GW's Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIE) announced the finalists for all five tracks of the prestigious New Venture Competition, a nationally recognized event for student entrepreneurship. In its 16th year, the three-round NVC gives GW students, faculty and alumni a real-world experiential learning opportunity in entrepreneurship. The NVC has served more than 3,000 student entrepreneurs and awarded $2 million in cash prizes. Finalists in 2024 can win up to $330,00 total in cash and prizes.
After pitching to judges on April 10, finalists will have the opportunity to present their ideas via elevator pitch at an awards ceremony open to the public and free of charge from 6-8:30 p.m. on April 11 in Jack Morton Auditorium. The winners will be announced that night.
The finalists emerged from a field of 192 teams in round one and the 116 who made it on to the semifinals.
Saleh Sani (EdD, Human & Organizational Learning) has been named a finalist for the 2024 New Venture Competition in the "Social Innovation Track." This track includes solutions focused on improving and sustaining the welfare and well-being of individuals or communities that can be for-profit, nonprofit or hybrid.
Sani's platform, Goalplus, is designed to host inclusive events and address the need for organized recreational activities by connecting youth, families and corporations. Goalplus hopes to challenge the recreational sports landscape.
Additional finalists in the category include:
- Fluffy Honey Farm, LLC, a clinical therapy focusing on friendly temperament alpacas to offer reassurance and ease anxiety during therapeutic sessions. From GW Business’ Michael Bingham and Ashley Thomas.
- Engineering Horizons, an initiative allowing GW engineering students to volunteer within the local community to foster a safe, exploratory space for underserved eighth grade students by providing them high-impact STEM tutoring. From School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Ammar Kamaruszaman, Rigel Brown, Taylor White, Nicolo Kreuger and Treesta James.