ModMarket Winners

Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE) Winners

Its goal is to encourage students to think innovatively about creating programs valuable to the marketplace and to address social problems. That’s why the Gigot Center for Entrepreneurial Studies continues to sponsor the McCloskey Business Plan Competition and the Social Venture Competition. This year marked the ninth and eighth year of the programs, respectively.

Last year’s Social Venture Competition winner was Por Fin Nuestra Casa (PFNC), which roughly translates to “Finally, a home of our own.” PFNC, which organizes the conversion of surplus shipping containers into affordable housing, has been featured on NBC, CNN, and AOL. View the website for this successful project.

Following this impressive precedent, this year’s competitions had record participation: more than 200 students and 150 alumni were involved. Volunteers, many from the IrishAngels entrepreneurial alumni network, served either as mentors or as judges for the competitions. Finals—when the top three teams in each category presented—took place on April 17 in the Jordan Auditorium of the Mendoza College of Business.

The winner of the McCloskey Business Plan Competition was ModMarket, a fast-casual dining venture aimed at a younger demographic. The model stressed customer experience, sustainability, and high-quality foods made daily in front of the customer. The ModMarket team plans to open its first restaurant in Boulder, Colo., within the coming year.

The winner of the Social Venture Competition was Sustainable Health Enterprises (SHE), a venture that franchises female-run companies manufacturing and distributing sanitary pads in developing countries. These would both create jobs, and promote the continued education of women in the educational systems and in the professional world.

Along with runners-up GreenYard (a reclamation program for material in scrap yards) and Sprout Learn-n-Grow (which brings science programs to primary and pre-primary schools), the two winners divided more than $40,000 in prize money.