More than 100 industry and startup experts worked to evaluate this year’s Big Ideas applications and have selected 15 highly-promising student teams to advance to the final round of the increasingly competitive Rudd Family Foundation Big Ideas Contest. This year’s competition garnered more than 150 applications, thanks to support of the UC Berkeley innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem, the Blum Center team and 400 graduate and undergraduate students, all sharing a passion for making meaningful contributions to people and the planet.

The proposals represented a wide range of scalable solutions, as many students from diverse backgrounds sought to address issues that they experienced personally in the United States or abroad, such as unaffordable housing, climate-induced natural disasters, health disparities and an increasing lack of public safety. Many projects tackled challenges in medicine, offering creative solutions in areas such as antibiotic resistance, memory loss devices, and electronic medical records. Similarly, food and agriculture emerged as another key area with proposals addressing solar-powered irrigation equipment, nutrition companions for chronic diets, and community-led watershed management.

Building on a trend that began two years ago, roughly half of students incorporated the use of artificial intelligence in their solutions, making sure to emphasize a human-centered design aligning with the values of UC Berkeley. One finalist, Memira, envisioned an AI-powered device to help restore Alzheimer’s patients’ autonomy, and many others incorporated machine-learning into their solutions for good.

Finalists are set to embark on an intensive journey as they enter the final round of the competition. Each team will be paired with a mentor, providing valuable guidance and support as they refine their projects. They will have access to a robust set of skill development workshops, team-building opportunities, and networking events.

The core focus for Big Ideas finalists over the next months will be the development of comprehensive 9-page implementation strategies and the development of compelling 90-second elevator pitches. Big Ideas will culminate in May at the Big Ideas Grand Prize Pitch Day and Awards Celebration. This event promises to be a showcase of ingenuity and passion, where the finalists will present their projects to a distinguished panel of judges and a diverse audience, including industry leaders, faculty, and fellow students.

Applicants who do not progress to the final round still benefit from first-round judging feedback, the opportunity to network, attend workshops and flesh out their ideas with support from Big Ideas advisors and industry professionals.

“It was inspiring to advise so many student teams who shared their personal experience and were actively engaged in designing–and redesigning–their solution based on feedback,” said Brittney Byrd, the Outreach Manager for Big Ideas. “This empowering environment, which often sends the message to students that ‘if anyone can fix it, it can be you,’ is unique to UC Berkeley and makes this community truly exceptional.”

This proven method of supporting early-stage innovators has spread beyond UC Berkeley. The University of Sussex in the United Kingdom launched Big Ideas three years ago and has seen a 95% increase in overall program engagement. The partnership has contributed to Sussex’s recent recognition as the sector-leading university in UK student enterprise, with the award of Entrepreneurship Catalyst at the National Enterprise Educators Awards 2024.

“The partnership with UC Berkeley to bring Big Ideas to University of Sussex students has been a significant and highly successful addition to our entrepreneurship program,” said Luke Mitchell, Entrepreneurship Manager. “Sussex students are globally-minded and have a strong interest in social impact and change-making. Big Ideas gives them the encouragement, support and motivation to develop their ideas into feasible ventures with the potential for transformation. The opportunity to travel to California, engage in UC Berkeley’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, and pitch alongside other student founders, has proved inspiring. The generous, enthusiastic and supportive way that UC Berkeley has approached collaboration is indicative of the competition’s spirit and positivity, and we are committed to building on this success to reach even more students whose ideas can change the world.”

For more information on how you or your University can collaborate with Big Ideas, please email Phillip Denny, Big Ideas Contest Director, at pdenny@berkeley.edu. To stay updated on events and opportunities, please sign up for the Big Ideas newsletter or email bigideas@berkeley.edu.

About Big Ideas Contest: The Big Ideas Contest is an annual competition that empowers students to use their skills, knowledge, and creativity to solve the world’s most pressing challenges. The contest provides a platform for students to develop and showcase their innovative ideas, fostering an entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to positive change. It is made possible thanks to its generous partners which include: The Rudd Family Foundation, Blum Center for Developing Economies, University of California Office of the President, the Associated Students of the University of California, UC Berkeley Center for African Studies.

On May 1st, 2024, the UC Berkeley community came together to honor all of the teams that participated in the 2023-2024 Big Ideas Contest, as well as to crown this year’s Grand Prize Winner. 

Read about each award winner below!

About Big Ideas: Established in 2006 at UC Berkeley and managed by the Blum Center for Developing Economies, The Rudd Family Foundation Big Ideas Contest has evolved from a yearly contest at Berkeley into a comprehensive innovation ecosystem. This platform supports UC Berkeley students throughout the year with a variety of resources, including talks by industry experts and alumni, mentorship opportunities, toolkits, and a range of  workshops focused on innovation and social entrepreneurship. Throughout its history, Big Ideas has fostered over 4,000 innovative projects, involving more than 10,000 students, and has distributed $3.2 million in prizes to 600 top projects. These winning initiatives have subsequently secured approximately $1.2 billion in additional funding. It is made possible thanks to its generous partners which include: The Rudd Family Foundation, Blum Center for Developing Economies, University of California Office of the President, the Associated Students of the University of California, Lab for Inclusive FinTech, UC Berkeley Center for African Studies.