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Institute For Leadership and Entrepreneurship

Ideas to Serve Competition (I2S)

Congratulations to all the teams who competed in the Ideas to Serve (I2S) Final Poster Competition! A huge thank you to all of our sponsors, faculty and staff, and student assistants for organizing such an amazing event. 

Hats off to the following teams for performing especially well:

Ideas Track

Winner: Amanzi Solar
2nd Place: Conduit
3rd Place: I2MS
Advanced Track
Winner: Lunula Health

Specialty Prizes

Scheller MBA Prize: TINA
Best Video Pitch: TraceLess Biopsy
People's Choice: TINA
Best Poster: RedVolution

See you all next year!


Congratulations to our I2S Finalists!

See their video pitches here!


I2S is About Creating a Better World

The competition is for current Georgia Tech students and recent alumni who have early stage product/service ideas or venture concepts that are geared towards creating a better world through students who Dare to Care.

Entries might focus on reducing poverty, alleviating hunger, promoting health and wellness, improving air and water quality, reducing of the rate of depletion of natural resources, or developing alternate sources of energy…just to name a few!


Competition Walkthrough



I2S is About Ideas

We believe that all great ventures and organizations begin with great ideas. Therefore, I2S is primarily a competition of ideas where creativity, imagination, and technology are applied to solving social and/or environmental problems.

It is our hope that eventually these ideas will lead to sustainable organizations that are able to generate sufficient income flows to sustain their missions. If the organizations are for-profit companies, the ideas should eventually be capable of providing returns for investors as well.



I2S is About Creating Triple Bottom-Line Organizations

Simply put, I2S seeks to foster the development of organizations that are focused on the “triple bottom line,” showing concern for social and environmental outcomes as well as for economic return on investment.  I2S supports students who are passionate about improving the human condition - in their immediate community or around the globe - with mentoring, access to a network of local social entrepreneurs and impact investors who serve as judges, and prize money.  The final event is a poster showcase session that is open to the public. There is even a "people's choice" prize to be awarded based on votes from visitors to the competition. I2S Teams are either in the Ideas Track, representing early-stage proposals, and the Advanced Track, where most of them have been through one or more rounds of the I2S (or, in several cases, the Global Social Venture Competition or the InVenture Prize).  Stay up to date on I2S events by subscribing to our email list here.


 THANK YOU TO OUR GENEROUS SPONSORS:

Gray Ghost Ventures, Cecil B. Day Program for Business Ethics, Covenant Presbyterian Church, Georgia Tech Leadership Education and Development, Georgia Tech Innovation and Design Collaborative, Steven A. Denning Technology & Management Program, Speechworks, Tedd Munchak Chair in Entrepreneurship, The Engineering for Social Innovation Center, The Global Development Program @ The Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, and The Center for Serve-Learn-Sustain.
2017 Schedule 
How the Competition Works 

Click here to view a Prezi about how the competition works.  

I2S is open to all GT students and young alumni (Spring, Summer and Fall 2016 graduates) that are working on a project that has the potential to solve a local or global social or environmental problem. Teams can be comprised of one individual or multiple members. Not all team members have to be GT students, but at least one of the founders has to be a GT student in order for the team to be eligible. Teams compete in two tracks: early stage (ideas) and advanced (track decisions will be made after you submit the Intent to Compete form with a summary about your project and fill out the related questionnaire). 


We help match you with a mentor if your teams needs one, so please with a short summary of your project and the areas you need help with if you wish to be paired with a mentor. Deadline for mentor requests is February 22nd.

We will also host an afternoon of workshops (our Bootcamp) on March 10th to help you fine-tune your deliverables and pitch before the competition.

What you have to do is:

  1. On January 28th attend the Kick-off Info session to get all the info and have your questions answered (not a requirement for participation but highly recommended) 
  2. Once you have your team ready fill out the Intent to Compete form and let us know if you need a mentor. We will get back to you with your track designation. 
  3. Attend the Bootcamp on March 10th and learn from the pros. They will help you fine-tune your pitch and provide you with feedback about your project. 
  4. your Executive Summary and the link to your one-minute video pitch by March 30th. We will notify the finalists for the two tracks by April 12th. 
  5. Prepare your poster for the Finals & Poster Showcase – whether you are a finalist in one of the tracks or not, you are eligible to participate in the Showcase and compete for the Specialty Prizes.
Forms, Templates, Eligibility 
2017 Prizes

$13,000 will be awarded in the 2017 comeptition.

  • Ideas Track

      • Winner: $5,000
      • Runner-Up: $2,500
      • Third Place: $1,500
      • Scheller MBA: $500

  • Advanced Track

      • Winner: $2,500

  • Special Prizes (both tracks qualify)*

      • Scheller MBA Prize: $500
      • Best Video Pitch: $1,000
      • People's Choice: $1,000
      • Best Poster: $500

*All entrants are eligible to compete for special prizes regardless of finalist status. Teams need to be present at the Finals Poster Showcase to participate. 
Winners from Previous Years 
Our Sponsors