Syracuse Sun

In February, five student teams from Syracuse University took part in the 2025 Hult Prize campus qualifier held at Syracuse University Libraries' Blackstone LaunchPad. They competed for an opportunity to present at the Hult Prize national qualifier at the Hult International Business School in Boston, set for March 21.

Lindy Truitt from the College of Visual and Performing Arts and Anjaneya Padwal from the School of Information Studies, who are the founders of SipSafe+, emerged victorious in the campus qualifier. They advanced to the national competition but did not progress to the final round. Nevertheless, they received notable praise from the judges for their idea and presentation.

Other participants in the campus qualifier included Alie Savane, founder of Beta Kola, Carolina Aguayo Plá, founder of Frutecho, and the team of Anthony H. Smith Jr., Bryson Carter, Asha Breedlove, and Stacey Collier, founders of HBeatzCU. Additionally, Aidan Turner, Lucas d’Oelsnitz, Carolyn Fernandes, and Aphrodite Gioulekas competed as founders of Solace.

The Hult Prize is a significant global business competition established through a collaboration between the Hult International Business School and the United Nations Foundation. It aims to inspire student entrepreneurs to address global challenges via innovative social enterprises with a positive worldwide impact. Over its history, more than one million students from over 120 countries have participated, aiming to create high-impact startups aligned with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. Finalists pitch their businesses to a panel of expert judges, with the winning team receiving $1 million to realize their idea.

This year's Syracuse University qualifier was organized by Aditee Malviya from the College of Engineering and Computer Science.