The Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship (PCSE) announced the 2025 New Venture Awards (NVA) Grand Prize Winners on Monday, April 7. The three winners, Chukwudi Udechukwu ’27, Lois Amponsah ’27, and Abdiasis Daauud ’27, were chosen from a pool of 30 applicants based on the ventures that they created. The applicant pool was the largest in the history of the award.
“We are inspired and impressed by [the] student submissions to the NVAs,” Assistant Professor of the Practice in Public Policy and Director of the Patricelli Center for Social Entrepreneurship Ahmed Badr ’20 said. “The Patricelli Center is eager to meet this demand and expand our offerings as our community continues to build and sustain ventures across nonprofit, for-profit, and hybrid sectors.”
The NVA, formerly called the PCSE Seed Grant, began in 2013 to recognize and support impactful student projects. Each winner is awarded $6,000 and the support of the PCSE and its resources.
The selection of both the finalists and the winners was a nearly semester-long process, following the Center’s commitment to fostering social innovation. The award is supported by Robert Patricelli ’61 and the Margaret Patricelli Family Foundation, Jon Turteltaub ’85 and Amy Eldon, Stephen McCarthy ’75, and Propel Capital.
“A successful entrepreneur requires courage in one’s convictions,” Patricelli said. “What we saw today were 10 teams with courage in their own ideas. I was tremendously impressed and proud to be associated with it.”
The Center organized a fundraising workshop and breakfast for all applicants on Friday, April 4, 2025, which was led by David Kobrosky and Kayla Slagter, two of the nine judges for the award. This was followed by a networking lunch at the Zelnick Pavilion, which was attended by alumni, faculty, student entrepreneurs, and President Michael Roth ’78. The day culminated with the finalist pitches by Udechukwu, Amponsah, Daauud, Adil Mohammed ’27, Anh Tran ’27, Ajooni Kaur ’28, David Mun ’27, Pelumi Sokunbi ’25, Shannon Burke ’25, and Ryan Wong ’27 at the Memorial Chapel.
After two days of deliberation, Daauud, Udechukwu, and Amponsah were chosen for the $6,000 awards. Every other finalist will receive $3,000.
“Winning the New Venture Awards is a big moment for us,” Daauud wrote in an email to The Argus. “We’re building a point-of-sale system that fits the realities of local businesses—simple, fast, and actually useful. But beyond just a product, we’re trying to build the digital infrastructure for retailers in the Horn of Africa and eventually across the continent. The funding gives us a leg up and a boost to reach more clients and expand our operations. This award isn’t just validation—it’s momentum. There’s a lot more ahead, and we’re just getting started.”
Agab, which was started by Daauud, is a system to simplify accounting for businesses in the Horn of Africa through a digital platform. Anya, which was started by Udechukwu, is an app that helps Nigerians better identify and protect their communities from crime.
“Winning the 2025 NVA is both humbling and empowering,” Udechukwu wrote in an email to The Argus. “It means the world to be recognized for a project like Anya, which was born out of a lived desire to protect and uplift communities that are often overlooked— just like mine. This award affirms that mission and fuels my drive to keep building. I’m deeply grateful for the support from the Patricelli Center, my mentors, and my team.”
Wings of Change, which was started by Amponsah, is an entrepreneurship fellowship aiming at improving the lives of Ghanaian youth by combating unemployment and fostering community development.
“I and the Wings of Change team are very excited about this award,” Amponsah wrote in an email to The Argus. “We can’t wait to see the impact this funding will have on empowering young entrepreneurs in Ghana.”
The winners and finalists will continue to grow their ventures with the support of the Center and are scheduled for engagements at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Legatum Center for Development and Entrepreneurship on Friday, April 11 in Boston.
Raiza Goel can be reached at rg***@******an.edu.
Spencer Landers can be reached at sk*******@******an.edu.
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