The Hultian Winter 2017 | Page 20

Ecolution is not just sustainable it is also scalable, we plan on kicking off in Nepal while establishing relationship with NGOs. We want to connect this technology to NGOs so that in addition to food preservation using organic waste we reach victims of natural disasters. First in Nepal then all over the world.

Despite falling short to the winning team in an extremely tight race, Ecolution was approached by several judges who offered their consultation and encouragement. A few of the judges saw great potential in Ecobox and believed it had the sustainable scalability to become a commercialized business concept for a positive social impact. Team Ecolution is now working with few of these judges for the next step to make this innovative idea into a reality.

Hult will give you all the tools required to succeed for the prize. However, unlike other group projects, the Hult prize is not just another assignment that you complete and then finally receive a passing grade. It is a project that will impact not only the problems and lives you wish to change but your own life and career as well. The solutions you seek to answer for the prize is a learning experience in itself. At Hult, as in any business school we learn to optimize profits, but not all profit is monetary. If you go into the Hult prize looking for a high pass, that will not be enough, you will require high passion as well.

The Hult Business School has a lot of affirming qualities and one of its claim to fame is the Hult prize. A worldwide challenge for universities across the globe to reach a viable solution for sustainable practices in order to affect millions of lives. Backed by the Clinton foundation, the winner receives one million dollars in start up money to initiate their idea. it continues to grow in stature as a respected global initiative by the young minds that look to solve the pressing issues of the world.

One of the top four finalists at the Hult campus competition this year was Team Ecolution. A diverse group of MBA students that took the initiative to address an underlying problem with the potential to make a significant change.

Ecolution consisted of German Bocanegra, Ana Catalina, both from Colombia, Jordania Peryera from the Dominican Republic, and Gaurab Subba from Nepal. They focused on Nepal and its issues after the earthquake of 2013, specifically on food loss and wastage in a region heavily affected by this issue yet rarely brought to attention. While trying to find a viable solution they soon realized the problem was far more alarming when measured at a global scale. The team devised a refrigeration unit, called the Ecobox, that would run on off-grid electricity to provide preservation for fresh produce from the farm to the market. On a business scale, the Ecobox had the potential to grow from an individual business to a large scale public hub that would allow the community to provide and live off the extended life of produce being stored in these cold hubs. Ecolution uses organic waste to biogas technology, the biogas provides cold chain technology to preserve food. In a region where 20-50% of farmers production is wasted while one out of four people suffer from malnutrition, we would make a huge Impact!

Grade for High Passion

The

Gaurab Subba

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