- Case Western Reserve University: Provide Internet cafes powered by solar energy and Tesla-powered wall batteries.
- Syracuse University: tsampa- A Taste of Tibet is a nutrition bar produced by Tibetan refugees in India and sold in the U.S.
- Texas Tech University: PATA will revitalize the handicraft market by providing an online point-of-sales system that allows handicraft producers to target western countries.
- University of California, Los Angeles: Khata Studios will produce and distribute podcasts, targeted at young Tibetans, with programing designed to develop interest in their culture and motivate economic development.
- University of Maryland: To offer a three-part curriculum — “Enlighten,” “Enrich” and “Engage” — that teaches entrepreneurship to students in the Tibetan Children’s Village school system.
- University of Rochester: Himalayan Microfinance will unlock the entrepreneurial potential of Tibetans living in India by bringing them basic financial training and access to capital.
University News
Announcing the Inaugural Tibetan Innovation Challenge
—New Intercollegiate Competition to Benefit Tibetan Refugees —
NEW YORK CITY — The Tibetan Innovation Challenge is a new intercollegiate social entrepreneurship business plan competition created to improve the lives of 125,000 Tibetan refugees. The goal of the Challenge, which is organized by the University of Rochester, is to develop self-sustaining and replicable business ideas to alleviate the economic difficulties Tibetan refugees are facing.
“The competition will bring college students across the U.S. into productive relationships with Tibetans, their culture, and the societal issues they face as refugees,” said Michael Wohl, competition originator and associate director of social entrepreneurship at the University of Rochester. “It will provide creative and entrepreneurial growth for the students, vital economic benefits to the Tibetan people, and deeper understanding and connection to our shared humanity.”
In May 2015, six select universities across the country held competitions for teams of students, including at least one graduate business student, to develop practical business ideas that Tibetan refugees in India might implement in their communities. Each university selected one team to advance to the National Finals in New York City in July, where Tibetans and supporters of the cause will serve as judges and select the winning business plan. Judges include Kaydor Aukatsang, representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to North America; Jeff Hoffman, a successful serial entrepreneur who has been part of the founding teams for companies such as Priceline.com and uBid.com; Lobsang Nyandak, executive director of the Tibet Fund and trustee to H.H. the Dalai Lama; Song Pak, senior vice president of operations and acting general counsel for Revolution LLC, and general counsel and chief compliance officer for Revolution Growth; and Thubten Samdup, former representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama to Northern Europe.
“The ideas presented at this competition may be truly transformative for the Tibetan refugee population,” said Joel Seligman, president of the University of Rochester. “Additionally, the competition represents a collaboration among diverse institutions uniting under the singular goal of furthering social good—a core value of the University of Rochester in our ongoing quest to embrace the university’s motto of Meliora, or ever better.”
Proposed ideas from the six finalist universities include: