{"667413":{"#nid":"667413","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Students Win Startup Seed Funding in First Sustainable-X Showcase","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAligning profit with impact was at the heart of the first Sustainable-X Showcase held at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business on March 31, 2023.\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainable-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESustainable-X\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;is a partnership of\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/create-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ECREATE-X\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;and the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/index.html\u0022\u003ERay\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/centers-and-initiatives\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/index.html\u0022\u003E\u0026nbsp;C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business\u003C\/a\u003E, and a\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustain.gatech.edu\/sustainabilitynext-plan\u0022\u003ESustainability Next\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;Georgia Tech Strategic Plan initiative. It promotes positive impact through environmental and social impact startups that address the 17\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sdgs.un.org\/goals\u0022\u003EUnited Nations Sustainable Development Goals\u003C\/a\u003E. Sustainable-X Co-director\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/calmon\/index.html\u0022\u003EAndre Calmon\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(assistant professor of operations management) said, \u201cWe hope to accelerate the Georgia Tech ecosystem that supports the development of innovative ventures that align profits with positive social and environmental impact.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe leadership team for Sustainable-X includes Scheller College of Business faculty and staff: co-directors Andre Calmon and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/ramachandran\/index.html\u0022\u003EKarthik Ramachandran\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Dunn Family Professor), advisor\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/faculty\/toktay\/index.html\u0022\u003EBeril Toktay\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Brady Family Chair and Regents\u2019 Professor), and program manager\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/lukens\/index.html\u0022\u003EKjersti Lukens\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(program support coordinator for the Center).\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ESince its launch in November 2022, Sustainable-X has worked toward its goal of injecting energy into the community of sustainable startups through a variety of offerings. A\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/news\/ray-c-anderson-center-for-sustainable-business\/2022-12-09-sustainable-x-launch.html\u0022\u003Etwo-day bootcamp\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;focused on problem framing and ideation exercises to help participants design solutions. At monthly Sustainable-X Hangouts, attendees can learn about climate tech and environmental and social entrepreneurship, get resources for their projects, and meet individuals from different backgrounds in order to develop well-rounded teams. Additionally, participants receive mentorship from entrepreneurs and Georgia Tech faculty who are eager to see the next generation of business leaders and changemakers succeed. All of this year\u2019s activities have built up to the Showcase. The top three teams won cash prizes and the chance to join the CREATE-X Startup Launch program this summer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOut of 30 strong applications for the Showcase submitted by teams from all six Georgia Tech colleges, six teams were selected to pitch their ideas. Teams gave five-minute presentations and answered questions from the judges,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/chklaus\/\u0022\u003EChris Klaus\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/billnussey\/\u0022\u003EBill Nussey\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/doripap\/\u0022\u003EDori Pap\u003C\/a\u003E,\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/saxenar\/\u0022\u003ERahul Saxena\u003C\/a\u003E, and\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/savannahseydel\/\u0022\u003ESavannah Seydel\u003C\/a\u003E. Teams were judged across four categories: 1) business value; 2) novelty, creativity, and feasibility; 3) environmental impact; and 4) presentation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EPrize Winners\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFirst Prize:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.wheelchariot.io\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EWheelChariot\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Tori Stopford and Gabriel Jones)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHow can disabled individuals find out if a business is accessible?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003EWheelChariot aims to help the underserved community of people with disabilities. The team\u2019s goal is to revolutionize the way businesses are rated and reviewed by focusing on their accessibility for people with disabilities.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESecond Prize:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ERaccoon Eyes\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;(Bruce Tan and Ivan Zou)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHow can university dining halls reduce food waste?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003ERaccoon Eyes aims to save money for dining managers and curtail methane gas emissions from food waste. Raccoon Eyes is a trash can extension that collects data and asks for feedback at the point of waste to improve dining operations.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EThird Prize\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u0026nbsp;\u003Cstrong\u003EIn Good Company (\u003C\/strong\u003EAmanda Shojaee and Sarah)\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHow can business owners resolve labor shortages while leveraging a historically overlooked candidate pool?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/em\u003EIn Good Company helps businesses implement inclusive employment practices and improve retention rates. Solutions serve both employers in need of labor and employment seekers in need of the proper accommodations to succeed on the job.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFinalists\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETeam:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/reflexems.wixsite.com\/website\u0022\u003EReflex\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ETeam\u003Cstrong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Member:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003EUsman Jamal\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHow can EMS critical care be delivered more swiftly?\u003C\/em\u003E Time is of the essence during a medical emergency. Reflex delivers life-saving medical equipment via drones within the critical intervention period of an emergency incident.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETeam:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ETBD Aerospace\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ETeam Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Benjamin Jiras, Karsten Caillet, Cayden Shaffer, and Ethan Gutierrez.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHow can firefighting efforts be improved?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003EWildfires are a significant problem globally, but traditional aerial firefighting methods are often inadequate. TBD Aerospace aims to develop a fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles that can help to solve this problem without posing a risk to human pilots.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETeam:\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003ETherapy Sense\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Cstrong\u003ETeam Members:\u003C\/strong\u003E\u0026nbsp;Adithya Mohanavel, Gayathri Rajakumar, Sanjana Vijay Ganesh, Jagriti Sikka, and Richard Rex.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EHow can students\u2019 mental health needs be addressed more efficiently?\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003EUniversity health centers are struggling to keep up with the increasing demand for counseling services. In order to solve the supply and demand problem, Therapy Sense provides comprehensive and personalized AI therapy solutions to college students who are facing mental health challenges.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Raccoon Eyes team expressed that presenting their idea in front of industry experts validated their efforts. They continued, \u201cThe advice we got and will continue to get from the program directors, Karthik Ramachandran and Andre Calmon, has been invaluable and will help our business strategy moving forward. The prize from the showcase gave us funds to build more units and continue iterating our minimum viable product (MVP).\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the WheelChariot team, the first prize winnings mean they can take their startup \u201cto the next level.\u201d The team reflected, \u201cAt our core is accessibility, especially for our platform. With our winnings and investment, we want to work with an expert in designing accessible platforms to make sure that our website and forthcoming app are easy for our community to use. We\u2019re so grateful that the judges believe in the future success of WheelChariot and are as committed to making our world a more accessible place.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EScheller College of Business has a vision of being a top school in research, education, and inclusive innovation. As such, Toktay remarked, WheelChariot\u2019s success offers \u201ca nicely congruent outcome.\u201d She continued, \u201cI\u2019m delighted that the first-prize winner is an exemplar for inclusive innovation, with a compelling business idea that addresses the needs of people with disabilities.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ERamachandran stated that Sustainable-X is committed to the mission of creating a more sustainable future. He said, \u201cWe plan to use the success of the Showcase as a springboard to launch the next generation of sustainable innovators. The event was a success thanks to the support of Sustainable-X\u2019s partners and stakeholders. In the coming months, the initiative will grow its network and identify opportunities for further progress.\u0022\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInterested in getting involved?\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cul\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EVisit the\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/sustainable-x.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESustainable-X website\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to learn more. The program is hosted by Georgia Tech but serves the state of Georgia and is open to students, staff, faculty, alumni, and community members.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EJoin one of the Sustainable-X Hangout events. The next Hangout will take place on April 26\u0026nbsp;(\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_a9nslxjPWgw5iFU\u0022\u003Eclick here to register\u003C\/a\u003E). Hangouts are informal meetings where participants can chat about their ideas and pitches and get feedback from peers and the co-directors.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003EJoin the Sustainable-X\u2019s growing community on Slack and stay connected with like-minded builders and entrepreneurs!\u0026nbsp;\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/join.slack.com\/t\/gatechsustain-xic3047\/shared_invite\/zt-1p5hk6y8l-k9cDilUu~NO9D6sj9G1CWg\u0022\u003EPlease use this link\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to join.\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\t\u003Cli\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/gatech.co1.qualtrics.com\/jfe\/form\/SV_80QJwglfkSHrfXo\u0022\u003EUse this link\u003C\/a\u003E\u0026nbsp;to sign up for the Sustainable-X\u0026nbsp;newsletter.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/li\u003E\r\n\u003C\/ul\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EWritten by\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.scheller.gatech.edu\/directory\/staff\/lux\/index.html\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJennifer Holley Lux\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E. Photographs by\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/em\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/jgcaptured\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cem\u003EJoya Chapman\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cem\u003E.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAligning profit with impact was at the heart of the first Sustainable-X Showcase held at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business on March 31, 2023.\u0026nbsp;Out of 30 strong applications by teams from all six Georgia Tech colleges, six teams were selected to pitch their ideas. Teams gave five-minute presentations and answered questions from judges, who rated them \u0026nbsp;across four categories: 1) business value; 2) novelty, creativity, and feasibility; 3) environmental impact; and 4) presentation.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Aligning profit with impact was at the heart of the first Sustainable-X Showcase held at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business on March 31, 2023.\u00a0"}],"uid":"36436","created_gmt":"2023-04-18 18:57:31","changed_gmt":"2023-05-02 19:28:58","author":"bdurham31","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2023-04-18T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"670717":{"id":"670717","type":"image","title":"2copy2.png","body":null,"created":"1683055673","gmt_created":"2023-05-02 19:27:53","changed":"1683055673","gmt_changed":"2023-05-02 19:27:53","alt":"people","file":{"fid":"253632","name":"2copy2.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/02\/2copy2.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2023\/05\/02\/2copy2.png","mime":"image\/png","size":21074033,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2023\/05\/02\/2copy2.png?itok=Lkqo4QST"}}},"media_ids":["670717"],"groups":[{"id":"583966","name":"CREATE-X"},{"id":"655285","name":"GT Commercialization"}],"categories":[{"id":"42911","name":"Education"},{"id":"139","name":"Business"},{"id":"133","name":"Special Events and Guest Speakers"},{"id":"134","name":"Student and Faculty"},{"id":"154","name":"Environment"},{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39511","name":"Public Service, Leadership, and Policy"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":["acsb@scheller.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}