shalaka Sajane, Rothika Y
March - April 2021 Virtual GE2 Workshop
As a follow up to the summer 2020 workshop, GE2 conducted an extended, 6-week workshop in March and April 2021. Over 100 participants from nine countries met on Saturday mornings to learn essentials of entrepreneurship and innovation. UMass Lowell faculty discussed four key modules on Essentials; Business Model Design & Venture Concept; Customer, Market & Competition; and, Financing a Venture. Fifteen teams were formed and worked on their ideas. UMass Lowell faculty provided mentoring guidance. The last session was a highlight of the workshop when three speakers discussed entrepreneurship ecosystems in their countries: India, China, and the US. Winners of Idea Pitch Contests were announced after a panel discussion.
July 2020 Virtual GE2 Workshop
Read about how the UMass Lowell Virtual GE2 Summer Workshop provided a unique learning experience about entrepreneurship: Here's How 640 Entrepreneurs Respond to a Pandemic by Ed Brennen.
The Virtual GE2 Workshop was held from July 13 to 17, 2020. Over 640 students and faculty from over 20 countries registered for the workshop. An Idea Pitch Contest was announced to those who wished to pursue a Certificate Track. 185 students in 45 teams competed in the Contest! The top three teams were awarded cash prizes. Here is a look at some innovative ideas from the Pitch Contest.
Congratulations to the Idea Pitch Contest winners, and all the teams that participated!