Here at Stevens, innovation is always at the forefront of the minds of everyone, from students all the way up to President Farvardin. When a Stevens start-up, known as BGS Threads, made it to the semifinals of the 2023 Hult Price Challenge, allowing it to attend the competition summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, it proved that Stevens continues to be an epicenter of success and innovation.
Sabrina Benayoun, an environmental and sustainability student here at Stevens, was working with Professor Dibs Sarkar from the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering. Sarkar informed Benayoun of the Hult Prize Challenge, a global competition for young entrepreneurs run by the Hult Prize Foundation. According to their website, “The Hult Prize challenges young people to solve the world’s most pressing issues through social entrepreneurship. Every year, one team receives $1M USD in funding to make their idea a reality.” For this year’s competitions, the Hult Prize Foundation offered a challenge: “to create a for-profit social venture in the fashion/clothing industry. Your idea must create a measurable positive impact on people and the planet and support the United Nations in meeting its SDGs by the 2030 deadline.”
Benayoun had a very short amount of time before the deadline to submit for the competition, but decided to compete nonetheless. Benayoun got together a team to create their own business idea for the Hult Prize Challenge. Consisting of students from many different disciplines, including Civil and Environmental Engineering as well as biology. Benayoun and Anastasia Ivanov, Keilly Valverde, and Ryan Krawczyk put together a presentation for their business proposal: BGS Threads.
BGS Threads is the team’s business proposal. It is a clothing company that focuses on sustainability. What sets them apart from traditional clothing companies is that all of its materials are made from bagasse, or sugarcane fibrous waste. The company is a great example of the circular economy model, which, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, “keeps materials, products, and services in circulation for as long [as] possible.” The team’s goal, beyond doing well in the competition, was to offer both sustainable methods and reduced carbon footprints and waste.
Another aspect of BGS Threads is its focus on inclusivity. The company will offer “size inclusive for all” clothes to encourage inclusivity and representation. Additionally, the team ensured that BGS Threads would work with local communities to give back to those in need.
Benayoun, Ivanov, Valverde, and Krawczyk will be traveling to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil to compete in the 2023 Hult Challenge Summit in for the competition. Rio de Janeiro is just one of 12 summits with host cities across five continents and over 100,000 participants. If the team advances, they will be invited to the Global Finals in Paris, France, the world’s fashion capital.
BGS Threads is an outstanding example of innovation thriving here at Stevens, with sustainability and inclusivity being focal points across campus. Congratulations to Benayoun, Ivanov, Valverde, and Krawczyk on their hard work and dedication to this project, and good luck in the semifinals at the summit in Brazil.
