Social Business Challenge

Innovation Challenge

Camarillo, Calif., Nov. 8, 2016 — With the clock ticking, several teams of five or six players will race to build a prototype designed to make the world a better place.

The catch? They won’t know what they’re building or the building materials they will be using until minutes before the “Ready, set, go!”

It’s called the CSU Channel Islands (CI) California Institute for Social Business (CISB) Innovation Challenge and it’s scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 3 to 6 p.m. in the Grand Salon on the CI campus.

“This is the third time we’ve done this,” said Associate Professor of Marketing Susan Andrzejewski. “The teams come together to compete in a rally-style competition to assemble a social business prototype from a standard set of supplies that we provide.”

The rally is sponsored by the Entrepreneurship & Small Business Institute (ESBI), and the CISB. Andrzjewski is director of the ESBI and Professor of Political Science Andrea Grove, Ph.D., is Executive Director of the CISB.

Social business is a business that addresses a social need while also making a profit.

The materials are not fancy. Last year, for example, teams were challenged to build something that would help with access to clean water. The materials they were given included a bucket of rocks, plywood, duct tape, glue, Astroturf, aluminum foil and rubber bands.

Two carpenters will be on hand to do any sawing the teams need, but the rest of the challenge will depend on innovation, creativity and teamwork.

Students, faculty and staff from any discipline or department are welcome to sign up, which provides a healthy spectrum of different skills, ages and perspectives.

“I hope they take away the excitement that comes about when working as a team to solve a challenge,” Andrzejewski said. “We talk a lot about theory in classes, and it’s incredibly valuable for students to be able to take that knowledge and use it to move from problem identification through an idea phase to a tangible quality end product.”

There’s a tangible prize, too. The first prize team splits $1,000, second prize is $500 and third prize is $250.

CI students, faculty and staff can participate by registering at go.csuci.edu/innovation.

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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands
(CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more by visiting CI's Social Media.

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