{"id":109152,"date":"2015-07-01T14:00:45","date_gmt":"2015-07-01T18:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=109152"},"modified":"2015-07-01T14:13:39","modified_gmt":"2015-07-01T18:13:39","slug":"announcing-the-inaugural-tibetan-innovation-challenge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/announcing-the-inaugural-tibetan-innovation-challenge\/","title":{"rendered":"Announcing the Inaugural Tibetan Innovation Challenge"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u2014New Intercollegiate Competition to Benefit Tibetan Refugees <\/em>\u2014<\/p>\n

NEW YORK CITY \u2014<\/strong> 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe competition will bring college students across the U.S. into productive relationships with Tibetans, their culture, and the societal issues they face as refugees,\u201d said Michael Wohl, competition originator and associate director of social entrepreneurship at the University of Rochester. \u201cIt 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0Each 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.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ideas presented at this competition may be truly transformative for the Tibetan refugee population,\u201d said Joel Seligman, president of the University of Rochester. \u201cAdditionally, the competition represents a collaboration among diverse institutions uniting under the singular goal of furthering social good\u2014a core value of the University of Rochester in our ongoing quest to embrace the university\u2019s motto of Meliora<\/em>, or ever better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Proposed ideas from the six finalist universities include:<\/p>\n