Bright ideas, bold solutions: Highlighting global student innovation

Arizona State University hosted its annual Cintana Summer Experience pitch competition on June 27, an event that brings together student teams from universities around the world to develop and present innovative business ideas after an intensive two-week entrepreneurship program.

This year, the Qnatur team from Universidad Norbert Wiener in Peru took the top prize for their project.

The pitch competition gives student entrepreneurs from ASU's global partner university network the chance to showcase new ideas, businesses and products that focus on real-world solutions with a lasting impact.

“This is an amazing opportunity for students to see the impact of what they're learning, or what they're going through,” said Carolina Zuppardi, director of quality for health sciences at Cintana Education. “And to see how their classes can have a real impactful change in society.”

The pitch competition focuses on allowing students to create their own solutions to urgent matters in their home regions, all while competing to win a $5,000 grand prize as well as mentorship from Cintana Education to assist in advancing their research beyond the pitch.

This year’s final featured six teams, each representing their respective universities. They presented their projects during the final day of the "ASU Summer Experience: Sustainable and Innovative Solutions" program, hosted by ASU Global Launch.

“I was blown away at the level of confidence that these students showed with their venture development skills,” said Brent Sebold, Hool Coury Law Professor of Entrepreneurship and director of entrepreneurship and innovation at the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. “And I am extremely excited about continuing our relationship with many of these students moving forward as they build these companies in their home countries, as their home institutions. So it's a proud moment for me.”

The Qnatur team from Universidad Norbert Wiener took home the grand prize this year with their innovative quinoa facial cleanser. Their project focuses on transforming high-potential waste into a beneficial skincare product, contributing to environmental care while supporting quinoa-producing communities in Peru.

Laura Zavaleta, CEO of the group and a pharmacy and biochemistry student with pharmaceutical industry experience, leads the team.

She emphasized the importance of belief in their work: “If you really don't believe in your product or in the purpose, it's not going to work. So that's something that I take away from this opportunity.” Laura has personally used the cleanser to successfully treat severe acne that traditional drugstore products could not resolve.

Paolo Chipoco, COO of Qnatur, praised the team’s creativity and dedication: “I'm really proud of the team that we have. I don't know if there is another team that can do this job and project together. I’m really proud of Laura and really proud of our CFO, Diego, because they are really creative and the true masterminds of our product.”

Universidad Francisco Gavidia earned second place with their project to transform waste management in El Salvador through the design and implementation of an AI waste management system.

Known as SKAI — Smart Klassifier with Artificial Intelligence — the system uses robotics and machine learning to automatically sort waste into plastic, paper and cardboard, and aluminum. A camera captures real-time images while a pre-trained AI model analyzes and classifies items before motors sort them into designated compartments.

SKAI aims to address the significant waste management challenges in El Salvador’s metropolitan areas, where approximately 189,000 tons of waste were collected in 2020, but only 5% was properly recycled.

“But I think that when you know what your project is, you are able to explain it without much effort,” said Josué Pineda, a member of the UFG team. “We worked a lot on this. It's been a rough seven, eight months. But I am proud of myself and I am most proud that we managed to explain every point of importance in our presentation within the short time that we had. 

The system is designed for use in homes, businesses and cities, helping build more sustainable communities by encouraging smart recycling habits and reducing landfill waste.

Budapest Metropolitan University received third place for its initiative to create aesthetically pleasing, affordable furniture from recycled materials for people who are temporarily relocated.

The team collects old, damaged, or unused furniture — including oversized items such as pianos — through open calls among locals, partnerships with recycling enterprises and street collection during lomtalanítás, the city’s designated trash disposal day.

“We have a strong connection to our project because of our own experience already,” said a group member of METU. “I think this is what allowed us to create, develop and deliver our project very well.”

Each piece is repaired, redesigned and transformed into unique, functional furniture available for short-term rental through an online platform. Tenants can rent the items for a minimum of six months, with the option to purchase the furniture at the end of the lease period. The project aims to reduce waste while providing flexible furnishing solutions for individuals in transition.

With projects rooted in purpose and creativity, this year’s finalists demonstrated how global collaboration and student innovation can lead to sustainable solutions that make a tangible difference.

“I was very impressed by the quality of the competition today,” said Lois Malone, associate director of student and faculty engagement for Cintana within the Office of Global Academic Initiatives at ASU. “I was so impressed by the ideas of these young people to change the world around them and perhaps change the whole world. It was an honor to participate in this event as a judge. This is our fourth year having this program here, and I'm truly inspired by what they did.”

For more information about ASU’s global university partnerships and the Cintana Alliance, visit global.asu.edu.