The 2024 UCD Hult Prize OnCampus programme, held on 21 February 2024, was a resounding success, culminating in Bean Around's well-deserved victory amidst fierce competition. This year's event – the first to be run by UCD – was buoyed by the unwavering support of UCD President Orla Feely, Marjorie Schibik from the EU regional specialist Hult Prize Foundation, and UCD Innovation Academy's Raomal Perera and Eleanor Kelly, and showcased the dedication of all involved in advancing sustainability.
The esteemed panel of judges, including Claire McBride (Head of the Enterprise Academy, TU Dublin), Michael Carey (Entrepreneur and Chairman of Enterprise Ireland), Tim Griffiths (CEO of Social Entrepreneurs Ireland), Tom Macagno (Education Innovation Lead of Sustainability, UCD IA), and Paul Coyle (Business consultant at Furthr), raised the bar for excellence in the competition.
Special recognition goes to Najwa Khader (Campus Director for the 2024 Hult Prize at UCD and MS student in UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science) for her exemplary leadership in spearheading this initiative. Gratitude is also extended to the organising committee, volunteers, and guest Sustainable Innovation Technology Services Ltd, a European innovation-driven business consultancy, for their invaluable contributions.
The ten teams (Bean Around, EmbroidrayHut, VRtuale, Ether, TrustZero, Seaturf, Genpals, Bayas, ShopSustainability, and OneBand) demonstrated remarkable dedication, embodying the global spirit of collaboration aimed at creating a more sustainable and equitable world.
The Hult Prize 2024 exemplified the transformative power of collective effort in effecting meaningful change on our planet, uniting us across borders in pursuit of a shared goal.
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