The Global Impact Sprint 2023 form June 26 to June 30, in New York City was a unique experience that brought together outstanding talents from five leading international universities - MIT, HPI, Tec de Monterrey, NYU and Babson College - to create ideas for a better tomorrow. This year's challenge was based on SDG 14 - life below water - and tackled the pressing issue of plastic pollution in the world's oceans.
The program spanned for 100 hours and involved 15 talented participants who were divided into interdisciplinary teams of five, comprising one student from each university. The teams were closely coached by experienced mentors throughout the five-day sprint.
The program was based on Jake Knapp's "sprint" logic and embarked on their entrepreneurial journey. The goal was to generate digital solutions for the sprint question: "How do we build a digital platform that connects initiatives from NGOs, scientists, data providers, and facilitators that tackle the global plastic pollution in the oceans more efficiently".
During the sprint, the participants outlined the problem, selected a sprint goal, developed a solution, built a digital prototype, and conducted initial testing. The program encouraged the participants to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to complex problems. The Global Impact Sprint was an excellent opportunity for young minds to showcase their skills, network with other talents, and make a positive difference in the world.
