2007-2008 Competition Winners

5th Annual Social Venture Competition

Naya Jeevan for Kids
Founders: Asher Hasan MD (MBA '07), Saad Tabani (MBA '08), Farhan Musharrif and Irum Musharraf

Naya Jeevan for Kids provides socioeconomically disadvantaged families in the developing world with affordable access to high-quality catastrophic healthcare, covering acute heath-related events that require inpatient treatment or an emergency room visit. With initial efforts focused on India and Pakistan, NJFK will act as a catalytic intermediary between insurance companies and corporations in those countries,

Madécasse
Founders: Brian McCollum (MBA '07) and co-founders Brett Beach and Tim McCollum

Madécasse imports specialty food products grown and manufactured in Madagascar. Focused primarily on goods made from locally grown cocoa and vanilla beans, the group aims to bridge the gap between poverty and potential in emerging markets using Equitrade. A model that builds upon the Fair Trade concept, Equitrade requires both the farming and the manufacturing of products to be completed within the country of origin. Based on market trends showing that consumers are increasingly interested in a product origin and in purchasing goods from ethical and sustainable enterprises, Madécasse distributes their premium chocolate bars and other food products to retail outlets across the US.

Audience Choice Award - Madescasse

9th Annual Business Plan Competition

Social Bomb
Founders: Stern alumnus Mihir Dange (BS '01) and Michael Dory, Adam Simon and Scott Varland of Tisch's Interactive Telecommunications Program

Social Bomb is revolutionizing the gaming industry by tapping into existing information on social networks, such as Facebook and MySpace, to provide players with exciting entertainment and to give advertisers a unique opportunity to reach niche markets. Socialbomb's clever games, such as "Runway Victim," award or penalize players based on everyday life events: how they dress, as reviewed by peers sharing snapshots on social networks; if and when they remember birthdays of friends and family; proximity to competitors as tracked by their mobile devices; and more. On-the-go lifestyles of consumers being top-of-mind, they developed games that operate on iPhones, Blackberrys and specially-designed keyfobs.

Audience Choice Award - Social Bomb