University of Lima Students Prepare for Hult Prize Finals in New York

Sponsored by University of Lima

Every year for the last 10 years, the Hult Prize has challenged young entrepreneurs to think innovatively and come up with a solution that responds to a pressing social global challenge. Previous challenges have included finding solutions for access to clean water, the refugee crisis and the global food crisis.

This year, the brief was to solve the problem of youth unemployment, and the winning proposal has to generate 10,000 jobs for young university students.

Daniela Chiang, Ana Paula Dianderas, Anthonella Mondragón and Cesar Barriga from the University of Lima took on this challenge. In April this year, they travelled to Ecuador to take part in the regional stage of the competition, and won over 50 proposals from around the world as well as being placed among the 25 best proposals that passed the Accelerator stage.

With Daniela and Anthonella both studying industrial engineering, Cesar studying system engineering, and Ana studying finance, the group have a broad base of knowledge. They worked together to create their innovative program ‘Superminds After School’, which provides private classes to school students to improve their learning.

We spoke with the group of four students to find out more about their experience so far and how they think it’s benefitted them personally, professionally and academically.

The Hult Prize is akin to the Nobel prize. Together with the United Nations, the organizers train young leaders from all over the world to create a business model which sustainably solves the world’s most complicated global and social problems. This year more than 200,000 students from 120 countries competed for 35 places in the Acceleration program in London.

At the end of the program, six teams will be chosen to present their ideas at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, and one team will win one million dollars in start-up capital.

The idea was born with Daniela and Ana Paula who used to teach after-school classes. They started with two students, but the demand kept growing until they couldn’t maintain it by themselves.

Superminds is a movement of young people who believe that quality education can change lives. They connect young adults with students through a platform so they can capitalize on their knowledge by becoming tutors.

Taking a class with Superminds allows children in vulnerable situations to receive academic reinforcement.