Held on April 3rd, the second annual Social Impact Pitch Competition brought together undergraduate students around this year's theme, Building Healthier Communities Through Innovation. A joint initiative between the Lerner Center and the Syracuse University LaunchPad, the competition challenged students to develop and pitch solutions to real-world public health problems. Eleven participants competed, representing a wide range of academic disciplines and reflecting the competition's commitment to fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and inclusive team development across campus.

Each team presented their pitch in front of a three-judge panel and an audience of faculty, staff, and fellow students. Presentations were evaluated on eight criteria, including how effectively each entry identified a public health problem, the viability and feasibility of the proposed solution, its potential social impact, and the quality of the business strategy, entrepreneurial vision, and pitch delivery. Following each presentation, judges posed questions to the competitors, pushing them to defend their ideas and demonstrate the depth of their thinking. Winners were selected based on a ranking of their overall scores in each area as well as evidence of commitment, vision, and collaboration. The caliber of this year's competitors left judges genuinely impressed, "The depth of thinking and passion these students brought to such complex health issues was truly remarkable" said judge and Lerner Center Director Rebekah Lewis.