Seif Salim, Clifford Ogeto and Elvis Kipkorir from University of Eldoret were judged the best at the just concluded Idea Trophy inter-university innovation competition finals trouncing over 700 other students from four participating universities.
The contest was sponsored by consumer goods manufacturer Unilever Kenya and focused on the development of personal and entrepreneurial business competencies among undergraduates.
Idea Trophy Innovation competition was launched in July for student teams of three from public and private universities. They were required to generate innovative ideas on creating brand awareness and growing product usage among their peers in the target schools.
Unilever CEO for East Africa and emerging markets Marc Engel commended the winners for their hard work and creativity, adding that the experience they gained from the competition will go a long way in shaping their careers.
“Unilever is committed towards investing in Kenya’s young bright minds who are also the future leaders, employers and entrepreneurs of this economic hub of East Africa,” said Mr Engel.
This year’s winning team will travel to Unilever London where they will hone their skills. In addition, the finalists got a chance to work with the best in the sales and marketing departments as well as key mentors under the Unilever Future Leaders Programme.
The Idea Trophy competition was launched in the year 2012 and has continued to generate interest among the students. Speaking while officially announcing the winners, Sam Gichuru, CEO and Co-founder of Nailab, who was the guest speaker, said Idea Trophy helps students to bring out their creativity.
“Kenya is a leading hub in Africa with respect to education and innovation. This is partly due to such groundbreaking initiatives by Unilever and other players in the private sector that are aimed at complementing the Government’s efforts in equipping the existing pool of talent with much needed skills.” added Mr. Gichuru.