Yale SOM Students’ App Wins INNOVATEChina Case Competition
A team of four students from Yale School of Management has won the 2018 INNOVATEChina case competition with an app that connects older adults in China with social activities.
Comprised of three MBA students and one Master of Advanced Management student, the team extends Yale SOM’s winning streak in the INNOVATEChina competition. Yale students have now won the competition three years in a row.
Held at China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), the competition brings together teams from top business schools around the world. Out of 60 teams this year, the six finalists included students from CEIBS, ESADE, IE Business School, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad and Nanyang Business School.
The theme of 2018’s competition was “(Re)inventing Entrepreneurship.” ESADE secured the third-place spot with a waste management education app, and CEIBS came in second with an app that helps parents in China search for extracurricular activities.
But it was Yale SOM that took home the $10,000 first prize. Their app, Silver Hour, allows senior citizens to “initiate social activities, to help each other, and to build connections in the community.”
Besides connection older adults to social activities, the students envision their app being used by local businesses to reach out to elderly citizens. For example, businesses might use the app to give retired adults deals and organize events for them during off-peak hours.
Yuhuan Zhou, an MBA student and one of the creators of Silver Hour, explains that “since the Chinese senior population is growing larger, and senior people are becoming more tech-savvy, we think there is a potential and a need for such social networking apps designed for seniors.”
Ying Pang, a Master of Advanced Management student and another member of the team, says that Silver Hour “is a platform that creates an elderly-friendly, online space for senior citizens.”
Given China’s rapidly growing senior population, the judges of INNOVATEChina evidently saw the promise in a social network specifically for older adults.
While this is Yale SOM’s third consecutive victory in the competition, the competition is now in its eleventh year, having been launched in 2008. The competition is run by CEIBS MBA students and drew proposals from schools across five continents this year.
From Yale’s ongoing success in the INNOVATEChina case competition, it’s clear that Yale is a school that attracts entrepreneurially minded MBA students.
If that sounds like potentially a good fit for you, we can help you figure out how your profile aligns with those of other Yale SOM applicants, and how you can submit an application to Yale that highlights what you have to offer. Just contact us for a free assessment!