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Updates on Some of the Past Global Challenge Finalists

$5,000 Second Place Winner in 2013 Roka , University of Technology Sydney, Australia Conchita De Souza, Janek Gonsalkorale, Paridhi Jain, Natalia Krslovic

The founder of Roka, Kimberley Abbott, handed Roka back to the 40K Group, a leader in social entrepreneurship space, in order to progress the business further. Roka was a social microenterprise project established to improve the status of women and increase education and economic empowerment for the women of Maranahali Bande quarry in Bangalore, India by employing them to make jewelry. Team member, Conchita, continued her passion for social entrepreneurship in underprivileged communities in India.

$5,000 Runner-up Team in 2011 Ready Education , University of Toronto, Canada Peter Cen, James Dang

OOHLALA Mobile, now known as Ready Education, is the number one provider of campus apps in North America working with over 350 universities and colleges. Ready Education’s mission is to empower students to succeed by streamlining their experience and communication on campus. Students powered by Ready Education communicate and engage with their campuses through the official app from day one to graduation. Stay connected at http://www.readyeducation.com.

$25,000 Grand Prize Winner in 2010 Ecosy , Queen’s University, Northern Ireland Colm Connolly, Vincent Murray

Although Team Ecosy’s original concept, a renewable energy heating system, is not being pursued, Colm Connolly launched another business. Connolly founded and successfully launched Rucksnacks in July 2016. Rucksnacks’ signature product is a high protein 100% Irish beef jerky snack. It has proved popular in Ireland with demand regularly outstripping supply. Since launching, Rucksnacks has supplied local gyms and a major retailer. In 2017, Rucksnacks continued its success and has grown steadily across Ireland, launching new flavors of beef snacks. Currently, Rucksnacks has outgrown its production facility and plans to move to a new dedicated unit. In 2019, the team plans to launch a new beef jerky product. It is beginning to export to other European countries this year, focusing on its online market, which is how the team hopes to enter into the U.S. market in the future. Rucksnacks has received multiple awards, including Best New Idea Monaghan Region 2015; Best Start up Monaghan Region 2016; Top 6 Savory Snacks and Most Innovative Packaging at Irish Food Awards 2016; and Great Taste Gold Star 2017, a UK-based award. Watch Ecosy’s video at https://youtu.be/tZg-hDIaHWM or visit its website at https://rucksnacks.com.

$5,000 Runner-up Team in 2010 EasyCheck , Ruppin Academic Center, Israel Shahar Peled, Hadas Geva, Inbal Gutman

Although EasyCheck is not being pursued, one of the team members, Shahar Peled, started his own company, ArTack Medical. ArTack Medical developed the “eTack,” which is a novel, motorized, articulated hernia mesh fixation device. It is designed for laparoscopic repair, as well as open surgery, and can be adapted into robotic surgery platforms and used with any current available mesh. In 2017, ArTack signed a partnership and investment agreement with Vincent Medical, a HK listed medical device company. The team has started the manufacturing and commercialization process and is preparing for CE and FDA regulatory submissions. Learn more at www.artack-medical.com.

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