Q&A with Dr. Maria Artunduaga, 2019 Big Ideas Winner

Although Maria Artunduaga, a Colombian-born translational physician and entrepreneur, says that racial and gender bias has played a major role in shaping her career, she doesn’t view it as an obstacle.

September 24, 2019

Echolocation Technology that Empowers the Blind

Darryl Diptee used to think of himself as a “closet innovator.” During his time as an officer for the U.S. Navy, Diptee remembers being told to “color inside the lines and innovate on your own time.”

September 19, 2019

UC Big Ideas Contest Joins The Rockefeller-Acumen Student Social Innovation Challenge

The Big Ideas Contest has been named one of four university social innovation competitions to be a part of The 2019-2020 Rockefeller Foundation-Acumen Student Social Innovation Challenge.

September 4, 2019

How One Big Idea Led to an Innovative Co-working Solution

Rohaut wondered if there might be an opportunity to transform underutilized residencies like her apartment during the day into productive spaces for freelancers -- to create a kind of “Airbnb for coworking spaces.” That spark led to Codi, an online platform

August 23, 2019

Big Ideas Judge Ishita Jain: Human-Centered Design for Social Impact

Ishita Jain, a judge in the 2018-2019 Big Ideas Contest, specializes in using design as a tool for social impact. She works at the Autodesk Foundation, where she supports entrepreneurs and innovators focused on innovative design solutions

June 6, 2019

Motivation and Mentorship Spurred 2019 Big Ideas Contest Winners

How do you become a social entrepreneur? The question has been the subject of many articles, books, and TED talks. For applicants to the Big Ideas social innovation contest, however, the answer is fairly simple: motivation and mentorship.

May 13, 2019

2019 Big Ideas Contest Winners Announced!

In November 2018, the Contest received over 330 pre-proposal applications, representing over 1,000 students across 12 campuses. After a preliminary round and a final review, 34 teams were awarded prizes across 8 different categories, with award amounts ranging from $2,000 to $15,000.

May 2, 2019

Big Ideas Grand Prize Pitch Day Showcases Inventions of Top Student Teams

On Wednesday, April 24, 2019 teams representing the top seven innovations, the BIGGEST Big Ideas, will face off for top honors (and up to $5,000) at the annual Big Ideas Grand Prize Pitch Day.

April 17, 2019

Big Ideas Winner Po Jui “Ray” Chiu, co-founder of BioInspira Inc., named in the Forbes 30 Under 30 Energy category

With the encouragement of bioengineering professor Seung-Wuk Lee, Chiu and his team had submitted their glucose sensor to Cal’s Big Idea Contest, which provides funding and support to interdisciplinary teams of students with inventive proposals.

March 14, 2019

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