Global entrepreneurs | UDaily

Diamond Challenge competitors also get to meet like-minded, motivated people their age, from much more diverse backgrounds than is typical for high school students, Harrington said. 

“It’s been a very pleasurable experience,” Antonio Dominguez, a senior at the International School of Panama, said of the 2024 event. Dominguez represented a team working on VOTA Panama, which aims to help inform voters in that country. (It later won a Horn prize for social innovation). 

“I’ve managed to meet a lot of different talented individuals, a lot of passionate youth,” he said. “We want to make a change in the world.”

“I think it’s super important, especially for students from Delaware and the surrounding area, to have that global perspective,” Freeman said.

The Diamond Challenge also puts Delaware, and its flagship University, on the map. 

“[It’s] a great way for [contestants] to get connected and understand there’s great things happening here at UD,” Harrington said. 

Freeman said former competitors have enrolled in Lerner and UD’s other colleges. 

“Part of our goal is to try to bring creative, innovative and entrepreneurial students into every major at the University,” he said. 

The final summit event isn’t just about making pitches to judges. It also builds in chances to socialize and learn. Competitors were able to relax with cornhole and a giant Jenga set. At informational sessions, they could hear how to enhance their customer research with generative AI or listen to a panel of investors who shared insights on what venture capital firms are looking for. 

Team leaders benefit as well. Allwyn Bryner, an innovation teacher at the International School of Panama who led Dominguez’s team, said teachers promoting experiential learning can often feel isolated or discouraged. 

“But when I come here and I see kids pitching the next-level ideas that can change lives, it just warms my heart,” he said. 

He called the Diamond Challenge a chance to reset and rebuild his passion, and he’s trying to spread the word about it in Latin America. 

Bryner, who is originally from India and has worked all over the world, said the contest can also be life-changing for students, giving them opportunities and connections they otherwise wouldn’t have. The prize money alone, he said, can go a long way, especially in other economies. Top winners in the contest earn $12,000. 

“The biggest reason why I love Diamond Challenge over any other high school challenge, hands down, is the feedback,” Bryner said. Teams get valuable input from the judges on what to work on from the early stages. “That’s the game changer.” 

Freeman thanked the many judges who provided that input throughout the contest, along with the corporate sponsors. 

“A program like this cannot happen without robust support from the broader community,” he said. 

Read more about the Diamond Challenge, including a list of winners, on the Lerner College website.