2027 SDSU Social Venture Challenge

The SDSU Social Venture Challenge is an annual pitch competition hosted by San Diego State University that empowers students to develop innovative solutions to real-world social and community challenges.

The 2027 challenge will focus on:

Nourish the Future: Innovative Solutions for Healthy Communities

Students are invited to explore challenges related to community wellness, healthy living, nutrition and food systems, and develop a solution that can create meaningful and sustainable impact.

A social venture is a business or organization that uses entrepreneurship to address a social or environmental problem. While social ventures can generate revenue and operate as for-profit or nonprofit organizations, their primary goal is to create positive social impact.

Social ventures can take many forms, from products and technologies to services, programs, platforms, and new business models.

For the 2027 SDSU Social Venture Challenge, teams should focus on developing solutions that contribute to healthier individuals and communities through community wellness, healthy living, nutrition, food systems, or related challenges.

The 2027 SDSU Social Venture Challenge is open to:

• SDSU students: Current, degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students.
• Invited institutions: Current, degree-seeking undergraduate and graduate students from participating Southern California colleges and universities.
• Teams of 2–4 students: All team members must meet the competition's enrollment requirements.
• Students from all majors: Students from all academic disciplines are encouraged to participate.

Teams may not compete in the 2027 SDSU Social Venture Challenge with an idea that previously won a cash prize in an SDSU Social Venture Challenge. Teams also may not pitch an idea that has previously been pitched in the competition.

• Enrollment: All team members must be degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at SDSU during both Fall 2026 and Spring 2027.
• Team Size: Teams must consist of 2–4 eligible students.
• Live Pitch Participation: At least one team member must be available to participate in the live competition at SDSU.
• Early-Stage Ventures: The competition is designed for early-stage ideas. Ventures that have generated more than $10,000 in revenue and/or $50,000 in funding or grants are not eligible.
• Open to All Majors: Students from all academic disciplines and majors are encouraged to participate.
• Participation Commitment: Teams are expected to participate in all required programming, including check-ins, workshops, the Finalist Summit, and the final competition.

Applications for SDSU participants will be open September 11–September 25, 2026. If you have a research project, idea, or venture that you believe aligns with the theme for this year’s Social Venture Challenge, apply now!

Based on their applications, a select number of teams will be invited to participate in the Nourish the Future Training Track with the ZIP Launchpad during October. Teams will receive support and guidance to further develop their ideas.

In November, all participating teams will present their progress and ideas. From these presentations, three teams will be selected as semi-finalists to continue into the spring training program and prepare for the final Social Venture Challenge competition.

Online Resources:

• United States Department of Agriculture – Food Security in the U.S.
• World Health Organization – Global Hunger and Food Security
• Economic Research Service – Food Security Statistics & Graphics
• United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 2: Zero Hunger
• North Carolina Local Food Council – Local Food Systems
• United Nations – Food Waste
• Example Solutions: NPR – One Restaurant Has a Way to Fight Food Waste: Making Food Out of “Trash”

ZIP Launchpad Resources:

• Don't Fall in Love With Your Solution, Fall in Love With Your Problem
• Asking for What You Need
• Intention- Creating Awareness
• Q&A With Food Security Startup Founder
• Guest Lecture With Kristian Krugman (Co-Founder of Soul Much) and Jonathan Zaidman (VP of Community at the Ecology Center)
• Soul Much
• Ecology Center
• Guest Lecture With Iana Castra (Co-Founder of BrightSide Produce)
• BrightSide Produce

Case Study: Food Finder:

• Food Finder Description
• Food Finder FAQs
• Food Finder Theory of Change / Impact Summary
• Food Finder Demo

A total of $35,000 in cash prizes will be awarded to the winning teams of the 2027 SDSU Social Venture Challenge.

All prize money must be divided equally among team members.

Nominated teams must meet the same core eligibility requirements as SDSU teams:

• Enrollment: All team members must be degree-seeking undergraduate or graduate students enrolled at their school during both Fall 2026 and Spring 2027.
• Team Size: Teams must consist of 2–4 eligible students.
• Live Pitch Participation: At least one team member must be available to participate in the live competition at SDSU.
• Early-Stage Ventures: The competition is designed for early-stage ideas. Ventures that have generated more than $10,000 in revenue and/or $50,000 in funding or grants are not eligible.
• Open to All Majors: Students from all academic disciplines and majors are encouraged to participate.
• Participation Commitment: Teams are expected to participate in all required programming, including check-ins, workshops, the Finalist Summit, and the final competition.

Each participating college or university will select its nominated team(s) according to its own internal selection process.

The designated university representative will then submit a Google Form with the nominated teams' names and contact information to SDSU.

Prize funds for students from invited institutions will be processed through SDSU and distributed by each student's home campus.

All prize funds must be divided equally among team members. Participating campuses should work with SDSU to ensure proper processing and disbursement of prize funds.