This past weekend the basement of Miami University Farmer School of Business became a hub of innovation and social impact as students came together to address the challenges of loneliness and isolation participating in the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Miami University Social Innovation Weekend 2025.
Over this 48+ hour period of collaboration, mentorship, and rapid problem solving, teams developed and pitched their social venture solutions with four standing out as this year's winners!
In First Place: The Bridge House
Lily Mayer, Jill Fedor, Annie Runyerera, and Markella Gatanas
Tackling the gap between rehabilitation and recovery housing for individuals with opioid use disorder, The Bridge House offers structured support systems, social connections, and a detox solution to prevent isolation and reduce the risk of relapse.
In Second Place: Fresh Start
Klaus Hindanov, Ella Boate, Jacob Solomon, Joseph Bisset, and Stefan Wenzke
Ex-offenders often face extreme loneliness after leaving correctional facilities, struggling with employment, housing, and reintegration. Fresh Start proposes a mobile resource truck offering food, parole information, and connections to reentry programs—delivering hope and community at a critical moment.
In Third Place: Bond Box
Emily Davis, Treasure Lewis, Connor Bill, and Linh Nguyen
Living alone can be isolating, but Bond Box helps individuals build meaningful connections through an app-based pen-pal system, personalized to their interests. By fostering purpose, support, and companionship, it offers a tech-driven solution to loneliness.
In Fourth Place: Life Quest
Aditya Surapureddi, Nicholas Gockerman, Ayush Yadav, Manav Diler, Jason Zhang, and Bikash Thakur
Periods of unemployment can feel isolating—but Life Quest turns the job search into a gamified experience. With social connection, career-building tasks, and a point-based rewards system, this platform makes job hunting more engaging and positive.
A special thank you to the Center for Social Entrepreneurship at Miami University's Michael Conger and Meghan Smith, to the involvement of Cameron Hay, and to student organizers Nathan Rush, Olivia Michelsen, and Cole LaCamera.
Thank you to our mentors and judges: Amber Peskin, Pat Gifford, Anne Bailey, Emily Liechty, Beatrice Newberry, Collin Moore, Turner Rollins, Cheryl Becker, Patrick Lindsay, Sabrina Jewell, Jennifer Kinney, Stephen Pelton, Tracy Brandenburg, Anna-Katharina Lenz, David Eyman, Juan Carlos Albarran, Jeni Al Bahrani, Bethany Geckle, May Khalife, Conor Burns, and Benjamin Palmer.
To all that participated we hope the experience helps you show up differently in your classes and gives you unique insights to take with you in your post-graduate endeavors!
#MyFSB #BeyondReady #MiamiOH #SocialEntrepreneurship #SIW2025
