Pitch Competition Showcases Social Entrepreneurs

On February 14, the Georgetown University McDonough School of Business Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative hosted the social impact pitch competition, “Entrepreneurship: A Force for Good.”  Presented by the initiative’s StartupHoyas, the competition united groups on campus to showcase the value of social entrepreneurship and of being “men and women for others.”

“Entrepreneurs solve problems and help the world,” said Jeff Reid, founding director of the Georgetown Entrepreneurship Initiative and professor of the practice. “It is great to see students create ventures that impact the community.”

Students pitched their social impact business venture to a panel of judges, who were both entrepreneurs and alumni, for a cash prize. The winners include:

First Place: Thrive Health – Shivum Bharill (C ’17) and Rainier Go (COL ’17)

Thrive Health aims to support college students by providing them with access to a community of therapists beyond their own campuses via video chat.

“By participating in the pitch competition, we learned that Georgetown University has a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem that is here to support its students and foster innovation,” said Bharill. “We also believe deeply in the idea of community support.”

Second Place and People’s Choice: Ubiqua – Sebastian Garcia (GCL ’17)

Ubiqua is an enterprise aimed at helping immigrants allocate remittances directly to goods and services without the need for intermediaries.

“Participating in this competition increased my awareness of how we can impact other people’s lives by providing tools and guidance no matter the distances that might separate us,” said Garcia.

Third Place: Rocket Bargain – Chris Gavin (B ’19)

Rocket Bargain is an online platform that sells brand name clothes for discount prices so the poorest Americans can afford clothes.

“This event was the first, but not last, pitch for Rocket Bargain,” said Gavin. “I am very excited for the future of this company. The money received will go a long way to expanding business activities.”