Mobile Unit Wins CSI Award

The winners of the CSI (Centre for Social Impact) 2011 Social Entrepreneurship Competition was announced, with CSI’s Director of Social Enterprise, Cheryl Kernot awarding the prize to a group servicing the refugee community.

Lopamudra Parekh, Stephen Bennett, Dhawal Parekh and Amol Chavan were last week awarded the prize for their creation -compact, modular, towable units to sell cultural foods and crafts of newly arrived refugees.

The innovation provides refugees with financial and social support according to CSI.

The competition, hosted in conjunction with the Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at UNSW, provides students with the opportunity to test their social entrepreneurship ideas by submitting a business plan and pitching to a panel of experts.

The $3000 competition prize was donated by Annitel CEO Peter Kazacos who said he hoped the prize would encourage young people to realise the career possibilities in social enterprise.

The team said they hoped to bring their idea into the marketplace by fine-tuning their business plan and getting funding.