NEWSROOM
2022 Innovation Blues Award winners named
A scientist using drones for application for manta ray conservation efforts in the Indo Pacific, New Zealand Universities National League Case Competition winners and the founder of a social media platform for making platonic friendships have all been recognised as outstanding student innovators in the 2022 University of Auckland Blues Awards.
Blues Awards are a university tradition that originated from England. The blue colours of Oxford and Cambridge Universities came to symbolise sporting excellence and the tradition migrated to New Zealand where many universities have adopted the recognition and reward system. At the University of Auckland, Blues Awards have evolved to recognise excellence in other fields such as Arts and Culture, Service and Leadership, and Innovation.
Innovation Blues Awards applications were reviewed by a panel of senior University of Auckland staff. Finalists were chosen for an outstanding achievement in innovation that had created or enhanced a product, process or system which provides an effective solution to a challenging issue. This could have been in a social, environmental, technological or commercial context. Applications came from students of all study disciplines.
Most Meritorious Innovation award went to Alonzo Nieves – founder of eVouch, which helps ecommerce businesses gain sales through word of mouth. eVouch was featured as a case study for the global Shopify App Challenge 2021, and Alonzo’s team have now partnered with over 500 merchants. These successes have seen them recently raising capital in both New Zealand and the United States.
Director of the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Darsel Keane says “Innovation is one of the pillars of the University of Auckland’s new graduate profile. Innovative solutions are needed to address the world’s challenges and it’s wonderful to see the variety of entries to this year’s Blues Award where students are applying innovation to problems such as making friends, marine conservation and contemporary business challenges.”
2022 Innovation Blues recipients
Trinayan Krishnan (Business and Arts)
Trinayan, alongside her team, placed first in the National League Business Case Competition at the University of Waikato. The team consulted for a local vendor of infant supplies, presenting an innovative strategy for achieving its growth targets that was justified through sound qualitative and financial analysis.
Edy Setyawan (Science)
Utilising commercially available drones, Edy developed a novel method to accurately measure the body size of surface-feeding or cruising manta rays with minimal or no impact on the animals. This is a ground-breaking innovation which will aid research-based conservation and management of this globally threatened species in the Indo-Pacific regions.
Michael Shaimerden (Engineering)
Michael is the founder of Fistbump, a mobile app that uses a machine learning model to help students connect based on interest, personality or goals.
Michael Smith (Business and Engineering)
Michael, alongside his team, placed first in the National League Business Case Competition at the University of Waikato. The team consulted for a local vendor of infant supplies, presenting an innovative strategy for achieving its growth targets that was justified through sound qualitative and financial analysis.
Callum Sng (Business and Arts)
Callum, alongside his team, placed first in the New Zealand Universities National League Business Case Competition. The team consulted for a local vendor of infant supplies, presenting an innovative strategy for achieving its growth targets that was justified through sound qualitative and financial analysis.
Cecilia Yuxuan Wu (Business and Law)
Cecilia, alongside her team, placed first in the National League Business Case Competition at the University of Waikato. The team consulted for a local vendor of infant supplies, presenting an innovative strategy for achieving its growth targets that was justified through sound qualitative and financial analysis.
Alonzo Nieves (Law and Business) – Most Meritorious Innovation
Alonzo co-founded eVouch, a Business to Business, Software as a Service (B2B SaaS) company focused on helping e-commerce brands generate sales through word of mouth. eVouch’s word-of-mouth solutions have enabled access to a new, cheaper and more effective marketing channel.
27 September 2022
A scientist using drones for application for manta ray conservation efforts in the Indo Pacific, New Zealand Universities National League Case Competition winners and the founder of a social media platform for making platonic friendships have all been recognised as outstanding student innovators in the 2022 University of Auckland Blues Awards.
Blues Awards are a university tradition that originated from England. The blue colours of Oxford and Cambridge Universities came to symbolise sporting excellence and the tradition migrated to New Zealand where many universities have adopted the recognition and reward system. At the University of Auckland, Blues Awards have evolved to recognise excellence in other fields such as Arts and Culture, Service and Leadership, and Innovation.
Innovation Blues Awards applications were reviewed by a panel of senior University of Auckland staff. Finalists were chosen for an outstanding achievement in innovation that had created or enhanced a product, process or system which provides an effective solution to a challenging issue. This could have been in a social, environmental, technological or commercial context. Applications came from students of all study disciplines.
Most Meritorious Innovation award went to Alonzo Nieves – founder of eVouch, which helps ecommerce businesses gain sales through word of mouth. eVouch was featured as a case study for the global Shopify App Challenge 2021, and Alonzo’s team have now partnered with over 500 merchants. These successes have seen them recently raising capital in both New Zealand and the United States.
Director of the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Darsel Keane says “Innovation is one of the pillars of the University of Auckland’s new graduate profile. Innovative solutions are needed to address the world’s challenges and it’s wonderful to see the variety of entries to this year’s Blues Award where students are applying innovation to problems such as making friends, marine conservation and contemporary business challenges.”
2022 Innovation Blues recipients
Trinayan Krishnan (Business and Arts)
Trinayan, alongside her team, placed first in the National League Business Case Competition at the University of Waikato. The team consulted for a local vendor of infant supplies, presenting an innovative strategy for achieving its growth targets that was justified through sound qualitative and financial analysis.
Edy Setyawan (Science)
Utilising commercially available drones, Edy developed a novel method to accurately measure the body size of surface-feeding or cruising manta rays with minimal or no impact on the animals. This is a ground-breaking innovation which will aid research-based conservation and management of this globally threatened species in the Indo-Pacific regions.
Michael Shaimerden (Engineering)
Michael is the founder of Fistbump, a mobile app that uses a machine learning model to help students connect based on interest, personality or goals.
Michael Smith (Business and Engineering)
Michael, alongside his team, placed first in the National League Business Case Competition at the University of Waikato. The team consulted for a local vendor of infant supplies, presenting an innovative strategy for achieving its growth targets that was justified through sound qualitative and financial analysis.
Callum Sng (Business and Arts)
Callum, alongside his team, placed first in the New Zealand Universities National League Business Case Competition. The team consulted for a local vendor of infant supplies, presenting an innovative strategy for achieving its growth targets that was justified through sound qualitative and financial analysis.
Cecilia Yuxuan Wu (Business and Law)
Cecilia, alongside her team, placed first in the National League Business Case Competition at the University of Waikato. The team consulted for a local vendor of infant supplies, presenting an innovative strategy for achieving its growth targets that was justified through sound qualitative and financial analysis.
Alonzo Nieves (Law and Business) – Most Meritorious Innovation
Alonzo co-founded eVouch, a Business to Business, Software as a Service (B2B SaaS) company focused on helping e-commerce brands generate sales through word of mouth. eVouch’s word-of-mouth solutions have enabled access to a new, cheaper and more effective marketing channel.
EMAIL
CIE@AUCKLAND.AC.NZ
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THE UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND BUSINESS SCHOOL
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