John Edwardson, '72, Social New Venture Challenge (SNVC)

OVERVIEW
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The John Edwardson, ’72, Social New Venture Challenge (SNVC) is run by the Rustandy Center for Social Sector Innovation at Chicago Booth in partnership with the Polsky Center. It is the cornerstone of the Rustandy Center’s Edwardson Social Entrepreneurship Program at the University of Chicago, which has helped businesses and nonprofits like solar-powered light company LuminAID, African tractor-leasing company Hello Tractor, and online voter guide BallotReady.

SNVC teams can be for-profit or nonprofit organizations, but must present a business model with a social mission at the core as well as a plausible plan for financial sustainability—either through earned income, philanthropy, government aid, or some combination thereof.

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2022 Winner

Congratulations to together.science, winner of the 2022 John Edwardson, ‘72, Social New Venture Challenge. together.science is a STEM-focused education startup that uses a free, ad-supported, digital platform to teach math in a simple, intuitive, way, while allowing easy collaboration between students and teachers.The team took home first place and $75,000 in venture funding at the 2022 SNVC finals.

Since 2011, the SNVC has helped jump-start more than 150 startups that have gone on to raise more than $165 million.