Duke Students Earn National Social Impact Award for Global Health Venture

Duke University undergraduates Jessica Alvarez and John Claude Shaffer (Class of 2027) recently earned national recognition for their work as members of LowCostomy, a student-led global health venture focused on addressing healthcare challenges in low-resource settings.

The team was selected as one of just 25 finalists from more than 170 undergraduate ventures nationwide at e-Fest 2026: The Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge, one of the country’s premier undergraduate entrepreneurship competitions. During the competition, LowCostomy was awarded the Social Impact Award and received $13,000 in non-dilutive funding to further advance the venture’s work.

For Alvarez and Shaffer, the recognition reflects years of dedication to innovation, collaboration, and impact-driven entrepreneurship.

“Meeting founders, mentors, and judges at e-Fest reinforced the importance of pursuing solutions to real-world challenges with persistence and purpose,” said Shaffer and Alvarez. “The experience showed us how meaningful ideas can gain momentum when supported by the right people, resources, and community.”

The Christensen Family Center for Innovation played an important role in helping the team reach this milestone. Through mentorship, funding opportunities, and entrepreneurial programming, the Christensen Center provided resources that helped the students refine their venture, strengthen their business strategy, and compete on a national stage.

The team credits mentorship from Dr. Jeffrey Glass and Dr. Ibrahim Mohedas as instrumental in helping them navigate product development, strategic planning, partnerships, and venture growth. In addition, support from the Christensen Center’s GoBig Grant Program helped fund travel and participation in entrepreneurship competitions, creating opportunities to pitch their work, receive feedback from experienced entrepreneurs and judges, and expand their professional network.

The support also contributed to additional success beyond e-Fest. The team secured funding through the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge, further validating the venture’s potential and providing resources to continue development.

Beyond the awards and funding, Alvarez and Shaffer say the experience has shaped how they think about leadership, innovation, and impact. Through entrepreneurship, they have gained experience in research, product development, grant writing, pitching, partnership building, and cross-cultural collaboration—skills that will continue to serve them throughout their careers.

As they prepare for the next phase of the venture, including continued partnership development and planned travel to Tanzania later this year, the students remain focused on creating meaningful impact through innovation and collaboration.

Congratulations to Jessica Alvarez and John Claude Shaffer on this outstanding achievement and for representing Duke and the Christensen Center on the national stage.