Enter Blackstone LaunchPad’s ‘Solve a Campus Problem’ Challenge

Now open in Bird Library, the Blackstone LaunchPad invites faculty, staff, students and alumni to come by and connect. The LaunchPad places entrepreneurship at the center of academic life, incorporating it into the resource network of the Syracuse University Libraries. The Blackstone LaunchPad program complements the University’s rich array of entrepreneurship initiatives, connecting them to a national and global network that supports aspiring entrepreneurs.

As one of its first projects, the LaunchPad is participating in a global “Solve a Campus Problem” Challenge, open through April 8. Sponsored by the Blackstone LaunchPad Global Network, the competition encourages students to form teams, identify campus challenges and propose innovative solutions. Students from Blackstone LaunchPad programs around the world will compete for cash prizes of $3,000, $2,000 and $1,000 provided by Blackstone.

“Solve a Campus Challenge” is an opportunity for students across disciplines to learn about entrepreneurship through a simple problem-solving exercise. It is also a chance for Syracuse University students to be part of the Blackstone LaunchPad Global Network and meet students from other campuses to work on ideas that promote cross-campus collaboration opportunities.

Student teams of two to four members are invited to create a one-minute video outlining a campus problem and a feasible solution. Each team is required to meet with the Syracuse University Blackstone LaunchPad campus team to review videos before they go live. To make it even easier to enter, videos are welcome from students who are tackling a student/campus challenge as part of their academic program, or expanding upon initiatives such as videos submitted through the Fast Forward Student Competition. The deadline for submitting videos is April 8.

There are three rounds of voting: campus public voting will take place from April 11-15, followed by Blackstone LaunchPad Global Network public voting from April 18-22. The Blackstone Charitable Foundation will select the top three global winners in the third round, from April 25-29.

Interested students should visit http://Blackstonelaunchpad.org to learn more, and schedule a coaching appointment with the Blackstone LaunchPad Syracuse University campus team in Bird Library.  Appointments can be made by e-mailing LaunchPad@syr.edu