Boise is bubbling with ideas that will positively impact the world. In fact, this spring COBE celebrates two Boise State University student teams who are responding to a call for business ideas that will double the income of populations in crowded urban spaces. The Hult Prize issued this challenge to students around the world who will compete for a $1 million prize to launch their business idea to a global scale. Two Boise State teams will advance from the regional competition to the national championship in Shanghai and San Francisco.
Boise’s first-place winner is a team from COBE’s Career Track MBA program. Team captain Haley Schaefer and teammates Connor Sheldon, Hannah Coad and Taylor Reed will take their business pitch to a panel of judges in Shanghai. Through adaptable and inexpensive transportation, this team’s business model addresses the often overlooked challenge of transporting goods and services in crowded spaces. The team has strong support from COBE faculty and community business partners. KIVI-TV Channel 6 interviewed the COBE team on March 3.
The second team, from the Department of Computer Science in the College of Engineering, has developed a fully-functional computer the size of a GoPro camera. In a growing digital age, they seek to give ten million people access to modern computing power to generate income as virtual workers.
It is remarkable to see business and entrepreneurial spirit expand outside the walls the Micron Business and Economics Building. These bright teams are tackling the complexity of economic improvement in vastly different and exciting ways.