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The final round of the 4th Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award, organized by the Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan, concluded successfully on August 24th. The "安居不動產" team, which utilized technology to assist in the calculation of urban renewal and rebuilding processes, ensuring safer collaborations between residents and developers, clinched the championship in the Social category, taking home the top prize of NT$160,000. The teams "肆加壹" and "初布" secured second and third place, respectively. In the Student category, the team "Muscle Capital," which developed an AI-powered system for evaluating muscle mass, won first place and was awarded NT$100,000. The second and third places were claimed by the teams "ECHO" and "蟑東西," respectively. Despite now serving as the highest-ranking leader in the interim government of Bangladesh, 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus continues to closely follow the activities of the Foundation for Yunus Social Business Taiwan, including the Innovation Award. Earlier this month, he even sent a pre-recorded video wishing Philippa Tsai, President of the Foundation, a happy birthday, underscoring his commitment and recognition of the foundation's work. Video link: https://youtu.be/Zv98FOUcFi4 The Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award was initiated by Terry Gou, Founder of Foxconn Technology Group, who pledged his support for the foundation's promotion of social innovation and entrepreneurship during the 2019 Yunus East Asia Conference. This year saw a record-breaking 149 teams from 34 schools participating. On the day of the finals, key speakers included Dale Carnegie Training (Transform Management Consultants Co. Ltd.) Founder John (Yung-Long ) Hei, who encouraged participants to value interpersonal relationships, and George Lin, Director of Foxconn Technology Group's Central Intellectual Property Department, who urged participants to embrace innovation. The judging panel featured Philippa Tsai and Juno Wang, President and CEO of the Foundation, Chi-Tsu Kao, President of Taiwan ITRI New Venture Association, Shina Lu, CEO of Sunsino Venture Group, Chang-Chao Liao, Executive Secretary of Cathay Life Charity Foundation, and Dr. Fenmei Liu, Dean of the College of Business and Management at Chihlee University of Technology and Director of the Yunus Social Business Centre. This year's final incorporated sustainability principles, featuring trophies made from locally sourced materials that are recyclable, environmentally friendly, and reduce carbon emissions from transportation. In addition, participants' meals were served in reusable containers, aligning with the vision of achieving net-zero carbon emissions. The top three teams in the Student category will also receive a fully sponsored "Carnegie Course for College", provided by Dale Carnegie Training, consisting of 12 sessions (42 hours) focused on building confidence, communication, collaboration, interpersonal relationships, and influence. To foster innovation and resource matching, the competition partnered with the well-established venture capital firm Sunsino Venture Group, which founded Sunsino Innovation Technology Inc. (STARTUP 101). The foundation will select outstanding teams to participate in angel investment matching meetings, helping them connect with resources to scale their businesses and create a mutual good ecosystem. Philippa Tsai, President of the foundation, expressed her excitement about the high number of participating teams and the intense competition. The judging process was challenging due to the excellent quality of the proposals. The foundation held seven campus promotions for the Yunus Social Business Centre (YSBC) schools, offered social business training courses, and provided mentorship to enrich the competition. Philippa Tsai also noted the great honor of Professor Yunus being appointed leader of Bangladesh's interim government earlier this month. She encouraged the winning teams to embody the same steadfast determination and commitment to social change that Professor Yunus has demonstrated. Juno Wang, CEO of the foundation, congratulated all the winners, emphasizing that for those who did not win, the most important takeaway is the new connections, resources, and experiences gained throughout the competition. Chi-Tsu Kao, the head judge, commended the Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award as a fair and high-level competition, Shina Lu, Cami Lu. Partner. Experience. Sunsino Venture Group/STARTUP101 Partner & CEO, shared her personal experience, noting that although she never won any competitions in the past, she successfully started her own business at the age of 30. As the Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award concludes successfully, she expressed her gratitude to all participants for their support and extended special thanks to the 13 universities with Yunus Social Business Centres (YSBC), as well as Inno Square, CircuPlus, Lifund Technology Co., Ltd., Circular, BULAO 125, Guppy Inclusive, and EnvEd Centre for Innovative Learning for their collaboration in promoting the event.  Group photo of the 4th Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award judging panel and participating teams.  The judging panel and special guests at the 4th Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award Taiwan (from left to right): Chang-Chao Liao, Dr. Fenmei Liu, Chi-Tsu Kao, John Hei, Philippa Tsai, Juno Wang, Cami Lu, George Lin.  The "安居不動產" team receiving their championship trophy and NT$160,000 prize for winning the Social category from Philippa Tsai (left) and Juno Wang (right).  The "Muscle Capital" team receiving their championship trophy and NT$100,000 prize for winning the Student category from Philippa Tsai (far left) and Juno Wang (second from the right), with Chen Chuan-Hung of Dale Carnegie Training (Transform Management Consultants Co. Ltd.) presenting the Carnegie Course for College award.  The list of winners for the 4th Taiwan Yunus Social Business Innovation Award Taiwan. |