With less than a week until Demo Day, Zahn startups are making last minute adjustments to prototypes, finalizing their pitch decks, and ordering stickers and t-shirts with their logos! All of the startups in the 2017 cohort can’t wait to show you what they’ve been working on this semester. From urban farming STEM education initiatives to regenerative makeup, the startups at Demo Day are sure to inspire.
One team in particular is especially eager to share their mission with you. In this blog, meet Gol, a team of interdisciplinary students that have come together to create customized solutions for areas stricken with the water crisis. They’re determined to improve water in areas afflicted by water contamination and water-related disease, and are seeking to partner with local and international NGOs who will help them create sustainable business models for these communities.
The Gol team is made up of Rick Matthews and Reylyn Roldan, senior bio-medical engineering students; Noah Gross, a senior economics student; Joseph Chiu, a senior studying mechanical engineering; and Saif Choudhury, a senior english major. Rick, Reylyn, and Noah sat down with me to discuss what they’ve learned over the course of the semester, and how empowerment can help solve some of the world’s most pressing issues.
Reylyn Roldan: I’ve been part of the Zahn Center for 3 years now, ever since sophomore year when I organized TEDxCUNY at CCNY. Lindsay helps me organize and host TEDx every year, and without her insight and her connections to great speakers, we wouldn’t have had such successful events. The competitions were always in my radar, but this year Rick invited me to join him on an idea he had called Gol.
Noah Gross: I first learned about the Zahn Center last semester when Devin came into my investment class. He made the idea of stopping by to share ideas sound really inviting, but I didn’t have an idea of my own. Then Reylyn and Rick reached out to me because they needed an Economics student to help with their financial models. I liked the concept of working for a social impact venture, so I joined them.
ZC: So Rick, it seems like you were the ring leader. How did you come up with Gol?
Rick Matthews: Well, I was studying abroad and I was sitting at lunch talking about how the water there tasted different. And from there, we started talking about the global water crisis, or about as much as we new based on the news we read online. We started thinking about all of the problems that come with the water crisis, and initially applied to the competition with a solar powered washing machine that could be used in rural communities. We figured, health, sanitation, access to water, it all goes hand and hand and creates a never-ending cycle of issues.
ZC: I remember when Gol was a washing machine…now you’ve definitely pivoted.
RM: I think we did more than pivot. When we realized what social impact really meant, we decided to go all in and really solve this problem like a changemaker would. We didn’t want to just create something. We wanted to have lasting impact. Now I think we identify was a team of interdisciplinary college students trying to find problems in the world relating to the water crisis. We want to take each community as a unique entity and tailor the solutions.
ZC: Is there a specific community you’re focusing on?
RM: We’re currently focusing on Bangladesh, which is pretty much the birthplace of water-related diseases, and reaching out to partners who work in that area. But we’re still learning about other countries. For example, Somalia has a horrible cholera outbreak right now. And other parts of Africa are struggling with famine and drought. We’re trying to create a business model that can be adapted for each situation.
ZC: You’ve been reaching out to partners? Anyone in particular?
RR: The Zahn Center has been doing a great job connecting us with organizations and mentors who work on social impact internationally. We’ve met the leaders of the Cordes Foundation, and they’re helping us make contact with bigger organizations like Grameen Bank.
RM: Yeah, the Zahn Center has been amazing in bringing mentors to us…it’s essential for us to talk to them and learn from their experiences. We heard Greg Van Kirk of Ashoka speak and Noah and I met with him just last week. He gave us some harsh criticism and really challenged us to think differently and approach the problem in a different way.
NG: I really appreciate the constructive criticism here. Nothing is sugarcoated, they’ll push us to tear down our own assumptions so that we can approach everything without bias. You really don’t get that kind of tough love anywhere else.
RM: Yeah, we’ve pivoted so much and we’ve come a long way, the feedback from mentors and Zahn staff is essential.
ZC: So what exactly is Gol? Or what have you pivoted to?
NG: We recognize a need for a portable water filtration system with a charcoal filter, but we don’t see the sustainability (or innovation) in just creating a charcoal water filter for developing nations. We want to allow locals to develop the charcoal themselves, and create a charcoal market. Inspired by agriculture waste initiatives and microloans, we want to give groups of women the capacity to build a small kiln, and with that kiln, collect agriculture waste that can create charcoal. From there, they can sell that to water filter companies or users.
RM: It’s more than giving people water filters, it’s about having a greater impact in their lifestyle. We’re empowering women to not only clean the water for their families, but create the material necessary for the filters. Using microloans (or solidarity loans) groups of women in local communities can work together to make a charcoal business. That in itself is sustainable, and it will drive the market.
NG: Essentially, we’re sparking entrepreneurship within these communities.
RM: Exactly–it supports economic growth in the community.
RR: It’s what sets us apart. Other organizations out there give communities filters and expect people to use it. We know that’s just a temporary fix to the water crisis.
RM: We’re creating the solutions that help contain that fix. It’s a living breathing solution, the people affected by the problem have to be involved in the solution.
ZC: What you’re talking about is true social impact.
RM: It’s ingenious.
ZC: It really is. And it’s going to create so much impact in places that need it most. Do you have contacts in some of the countries you want to reach?
RR: We definitely want to get on the ground and learn from the communities we hope to serve. We want to learn how they engage with each other and try to figure out how to simplify our solution.
RM: One of our team members is going to Bangladesh this summer. We’re establishing contacts there so he can get on the ground running. But it’s not a water filter that’s going to Bangladesh, it’s our efforts that will create change there.
ZC: Is that why you want to win on Demo Day? So you can get to Bangladesh?
RR: Hahaha yeah, it would definitely help, but the competition isn’t the end goal anymore. We’ve fallen in love with these issues. This whole process drives us to think outside of the box. It’s gotten to the point where we just want to make this happen. We’ve come along way, and whether we win or lose, we’re going to keep going.
RM: I’m just excited to tackle the real problem. The Zahn Center has given us the opportunity to explore this problem, learn from it, and develop a solution backed by research. We’ve been broken down–or, I guess challenged–since day one. It’s a process, but we’re better off than when we started for sure.
NG: We know that every step back comes with a couple steps forward…or maybe it’s the opposite.
RM: This issue is complicated, but it’s social impact. We’re empowering individuals to solve their own problems.
RR: We’re changing lives.
