2023 IEEE CTU Challenge Prize Winners

View all the winning proposal presentations on on the Whova platform

Best Overall

Best Overall Proof of Concept

Developing wireless infrastructure using mesh network technology within villages at ultra-low cost, digitizing & putting rural areas online, &enabling farmers to access a variety of digital services

Presenter

Carlos Oba

Award: USD 10,000
Sponsored by: VMware

Best Overall Concept

Transcend Computer labs

Presenter
Kimmie Weeks
Award: USD 8,000
Sponsored by: Internet Society

Best Overall Gender Inclusion #1

Increasing internet access to the underconnected refugee and asylum-seeker girls of 18-34 years through community enablement approach via of digital literacy skill training and accessibility programs in Dzaleka Camp, Malawi

Presenter

Lusambya Milemo

Award: USD 20,000
Sponsored by: USAID

Best Overall Gender Inclusion #2

KOÓLEL KANÁANT LE KUXTAL, YÓOKÓL KAAB (Connecting Women that take care of mother earth)

Presenter
Joaquin Wray
Award: USD 17,000
Sponsored by: USAID

Best Overall Gender Inclusion Runner-up

Empowering Women in Mathare Valley: Bridging the Gender Digital Divide through Community Enablement in Kenya

Presenter

George Musumba

Award: USD 10,000
Sponsored by: USAID

Best Overall from Canada

In-Network Technology To Connect People With Vision Disability

Presenter
Kim Khoa Nguyen
Award: USD 10,000
Sponsored by: Mitacs

Special Gender Inclusion

Social ISPs for digital transformation

Presenter

Oleg Missikoff

Award: USD 8,000
Sponsored by: USAID

FIRST PLACE

Technical Proof of Concept 1st Place

Excuela

Presenter

Gonzalo Yrigoyen

Award: USD 7,000

Technical Concept 1st Place

In-Network Technology To Connect People With Vision Disability

Presenter

Kim Khoa Nguyen

Award: USD 5,000

Technical Concept 1st Place

Affordable Connectivity for Empowering Women Micro Entrepreneurship: The Role of NTN

Presenter

Navrati Saxena

Award: USD 5,000

Community Enablement
Proof of Concept 1st Place

IT& Internet -Job opportunities for People with disabilities and disadvantaged groups

Presenter

Ming Ngo

Award: USD 7,000

Community Enablement Concept 1st Place

Girl Connect

Presenter

Augustina Okpechi

Award: USD 5,000

Award: USD 2,000 (Special Gender Prize)

Business Model
Proof of Concept 1st Place

iAfrika – African Knowledge in African Languages

Presenter

Grant McNulty

Award: USD 7,000

Business Model Concept 1st Place

Empower360

Presenter

Jeremiah Ater

Award: USD 5,000

Second Place

Technical Proof of Concept 2nd Place

The Jara Unit – Connectivity through Off-Grid Charging Education Devices

Presenter

Soraya Fouladi

Award: USD 3,000

Community Enablement
Proof of Concept 2nd Place

KOÓLEL KANÁANT LE KUXTAL, YÓOKÓL KAAB (Connecting Women that take care of mother earth)

Presenter

Joaquin Wray

Award: USD 3,000

Community Enablement Concept 2nd Place

Maternal and Child Health Interpersonal Support System

Presenter

Abhimanyu Panday

Award: USD 2,000

Award: USD 1,000 (Special Gender Prize)

Business Model
Proof of Concept 2nd Place

Empowering Africa’s Digital Revolution: AHADI’s Game-Changing Solution for Unlimited Affordable Internet Access

Presenter

Tao Zhou

Award: USD 3,000

Business Model Concept 2nd Place

Social ISPs for digital transformation

Presenter

Oleg Missikoff

Award: USD 2,000