Rickshaws for refugees win USD$1 million Hult Prize

Written by Pauline Chiou, a Hult contributing writer. Photography courtesy of AP Images. The intersection of entrepreneurship, innovation and social impact is happening in a most unlikely place: the largest slum in the world.   Pakistan’s Orangi Town is a slum of 2.5 million people. It’s the proving ground of a start-up that recently won the $1 million Hult Prize, an annual global business competition tackling the world’s biggest challenges. This year’s theme is to dramatically improve the lives of refugees. â€Å"We are bringing a generation of change with forward thinking,† says Hult Prize CEO Ahmad Ashkar, summarizing the 50,000 innovative business ideas submitted this year. Ashkar founded the competition eight years ago while an MBA student at Hult International Business School. He was inspired by a class on social entrepreneurship and the power of a good idea. Today, the business school partners with the Hult Prize organization, lending faculty expertise to the entrepreneurs honing their final pitches. CEO of Hult Prize Foundation and Hult MBA Alumnus Ahmad Ashlar speaks during the Hult Prize Finals at the United Nations HQ. (Mark Von Holden/Hult Prize Foundation via AP Images) Roshni Rides captured USD $1 million in seed funding as the 2017 Hult Prize winner. The start-up is already shaking up the existing transportation network in the slum. The four founders are New Jersey college students who traveled to Pakistan and studied the rhythm of life in Orangi Town. â€Å"This is the largest slum in Asia. They are displaced, urbanized refugees,† says Hasan Usmani, a first-generation Pakistani American and recent Rutgers University graduate. â€Å"All four of us on the team come from parents who are immigrants, so this is for them.† Here’s how Roshni Rides works: The start-up pays rickshaw drivers a monthly salary to drive on a set route with fixed fares.   For passengers, the system eliminates price gouging. For drivers, it creates a steadier flow of passenger volume. Former US President Bill Clinton presents at the Hult Prize Finals (Jason DeCrow/Hult Prize Foundation via AP Images) Supply chain management in the slum The founders of Roshni Rides are all supply chain management majors at Rutgers Business School.   They put those streamlining skills to work in the slum. The whole business is about creating efficiency, says CEO Gia Farooqi. A rickshaw driver now picks up six to eight customers a day, but two million rickshaws are on the road. Thats crazy! The rickshaws are underutilized. So we tried to answer why theres the mismatch. Here were the challenges: Uneven supply.   The team discovered most rickshaw drivers congregate around urban centers where they can charge higher fares and get faster turnover. This means a glut of rickshaws in a handful of areas while the rest of the sprawling slum is left with fewer transportation options. Personal safety.   The bus system is overcrowded and dominated by men. According to Roshni Rides, 89% of Pakistani women don’t take a job that requires a commute mainly because of safety. The team sees rickshaw transportation as a solution for women. Affordability.   Price gouging by rickshaw drivers is common outside the urban centers. Roshni Rides lowered their rickshaw fares to 80 rupees (US $0.76) per ride. They put the drivers on a fixed salary so the drivers have guaranteed income that’s 27% higher than a normal month’s wage. The drivers are also given devices to swipe pre-paid fare cards. This reduces the need for cash. The Roshni Rides team from Rutgers University celebrate their win (Mark Von Holden/Hult Prize Foundation via AP Images) The global view: A growing crisis Former President Bill Clinton announced the winner of the Hult Prize at the United Nations in September. This years topic is particularly important because we have 65 million displaced people in the world—the largest number since World War II,† said Clinton.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"This toll of involuntary migration is enormous.† According to the United Nations, 55% of the world’s refugees come from South Sudan, Afghanistan and Syria.   20 people are displaced from their homes every minute because of conflict or persecution. Pakistan and Turkey are among the biggest host countries for refugees. The UN Refugee Agency reports that an unprecedented 65.6 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 22.5 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18. Infographic courtesy of UNHCR. Whether in a refugee camp or a slum, it’s all about survival.   Ã¢â‚¬Å"They are in a spiral,† explains  Bill McDonough, architect and co-author of the book â€Å"Cradle to Cradle† on sustainable living. â€Å"Sustainability has three aspects: economic, social, and environmental. Graceful and creative things in life happen in peace. If you’re in a war, you’re not planning a garden.† â€Å"Sustainability has three aspects: economic, social, and environmental. Graceful and creative things in life happen in peace. -Bill McDonough, architect and co-author of Cradle to Cradle The judges view: Passion is a given. Show financial discipline. The Hult Prize judges evaluated the business plans of six global finalist teams. The ideas ranged from transportation upgrades to a digital jobs platform for refugees. The choice was so difficult that it took three rounds of voting to determine a winner. The deciding factor: financial viability. â€Å"Social entrepreneurs often lose sight that they have to run a business. You can’t rely on donations,† says judge Chuck Kane, chairman of One Laptop Per Child. â€Å"If you’re not profitable or just break even, you impact fewer and fewer people.† It was hard to actually know where USD$1 million would be most transformative, says another judge Premal Shah, President of the microfinance non-profit, Kiva.org. What I look for is pilot traction. The pilot that Roshni Rides conducted in Pakistan helped them reshape their product and business plan. The original idea was a network of solar-powered rickshaws. The team quickly saw the cost challenges of converting existing rickshaws into a solar vehicle so they scrapped the idea.   The team also mapped out ten  stops for customers on a rickshaw shuttle route. After conducting surveys, the team learned the majority of passengers wanted to go to the same few places (e.g. market, schools, hospital, employment center) so they whittled down the route to these locations. â€Å"We have a lot of data from our pilot program to go through,† says Farooqi. â€Å"We have a scaling plan and we want to expand to the rest of South Asia. We want to be in Bangladesh, India, and Sri Lanka by Year 5.† Former US President Bill Clinton poses for selfies with the crowd at the end of an inspiring night (Jason DeCrow/Hult Prize Foundation via AP Images) If you would like to find out more about Hult’s global business programs,  download a brochure here. Pauline Chiou is a contributing writer for Hult International Business School. She currently covers global business, news, and politics for CNN International as a freelance journalist based in New York. She spent nine years in Asia as an anchor for CNN in Hong Kong and CNBC in Singapore. Follow Pauline on Twitter @PaulineChiou. Hult offers a range of highly skills-focused and employability-driven business school programs including a range of MBA options and a comprehensive one year Masters in International Business. To find out more, take a look at our blog How the Hult Prize turned me into a social entrepreneur. Download a brochure or get in touch today to find out how Hult can help you to learn about the business world, the future, and yourself. Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Hult Rotation offers you a chance to study in a truly global way. Our rotation program allows you to study and be immersed in some of the finest cities in the world. 📠¸: @jasminmanzano . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . Each year, Hult seeks to enroll a talented and ambitious incoming class from all over the world. We look for diverse students with a wide range of experiences, perspectives, and interests—students who will thrive in our unique educational atmosphere. Are you ready for a truly global experience? 📠¸: @iambrunadiniz . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . We’re excited to start 2020 on a ranking high! Hult is proud to have been placed #28 in Poets Quants 2020 rankings for Best Undergraduate Business Schools in the US. Taking a huge leap of 32 places from our 2019 position, we’re also very happy to have secured top positions in key categories like: life-changing experience, practicality of the degree, and global immersion. . With five global campuses, a student body of over 130 nationalities, and a learn-by-doing approach—Hult offers a student experience like no other. . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . â€Å"I’m from an engineering background and needed a whole new skill set for the industry I wanted to switch to. I learned a lot about myself and how I deal with being out of my comfort zone. I learned both soft and hard skills, from how to work in very diverse teams to key accounting metrics and strategy. I was surprised by how weak I was at certain tasks in English or how strong I actually was in other areas. Hult gave me opportunities to try new things and meet people from places I never thought I would have friends. . My internship experiences gave me the chance to broaden my view of different cultures and different companies. I had the opportunity to work and live with people whose values differed from people in my home country. I thought that this would be difficult, but it gave me the chance to reflect on my own values and assess if they were a result of my home country environment or if they were intrinsically mine. . Diederick ter Kulve (@diederick.terkulve) Netherlands Masters in International Business . Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021 Say a big hello to our Bachelor of Business Administration program cover star, Elisa Orus Plana âÅ" ¨ . â€Å"I’m excited for the future—especially that I cant predict whats going to happen. Maybe Ill end up in Mexico working for a trading company or maybe in Africa, developing my own business. Everything is possible, and the options are constantly changing. I love the idea that Im never going to be stuck doing the same job until the end of my life if I dont want it to be like this. . Hult really supports me and my ambitions and truly believes that we deserve to be considered as professionals as well as students. Here, I get to express not just my opinions but all elements of myself. From my creative side with the Fashion Society to my finance and business sides in Trading Club and the Management Consulting Club. We get a different type of learning here. Not just essential knowledge and theory, but practical skills and mindset. The school is always evolving. We’re encouraged to innovate and to always look for new ways of doing traditional things. We learn how to be more confident and become aware of how we can impact our environment. The school aims to help you become a better version of yourself and to stand out from the crowd.â€Å" . Elisa Orus Plana French Bachelor of Business Administration Class of 2021"> During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. During the final days of 2019, you probably reflected on what you’ve accomplished this year—and even this decade—and what you’d like to achieve in 2020. Let us know in the comments below. â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"The first time we did group work on the program, I went head-to-head with a colleague. It taught me a lot about how I see people, how people see me, and how conflict can be resolved in a kind and productive way. The best feedback you get, when delivered constructively, is the most critical because it really feeds into how you lead. I’ve completely reversed my leadership style—the result is so much richer and more powerful when you lead from behind and lead with strength. . Studying in tandem with working, whilst challenging, gave me the perfect platform to directly apply learning concepts into my business environment, the competitive landscape, and the real-estate industry as a whole. When I started the program, I was very happy in my corporate role. But my courage and aspirations grew to the point that I took on a whole new direction. Having my career coach, Joanna, as a sounding board allowed me to really be strategic and get to know myself. She coached me thro ugh all the interviews, the research, and the questions. It went in parallel with what I was doing academically and after six months everything just clicked. . I went into the EMBA knowing I had nothing to lose and I’ve come out with everything. Great strength, global friends, amazing learning, mentors from professors, a job I love, and the knowledge that I can set my mind to achieve anything and with the right support and resources I’ll get there.† . Kashani Wijetunga British, New Zealand Sri Lankan Associate Director Senior Strategy Consultant CBRE EMBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . â€Å"It was now or never. I knew that I’d have likely stayed in my neighborhood for years to come if I didn’t take this opportunity. I’d not lived or studied outside of the U.S. before. So I left my job as a global strategist at an advertising agency and moved halfway around the world. I’ve come back a more culturally aware, well-versed person. I’ve realized that everything is a learning experience and an opportunity for growth. Ill definitely carry this mindset with me into the future. Technology and social media allow us to be different people in several places at once. Im excited to see how I can establish myself in whatever city Ill be lucky enough to call home and still maintain deep connections with people all over the world. I’m inspired by my classmates every day. Hearing some of their life stories and how getting this degree fits into their greater mission has been very humbling. My biggest challenge has been finding the ‘right’ path for me. There have been rooms Ive felt like I shouldnt be in, but now Im proud to feel as though I truly belong, wherever I am.† . Dwayne Logan, Jnr. American MBA Class of 2019 . Happy New Year, Hultians! . Happy New Year, Hultians! .