Announcing the 2019 SNVC Finalists

Today seven teams were selected to pitch their social impact startups during the John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge (SNVC) Finals on June 4.

The SNVC is the social impact track of the Edward L. Kaplan, ’71, New Venture Challenge (NVC), the University of Chicago’s nationally ranked accelerator program. The SNVC is run by Chicago Booth's Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation, along with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

On Tuesday, June 4, SNVC finalists will compete for $110,000 in startup capital and an additional $30,000 in specialized awards during the ninth annual competition.

“As we approach the 10th anniversary of launching the SNVC, I’m proud to say that I’m still amazed by the caliber of students and the ideas that come through the university’s business launch program,” said Robert H. Gertner, Joel F. Gemunder Professor of Strategy and Finance at Chicago Booth and John Edwardson Faculty Director of the Rustandy Center. “I look forward to watching students present their ideas to judges next week.”

Meet the 2019 SNVC finalists:

Populi Foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to creating a more representative physician workforce by providing quality pre-medical mentoring and advising to students of socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. (Booth, Pritzker) Populi Foundation will present at 10:05 a.m.

MM Community is a civic engagement solution that promotes inclusive community development in local townships and villages in Myanmar by enabling individual citizens to crowdfund community projects, with government repayments at project completion. (Harris) MM Community will present at 10:35 a.m.

Prepmedians teaches test prep through sketch comedy, parody, music, and rap. We seek to break down the income and engagement barriers in the education world in order to give every student a chance to succeed academically. (Booth) Prepmedians will present at 11:20 a.m.

Business Services Collective provides a shared back office to small minority-owned construction companies. By lowering the cost to access services like bid estimation, project management and bookkeeping, we enable entrepreneurs of color to stabilize their businesses and focus on growth. (Booth) Business Services Collective will present at 11:50 a.m.

Veera Health is a telehealth platform designed to address the social stigma, myths, and barriers to access that exist around women’s health in India. We aim to empower women to uniquely navigate their health journey by accessing a curated network of providers via telemedicine, medically verified content, shared personal experiences from other women, and other support services through the convenience and privacy of their mobile device. (Booth) Veera Health will present at 1:40 p.m.

Debate it Forward uses debate to teach students that are frequently overlooked by academically rigorous extracurricular programs critical 21st century skills: analytical reasoning, self-advocacy, and respectful disagreement. (College) Debate it Forward will present at 2:10 p.m.

diBO is a digital impact banking organization that develops innovative, socially conscious financial products for low- and middle-income consumers, starting with an affordable healthcare loan that ensures everyone can get the medical care they need, when they need it.  (Booth, Harris) diBO will present at 2:55 p.m.

Doors open for SNVC finals at 9:15 a.m. in Harper Center, C-25, and remarks will start promptly at 10 a.m. Winners will be announced at the Taste the Impact reception in Harper Center, Room 104, and the SNVC Finals will also be live streamed.

The SNVC is the cornerstone of the Rustandy Center’s Edwardson Social Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Chicago, an initiative named in recognition of a 2016 gift by John Edwardson, ’72, retired chairman and CEO of CDW and co-chair of Advance Illinois.

Register to attend or live stream the 2019 SNVC Finals and the Taste the Impact Reception via this link.