The First Annual VT KnowledgeWorks Global Student Business Concept Challenge held on August 29 – September 4, 2010, provided a unique opportunity for student teams from all over the world to compete for the $25,000 grand prize and the VT KnowledgeWorks Global Challenge Trophy.  Students from England, Finland, France, Israel, Italy, Mexico, Northern Ireland, Uruguay, and the USA took advantage of this unique opportunity to initiate personal global networks through learning, socialization, and friendly competition. 

Top honors went to Colm Connolly and Vincent Murray of team Ecosy representing Queen’s University, Belfast, Northern Ireland.  Their winning concept is a wood pellet fueled patio heater that reduces fuel costs, increases mobility, and reduces the environmental impact of patio heaters used for outdoor dining and entertaining. 

Two runner-up teams, T2T of the University of Kent, England and EasyCheck of the Ruppin Academic Center in Emek Hefer, Israel, each received $2,500.   Sinan Assaf and Ben Giambrone of team T2T presented a revolutionary, convenient, and safe method for arranging and paying for taxi rides using a mobile telephone. (more…)