On April 5, the Advanced Technology Center hosted the Social Enterprise Incubator Student Competition, in which students were judged based on their innovative business methods to solve problems.

Social entrepreneurship uses these methods to create sustainable change for society on a local or global level.

Students were judged in the categories of societal impact, innovation, sustainability and presentation/other strengths. Participants submitted a white paper and presented their ideas to a panel of judges which included:

• Martha Barrett, Bank of America Foundation and FSCJ board member
• Dr. Marie Gnage, Downtown Campus president and Campus Compact board member
• Dr. Chris Holland, vice president of student services
• Dr. John Wall, incoming interim provost/vice president for academic affairs

Elizabeth Hendrix was awarded the top prize of $1,500 for “Community Chews,” a community garden project with domestic violence survivors. Lenny Cobb’s “Afterhours Childcare Facility” presentation came in second place. His project is geared toward single mothers who work night and late shifts. Audience members awarded Savanna Ogilvie as the People’s Choice prize winner for “Shoes for the Soul” which would provide footwear to the homeless population.

The competition was made possible through funding from the Bank of America Foundation and support from the Provost’s Office to establish Dr. Penny Devine (Kent Campus) and Professor Rawlslyn Francis (South Campus) as 2015-16 Faculty Fellows in Social Entrepreneurship in the FSCJ Center for Civic Engagement.