Impact Challenge 2021: Resilience in Action
Impact Challenge 2021: Resilience in Action
Registration is CLOSED
THE CHALLENGE
As we look ahead to post-COVID recovery, we cannot lose sight of the impact the last 15 months have had on small businesses. The abrupt pivot in early 2020 to an almost exclusively digital economy exposed crucial vulnerabilities for many small businesses. Small scale restaurants, salons, gift shops — retailers of every type– had to reinvent themselves again and again. As a result, small businesses of every variety have adopted new business models, platforms, products and services.
Ascend invites innovative, socially conscious students and professionals from any school or industry to compete in this year’s Impact Challenge. Help us put resilience into concrete action by formulating a solution to the following challenge:
Learning from the pandemic, how can small businesses increase their resilience to withstand, adapt, and thrive in the face of future shocks?
Questions to consider might include:
HOPE KING
Business Reporter, Axios
KRISTIE CURAMENG BRADFORD
Director, Intellectual Property, IBM
BRIAN PANG
Development Director, EA Sports
CAROL LEE MITCHELL
Head of Small Business Strategy, Bank of America
*** Graph shows closures since Mar 1, 2020 ***
TEAMS
MENTORS
(subject to change)
This virtual challenge will take place online.
Friday, August 20, 2021
1-3 pm EST
Virtual Event Kick Off. Link will be provided.
Thursday, August 26, 2021
5 pm EST
Projects submission deadline. Projects should be submitted via DevPost.
Friday, August 27, 2021
2-4 pm EST
Team Presentations, Judging, Winners Announced
SUBMISSIONS
Submissions must reflect the original work of the project team alone. Submissions must consist of the following components:
Please adhere to the deadline for submissions above. This deadline is to give the judges time to review submissions before the competition. Submissions should be submitted via DevPost
The top 10 teams will present their submission on August 27 for the judging panel.
A video presentation is acceptable, however, at least one team member must attend the live virtual event to be available to answer questions. Teams will have a total of 5 minutes to present their idea to the judges and 2 minutes for Q&A. Your team’s 60 second video pitch may be included as part of your presentation but is not required.
JUDGING CRITERIA
Projects will be judged based on the following criteria:
KRISTIE CURAMENG BRADFORD
Director, Intellectual Property
IBM
JENNIFER JAO
IT Executive | IT Experiences
Toyota
BRIAN PANG
Development Director
EA Sports
ROGER PARK
Americas Innovation Officer
EY
KAJAL GUPTA
Senior Vice President, Small Business Segmentation & Strategy
Bank of America
SANDRA BLACK
Vice President, Solution Engineering
Salesforce
Winners were selected on August 27, 2021 by a panel of judges. Projects were evaluated based on the judging criteria.
HyperLoyal
PaID
WindowShop
Registration is CLOSED
This virtual challenge will take place from August 20-27, 2021.
Tickets to participate in this event are FREE. Registration will close on August 20, 2021 at 12:00 am EST
Participants are permitted to use any commercially known open source tools. Participants are also encouraged to use their own proprietary solutions to develop creative and efficient products. If you are representing a company, your company’s proprietary software assets are also allowed to be used with the appropriate permission from your organization. Please reference the Terms and Conditions to confirm that all IP rights remain with the participant and/or the organization they are representing.
All participants must agree to the Terms and Conditions listed.