Katherine Olives
Its only a few more days until Demo Day–have you met the the startups yet? Youll get to vote for one favorite in each track (there are four tracks–Kaylie Prize for Hardware, Zahn Social Impact, Standard Chartered Women+Tech4NYC, and Zahn Technology). Below youll meet the startups competing for the Zahn Social Impact Prize.
The Zahn Social Impact Prize celebrates changemakers and aims to develop the next generation of social entrepreneurs. Many of our students–like a lot Millennials and GenZers–are incredibly socially conscious. These startups specifically pursue entrepreneurship as a way to make the world better, and focus on issues right here at home, or abroad. From combating sexual harassment & FGC to enhancing cultural experiences & education, these startups are taking on some tough challenges. Meet the teams:
Beyond the Margins focuses on bettering education for marginalized groups. For the past month theyve held workshops for middle schoolers in the NYC area, introducing them to a variety of different topics to supplement their education. Their goal is to help students go beyond the margins of the page and explore things that theyre passionate about. Beyond the Margins is led by Arielle Gallegos, an International Studies and Anthropology major; Jasmine Martin, an Advertising and Public Relations major; and Francisca Vallejo, a Mechanical Engineering major.
SheFFA, a local, community-driven social enterprise dedicated to eradicating female genital cutting, is another competitor in the Social Impact track. Theyre working with young activists and community organizers to educate individuals on the effects of female genital cutting, with the hopes of eradicating the practice both here in the US and abroad. Theyre also working with doctors who specialize in reconstructive surgery to help more survivors access the surgery. The SheFFA team is made up of Biology major Arielle Brutus, Nonya Khedr, and Political Science student Shza Zaki.
Luxz is tackling another big problem in society–the issue of sexual violence. This team is building an organization that helps survivors of sexual assault reclaim their lives through a combination of support groups, non-traditional therapy (meditation, yoga, art, etc.), and career services. Much of the current support for survivors focuses on legal and medical services, but the team at Luxz knows first hand that rape and sexual assault can completely alter someones life. So far theyve held workshops & will host a Take Back the Night event on campus. Meet the team–Jewish Studies major Ashley Persaud, Biology major Devjani Paul, and English major Andrew Rondon–at Demo Day!
Last but not least is Stage One, a locally-based patronization and discovery platform for artists. They aim to empower street artists & performers as well as reinvigorate a sense of hyper-local culture. New Yorkers can find and support (through monetary donations) other New Yorkers–The Sterling Strings at the Broadway Lafayette stop, Im looking at you! Come out and support the Stage One team, made up of Math majors Zachary Simon and Aviad Susman, as well as Ezra Zinberg, at Demo Day!
Dont miss these startups and more at their Demo Day on Monday, May 6th outside of the NAC from 12pm-2pm!