A team of students went head-to-head with top tier schools in the world’s largest student competition in the quest for social good and $1 million USD in start-up funding. On March 1 and 2, the group competed in the regional finals of the 4th Annual Hult Prize, recently named one of the top five ideas changing the world by President Bill Clinton and TIME Magazine. The event took place on Hult International Business School campus in Boston.
The Bentley team consisted of Moussa Hassoun ’14; seniors Olivia Jemsten, Ryan Harkins, and Manolo Perez-Benitoa; graduate student Adam Hammond; and freshman Juan Felipe Celia under faculty adviser Mary Marcel.
“We did extremely well and impressed many of the judges,” says Hassoun, team founder and captain. “Although we did not advance to the nationals, we competed well against MBA and public policy graduate students from all over the world.”
The 2013 Hult Prize is themed around global food security and will focus on how to get safe, sufficient, affordable and easily accessible food to the 200 million people who live in urban slums — a challenge personally selected by President Clinton.
In partnership with the Clinton Global Initiative, the innovative crowdsourcing platform identifies and launches disruptive and catalytic social ventures that aim to solve the planets most pressing challenges. Student teams compete in five cities around the world for a chance to secure USD 1 million in start-up funding to launch a sustainable social venture.
“The Hult Prize was thrilled that Bentley University joined the initiative,” said Dr. Stephen Hodges, President of the Hult International Business School. “This year’s competition received a record number of entries, bringing together some of the most talented students to help solve global food security which can benefit nearly a billion people.”