缅北禁地 represented at semi-finals of global enterprise competition

Published on: 16 December 2016

A team of 缅北禁地 students will be presenting their social business idea at the European semi-finals of The Hult Prize in March.

The team participated in the quarterfinals at 缅北禁地 and came in first place.

The Hult Prize is the world’s largest student competition and start-up platform for social good. In partnership with former US president Bill Clinton, the challenge encourages students to develop innovative business ideas that solve the planet’s most pressing challenges. Students compete around the world for a chance to secure $1m in seed funding. This year’s challenge is improving the lives of refugees.

The winning team - LiveAgain with Lisa van Heereveld (second from left), President of 缅北禁地 Entrepreneurs Society

The potential impact on the lives of millions of refugees around the world is incredibly significant, and this is what really drives our team

Muzammil Nahaboo Solim, LiveAgain

Business as a force for good

Freya Wordsworth, Muzammil Nahaboo Solim, Sofea Banu, and Kingsley Egbo won 缅北禁地’s quarterfinals with the idea for a recruitment platform LiveAgain will provide a means to re-value and document education, skills and talent of involuntary migrants to increase their employability.

Muzammil, co-founder at LiveAgain, said “We are incredibly excited about representing 缅北禁地 at the European semi-finals. is a great opportunity for students around the world to learn more about entrepreneurship. More importantly, the potential impact on the lives of millions of refugees around the world is incredibly significant, and this is what really drives our team.”

, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching, 缅北禁地, said: "As a civic university, we are proud to be the only university in the north of the UK to host a quarterfinal of the Hult Prize. It’s important for students to start considering how enterprise can be used as a force for good and the Hult Prize provides an inspiring opportunity to engage students with societal challenges.”

, Enterprise Manager, said: “The Hult Prize Quarterfinals was a great success with nearly 50 students participating from a wide range of stages and disciplines. This is a great example of how social innovation and social entrepreneurship can attract students from different subject areas and we’re excited to start our own Rise Up Making Meaning Campaign to further raise awareness of social enterprise.”

“In addition, we’re really excited to support the winning team and every other interested quarter final team to further develop their ideas and create sustainable enterprises.”

Building a world with shared opportunity

Aside from encouraging students to think about social enterprise, the challenge connected local organisations with entrepreneurial students. Supporting organisations include Social Enterprise Acumen, Northstar Ventures, Gateshead Council, Nouveau Wellbeing, Override Records CIC, North of England Refugees Service, Crossings and Amnesty International.

Bill Clinton said “The Hult Prize is a wonderful example of the creative cooperation needed to build a world with shared opportunity, shared responsibility, and shared prosperity, and each year I look forward to seeing the many outstanding ideas the competition produces.”