Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q), in collaboration with the Qatar Research Development and Innovation (QRDI) Council and the European Innovation Academy, wrapped up the first Start for Good competition, a three-week virtual program designed to inspire students to create startups with a focus on social entrepreneurship.

Three teams emerged at the top. Maryia Zhukava from CMU-Q and Eze Jackson from Warsaw University presented their idea for an eco-friendly, affordable bike-sharing platform for Jackson’s home country, Nigeria. Jelan Ali from Qatar University, Amalia Balan from University of Twente and Erica Ann de Mello from University of Coimbra designed a multisensory kit so people with accessibility challenges can explore culture and heritage through an immersive experience. Soha Mousa and Aysha Jiffry from Texas A&M University at Qatar developed a digital platform to connect humanitarian aid directly with those in need during a natural disaster.

CMU-Q encourages students to use their skills to find impactful solutions to challenges within communities. The business administration program piloted a new course last summer with an emphasis on social entrepreneurship. Last year, a student-led initiative hosted the first Lifelines Hackathon to channel innovation into solutions for humanitarian crises. The second Lifelines Hackathon will take place the weekend of January 31 with the support of QRDI Council.

Maher Hakim, distinguished career professor in business administration at CMU-Q, was a key organizer of the Start for Good competition.

'We wanted to offer an educational experience that inspires and enriches students, and also generates ideas that can make a huge change in the world,' Hakim concluded.

He emphasized the importance of sustained effort in creating successful startups. 'We wanted to offer a program which educates and rewards participants on the work required to bring ideas to fruition. We wanted to offer students a more educational and enriching experience,” said Hakim.

The Start for Good competition offered participants lectures, workshops and mentoring sessions over three weeks as they developed their business plans. Mentors and coaches worked closely with the participants, guiding them through various stages of business development, including problem statement, problem validation and customer discovery, design and prototyping, and launch strategy. Other key concepts included market size and competitive analysis, revenue models, pricing strategy, and storytelling.

Maryia Zhukava, a CMU-Q business administration student on one of the winning teams, reflected on her experience: “The mentors encouraged us to start with the problem we have identified and the way it affects the community. The solutions come from that, and any time we got stuck we went back to the original question. It was a challenge, but also a wonderful experience.”

The winning teams were awarded scholarships to attend one of the European Innovation Academy’s boot camps in 2025 where they can continue to develop entrepreneurial skills, solve real-world challenges, collaborate globally, build networks, and gain career-ready expertise through hands-on learning and mentorship​​​.