The Skandalaris Center is proud to announce six finalists for the 2024 Global Impact Award. Now in its 10th year, the Global Impact Award (GIA) was founded to support the vision and passion of Washington University in St. Louis students, postdoctoral researchers, and recent alumni who are creating ventures that are scalable, sustainable, for-profit, and quick-to-market with proof of concept for a broad impact.
“I am so excited about this year’s finalists and the diverse industries they represent,” said Cyril Loum, Assistant Director of Venture Development. “We have never had this many different industries represented in the finals before, and it’s wonderful to see startups from med tech to consumer packaged goods being showcased in the final pitches.”
In celebration of the 10th Anniversary of the Global Impact Award, up to $75,000 in funding is available to the finalists this cycle, thanks to a generous donation from Suren Dutia and Jas Grewal, who have supported the program since its inception.
“The increase in funding this year will have a huge impact on the winning startup(s), and I know each of the finalists is thankful for the generosity and sacrifice of our donors,” said Loum. “Suren and Jas exemplify the spirit of giving and set a wonderful example for our startups as they grow their companies and begin to make their own positive changes in the world.”
2024 GLOBAL IMPACT AWARD FINALISTS:
AirSeal CardioVascular LLC
Stephen Wu (MBA ’23), Mohamed Zayed (EMBA ’23)
AirSeal develops and commercializes an innovative patented biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases. The venture has created a method that allows for rapid and accurate evaluation of cFAS levels in the blood and helps accurately diagnose Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD).
ChiChi
Chiara Munzi (LA ’23) and Izzy Gorton (LA ’25)
ChiChi is a chickpea-based breakfast that is healthy, delicious, and easy. Most on-the-go options lack protein and add tons of sugar and processed ingredients, but ChiChi is packed with protein, grain-free, and gluten-free. Their instant chickpea oatmeal is the first breakfast of its kind on the market.
Gateway Quantum Electronics
Jordan Russell (PhD ’19) and Kater Murch
GQE automates and streamlines the operation of quantum amplifiers for quantum computing and sensing applications. Their goal is to make operating a quantum amplifier as simple as a traditional amplifier, saving experts time and effort and making quantum amplification accessible to non-experts and scalable for industrial use.
Ice Cream for Bears
Timothy Berg (GM ’22)
Ice Cream for Bears makes supernatural premium ice cream sweetened only with raw honey. They are on a mission to make food wild again by removing processed foods from packaged foods while supporting the most sustainable practices in agriculture.
Top Tutors for Us
Angelica Harris (BU ’21, EN ’21, SI ’22)
By Black tutors, for Black students, Top Tutors for Us is an educational technology company that partners with predominantly black school districts to create a culture of teaching each other with culturally appropriate education.
uFab
Tyler Richards (EN ’22)
uFab aims to revolutionize circuit board manufacturing. Using patent-pending printed circuit board manufacturing technology, users of uFab’s PCB printing machine can have their boards in their hands in hours rather than the conventional days to weeks.
In April, these six ventures will pitch to a panel of judges during a closed session. Winners will be announced at the Washington University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Awards, presented by the Skandalaris Center, on April 18, 2024. We’ll share event details and registration in the coming weeks and hope you can join us as we celebrate ten years of the Global Impact Award!
