Students Win Top 100 DMV Entrepreneurs Second Challenge Cup

In March, Georgetown students Shivum Bharill (C’17) and Rainier Go (C’17) competed against students from nine other local universities to win the Top 100 DMV (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia) Student Entrepreneurs Second Annual Challenge Cup. The event was hosted at the Google office in Washington, D.C.

Student teams representing each school – American University, Catholic University, University of the District of Columbia, Gallaudet University, George Mason University, George Washington University, Howard University, Johns Hopkins University, and University of Maryland – pitched their business venture in front of a panel. 

Bharill and Go pitched their business, Thrive Health, which aims to support college students by providing them with access to a community of therapists beyond their own campuses via video chat. Earlier this year, their business won the StartUp Hoyas social impact pitch competition, “Entrepreneurship: A Force for Good.” 

“It was heartening that the judges saw potential in our idea to connect college students with registered therapists via video chat,” said Bharill.  Each judge provided us with useful feedback that we are incorporating into Thrive as we work toward our goal of making mental health services more accessible on college campuses.”