SAN DIEGO, April 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The University of San Diego (USD) will host the global finals of the 2026 Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (GSIC) on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The event brings together student entrepreneurs from 15 countries to pitch business models designed to address the world’s most pressing challenges.

The competition features more than 40 student-led teams who have advanced through preliminary rounds. The final event on May 2 will showcase the top six finalists in a concentrated, one-hour public showcase. Each team will have four minutes to present a sustainable business solution for a share of $100,000 worth of non-dilutive seed funding and in-kind professional services. Over sixteen teams will walk away with non-dilutive funding to support their ventures.

This event reflects USD’s commitment to cultivate innovators to serve humanity. Each finalist is building an innovative venture aligned with at least one of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, tackling a real social or environmental challenge.

Two teams from the University of San Diego are competing in the event:

• Ciao Bella (Sage Dobby): 30 million hair ties are thrown away every day, generating 130,000 pounds of waste. Her answer is the world’s first hair tie made from pineapple fiber, a byproduct of agricultural harvesting that would otherwise be burned.
• Oink (Zevin Attisha) and (Andre F. Suaid): 90% of Gen Z wants to invest. More than half never take the first step. Oink rounds up everyday purchases and automatically puts the spare change into a crypto investment portfolio.

“The Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge is an inspiring event where bold imagination meets steadfast resolve,” said James Antony, PhD, provost and vice president for academic affairs at USD. “I look forward to observing these social innovators pitch serious, market-driven solutions built to confront the friction of an increasingly complex, fast-paced world. We are profoundly grateful to Ron and Alexis Fowler; their visionary investment provides the bedrock for these changemakers to transform deep concern into lasting impact.”

The challenge also builds on a notable recent milestone. The Fowler GSIC was selected as a World Design Capital 2024 Legacy Program during the San Diego-Tijuana World Design Capital year, recognizing its contribution to advancing human-centered innovation in the region and beyond.

The Fowler GSIC is organized in partnership between the University of San Diego and The University of St. Thomas. It started in 2011 with only USD students and expanded into a global pitch contest in 2018. Since 2011, the challenge has connected more than 3,000 students from more than 25 countries. To date, more than $1 million has been distributed to seed the most innovative global ventures.

For more information about the 2026 Fowler GSIC Finals, visit: https://www.givecampus.com/schools/UniversityofSanDiego/events/fowler-global-social-innovation-challenge

ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO
Strengthened by the Catholic intellectual tradition, we confront humanity’s challenges by fostering peace, working for justice and leading with love. With more than 8,000 students from 75 countries and 44 states, USD is the youngest independent institution on the U.S. News & World Report list of top 100 universities in the United States. USD’s eight academic divisions include the College of Arts and Sciences, the Knauss School of Business, the Shiley-Marcos School of Engineering, the School of Law, the School of Leadership and Education Sciences, the Hahn School of Nursing and Health Science, the Joan B. Kroc School of Peace Studies, and the Division of Professional and Continuing Education. In 2021, USD was named a “Laudato Si’ University” by the Vatican with a seven-year commitment to address humanity’s urgent challenges by working together to take care of our common home.

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SOURCE University of San Diego