In November 2019, the Big Ideas Contest received a record 438 pre-proposal applications, representing over 1,200 students across 12 campuses. After a preliminary round, 43 teams were advanced to the final round.

Aboubacar Komara, founder and president of Kaloum Bankhi, says his upbringing in both Guinea and the United States has shaped how he understands architecture.

After receiving mentorship from the Big Ideas Contest, Amy Liu, founder and CEO of Partners in Life, became an Innovation Ambassador for both the 2018-2019 academic year and now the 2019-2020 one.

When Amelia Hopkins Phillips, executive director of SOMO, graduated from UC Berkeley in 2016, her plan was to move to Nairobi, Kenya for six months and then return home. Yet three and a half years later, she’s still there.

Only 2 Weeks Left to Apply to the UC Big Ideas Contest!   By Emily Denny   Do you have an early-stage, social-impact driven idea?

Big Ideas spoke with Emily Huynh to learn about the inspiration behind her Big Idea, Fractal, and what she and her team are currently working on.

In Fall 2018, with support from The Lemelson Foundation, the Big Ideas Contest introduced a pilot “Environmental Responsibility Program” which offered a curriculum on sustainable design approaches.