By Faith Ojochenemi Zekeli

The Hult Prize On-Campus Competition was held on February 14 and brought together bright student entrepreneurs with groundbreaking ideas. This prestigious competition, known globally for fostering social impact startups, provided a platform for students to showcase their innovative solutions to pressing global challenges. The event featured a distinguished panel of judges from diverse industries: Titus Ndeto Ndungu, CFO at Innovative Sphere Africa (ISA), Kevin Muhindu Muriuki, CEO at Taka-Earth, Ramadhan Obiero, Founder & CEO at My Little Thing Organization and Stacy Nduta, Managing Director at MC Studio.

In preparation for the competition, participating teams underwent a rigorous mentorship program from January 16 to February 6. These sessions featured industry professionals who guided and refined the student projects, ensuring they were well-prepared for the big day. The mentorship program played a crucial role in equipping the teams with valuable insights, helping them refine their business models, and strengthening their presentations for the competition.

On February 14, the competition attracted eight teams vying for the top spot. Each team was given a maximum of five minutes to pitch their idea, followed by an additional five minutes for feedback from the judges. After an engaging and highly competitive showcase of innovative solutions, the judging panel deliberated, carefully evaluating each presentation based on feasibility, impact, and scalability. The judges took time to provide constructive feedback to all teams, highlighting strengths and areas for improvement. Participants who did not advance to the next stage were given insights into how they could refine their ideas for future opportunities.

At the end of the competition, ARA Initiative (Fatoki Taiwo Josephine and Oloyede Suliat Adesewa) emerged as the first-place winner securing a spot in the next stage, while Malnutricure Kenya secured the second-place position and Refuel Africa secured the third position, and have a chance to advance based on further selection to the Hult Prize Nationals, where they will compete against other top innovators from across the country.