Cash Awards for Top Ideas

The top two innovative ideas for socially meaningful startup ventures won cash prizes on Tuesday (April 19) from the NewDay Social Venture Challenge at a celebratory event. Taking $10,000 each for having the best ideas to make a community impact in New Orleans were Doug Jacobs in the undergraduate category for Aquaponic Modular Production Systems and Christopher “Skip” Wilson in the graduate-level competition for his idea, Surround Sound Accompaniment. The competition was sponsored by Tulane Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives, which is now accepting proposals for the next NewDay Challenge.

Junior Doug Jacobs talks about his winning project, Aquaponic Modular Production Systems, which aims to provide fresh produce to communities where soil degradation, water shortages, pollution and other factors prevent the cultivation of healthy food.

Christopher “Skip” Wilson, scheduled to receive his Tulane MBA degree in May, discusses his startup, Surround Sound Accompaniment. The venture will provide musicians with an online platform to download music, scores, orchestral accompaniment and performance notes with peers.

At Tuesday's event, Stephanie Barksdale, left, introduces guest speaker Robert X. Fogarty, a photographer and social entrepreneur who created the “Dear New Orleans …” photography campaign. Barksdale is manager of Tulane Social Entrepreneurship Initiatives.