Ford Fund Expands Global Commitment to Student Social Entrepreneurship at Enactus World Cup

  • Ford Motor Company Fund will present $90,000 in Ford Better World Awards to the four winning teams at the Enactus World Cup, a global social entrepreneurship competition for college students.
  • Ford Fund is launching the Ford Mobility Innovation Challenge for Enactus student teams with sustainable, mobility focused enterprises that meet a community need
  • These initiatives are a part of an ongoing partnership between Ford Fund and Enactus that supports student social entrepreneurs in nine markets around the world

San Jose, Calif., Oct. 9, 2018 – Ford Fund – the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company – is advancing its mission to empower young people to meet the challenges of a better world with support for two major global social entrepreneurship competitions for college students.

Ford Fund will present the Ford Better World Award this week to the winning teams at the 2018 Enactus World Cup. Ford Fund will also launch the Ford Mobility Innovation Challenge – a pitch competition for student-led social enterprises that use business strategies to meet financial and social objectives, and benefit the entire community.

The Ford Better World Award is up for grabs as 36 student teams from around the world prepare to showcase their creativity and energize social enterprise during the Enactus World Cup. The final competitors were whittled down from a global field of more than 70,000 university students, who are using innovative thinking, business savvy and entrepreneurial spirit to make a positive difference in their communities and the world.

Ford Fund will present Ford Better World Awards to the winner on Thursday, Oct. 11, the final day of the Enactus World Cup. Ford Fund is investing $150,000 to support the World Cup event and provide grants to the four winning teams. The top finisher will receive $50,000 with a $25,000 award for second place, $10,000 for third and $5,000 for the fourth place team. 

As 3,500 students, educators, business and community leaders gather for Enactus World Cup activities, Ford Fund will work with Enactus to introduce the Ford Mobility Innovation Challenge. The six student teams selected to compete in the challenge were determined during a global competition in markets participating in the Ford College Community Challenge, another partnership with Enactus that awards grants for sustainable, student-led projects that address a community need. In this case, the emphasis is on mobility. The challenge will take place at Ford’s Greenfield Labs in nearby Palo Alto, a facility designed to explore the future of mobility. The winning entries will be determined by a panel of judges and will share $75,000 in grants. 

Finalists competing in the Ford Mobility Innovation Challenge are:

  • Belmont University, USA - Senior Ride Nashville supports older adults by keeping them connected to the community, providing mobility for maintaining health and quality of life.
  • Centenary University, USA - ShieldZ Wearable Technologies is a wristband device that could warn drivers of fatigue through sound and vibration.
  • Federal University of Pará (UFPA), Brazil - The Amana Katu project used design thinking to develop sustainable, low-cost rainwater collection systems for homes and agriculture.
  • National Graduate School of Arts of Casablanca, Morocco - POMM’IT is a social start-up that produces and markets food and natural cosmetics made from agricultural waste.
  • University for Development Studies, Ghana - EA Transport allows clients to arrange a vehicle with a cell phone application in an area with poor transportation.
  • University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA - Circle Cycle is a year-round bicycle safety program for middle and high school students that seeks to create a bike repair shop.

“Each of these competitions advances Ford Fund’s commitment to work with communities around the world to drive innovation in education and make people’s lives better,” said Jim Vella, president, Ford Motor Company Fund. “The passion, understanding and determination of these young people bodes well for the future of our world. They have earned our appreciation and thanks for a job well done.”

As part of its ongoing commitment to empower youth to drive change in their communities, Ford Fund collaborates with Enactus on the Ford College Community Challenge in Brazil, Germany, Ghana, Kenya, Mexico, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa and United Kingdom. Over the past 5 years, this collaboration has supported 97 student-led social enterprises, which have benefitted more than 100,000 people globally.

Enactus – a global NGO that brings together students, academic professionals and business leaders who are committed to using entrepreneurial action to improve lives – is also one of the organizations partnering with Ford Fund on its social mobility centers in Puerto Rico that were created to help people and communities impacted by the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Ford Fund and Enactus also work together to bring Ford Driving Skills for Life to Mexico.  

Ford Fund invests more than $18 million each year in forward-thinking education programs that provide opportunities for people to achieve economic success and enhance community prosperity.

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About Ford Motor Company Fund

Ford Motor Company Fund is the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company. Established in 1949, Ford Fund invests in transformational programs that advance innovation, empower people, promote social mobility and improve community prosperity. Ford Fund works with local and global partners to create opportunities in education, encourage safe driving, enlist employee volunteers and enrich community life. For more information, visit http://community.ford.com, or join us on Facebook and Twitter.

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is a global company based in Dearborn, Michigan. The company designs, manufactures, markets and services a full line of Ford cars, trucks, SUVs, electrified vehicles and Lincoln luxury vehicles, provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company and is pursuing leadership positions in electrification, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions. Ford employs approximately 203,000 people worldwide. For more information regarding Ford, its products and Ford Motor Credit Company, please visit www.corporate.ford.com.​​