Mike and Renée Child Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Today’s social media platforms do not meet the needs of Gen Z users. bitcafé has a solution.

There are 21 million college and university students in the U.S. When we joined their ranks, we soon experienced a common problem: limited space and budget to spend on everyday items and essentials—everything from textbooks, clothing and sporting goods to irons, mugs, and pots and pans.

These limitations mean that everyone brings in the things they deem most useful, and each student owns a unique set of items distinct from one another.

We saw the potential for a service to coordinate sharing these goods to mutually benefit everyone.

People caring for a loved one often struggle to find critical resources, a supportive network—and the time and know-how to care for themselves. 

Indeed, up to 70% of caregivers are vulnerable to symptoms of depression.

Yet the challenges of caregiving often go unnoticed. 

Remember Me is a specialized app to uplift the lives of those affected by early-stage Alzheimer's disease through confidence building, memory strengthening, and healthcare accessibility.

Buzly is re-creating bridges between students and universities. The social network helps students find resources, create communities and form connections with peers for an enriching college experience.

UC Davis student startup Cornische is developing a networking and payment platform that connects faculty leading funded studies with undergraduate research students. The goal: to promote and maintain student talent in academia.

Most of the time, small things are overlooked and go unnoticed.

People assume that it is just one small item. How much harm can it really do? 

When our group came together in a biodesign class, we wanted to bring attention to small things everyone uses—such as bandages, which millions of people use and that can add up to have a negative impact on the environment. Our product, Biobandage, is a 100% plastic-free, kombucha-based bandage designed to help heal wounds faster than traditional adhesive bandages. Biobandage uses kombucha’s byproduct, bacterial cellulose.

Empowering Communities in Little Bang! Poster Competition JusCheckIt is developing an easy-to-use search engine that helps people understand their basic legal rights, the laws and the legal process, and provides access to legal representation.

JusCheckIt’s concept and team has been in development for the last six months, with our focus being toward defining our core market and evaluating potential long-term revenue streams. Over the course of the next year, we plan to compete in the full slate of Little Bang! and Big Bang!