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Past Winners - 2008
Husk Power Systems team members Manoj Sinha and Chip Ransler win the 2008 competition.
In 2008, the competition expanded eligibility beyond the borders of Texas to include students from any U.S. college or university.
Students from 97 different universities across the nation submitted nearly 1,200 ideas for social change. Students offered their innovative solutions to a number of areas, including healthcare, education, the environment, energy sustainability, and nonprofit performance.
Three finalist teams were invited to Austin and competed live in front of a panel of judges. Congratulations to all students who participated in 2008!
Watch
People's Choice Award: $1,000
Husk Power Systems, University of Virginia
Team Members: Charles (Chip) Ransler, Manoj Sinha
Planting Empowerment, Johns Hopkins University, Ohio University, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Virginia Tech
Team Members: Chris Meyer, Damion Croston, Andrew Wulf, Andrew Parrucci
Swayam, Stanford University
Team Members:Deepti Chatti, Ashni Mohnot, Somik Raha, Thomas Seyller
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| 2008 Social Innovation Competition Final Presentations and Award Ceremony | 05/02/08 |
Winners
1st Place: $50,000 Grand Prize
People's Choice Award: $1,000
Husk Power Systems, University of Virginia
Team Members: Charles (Chip) Ransler, Manoj Sinha
Husk Power Systems provides power to millions of rural Indians in a financially sustainable, scalable, environmentally friendly and profitable manner. Husk Power Systems has created proprietary technology that cost-effectively converts rice husks into electricity
Follow Husk's progress on their blog.
2nd Place: $7,500 Prize
Planting Empowerment, Johns Hopkins University, Ohio University, Thunderbird School of Global Management, Virginia Tech
Team Members: Chris Meyer, Damion Croston, Andrew Wulf, Andrew Parrucci
Planting Empowerment (PE) addresses the three issues of environmental degradation, rural poverty and investor consciousness through the offering of three investment products in tropical hardwood plantations in Panama. Capital raised from its three investment products is used to lease land from rural Panamanians for sustainable forestry initiatives. PE aims to offer investors the opportunity to save the rainforests and rural communities of Panama while realizing financial gains.
Get news on Planting Empowerment and watch the video on YouTube
3rd Place: $2,500 Prize
Swayam, Stanford University
Team Members:Deepti Chatti, Ashni Mohnot, Somik Raha, Thomas Seyller
Swayam helps promising students eliminate the financial barrier to education, a bright future and a better standard of living by enabling investors to fund their education in return for a percentage of their future income for a fixed period of time.
Follow Swayam on their blog.
See Past Winners by year: