The UC Irvine ANTrepreneur Center is proud to announce that a team of student entrepreneurs, led by Nathan Wong (Economics, Class of 2026), has secured a spot in the national round of the prestigious Hult Prize competition. This year, the AI Innovation Challenge Demo Day was officially recognized as a qualifying event for the Hult Prize, giving UC Irvine students a direct pathway to advance to nationals. This marks the second collaboration between the ANTrepreneur Center and the Hult Prize Foundation, following the UCI Sustainability Challenge.
The Hult Prize is the world’s largest student pitch competition, encouraging university students to create social enterprises that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With a $1 million prize at stake, the competition fosters innovative solutions that generate both profit and social impact.
According to Ryan Foland, Director of the ANTrepreneur Center, the partnership with the Hult Prize aligns with the Center’s mission of exposing students to real-world entrepreneurship opportunities:
“We are here to empower students with the tools, experiences, and networks they need to turn their ideas into reality. Competitions like the Hult Prize allow students to test their ideas in a high-stakes environment, accelerating their growth and increasing their impact.”
Meet the Team: Advancing Together to Nationals
The UC Irvine team, led by Nathan Wong (Economics, Class of 2026), is composed of an interdisciplinary group of student innovators:
- Ian Quinton (M.S. Kinesiology, Class of 2026)
- Yamini Lakkaraju (M.S. AI & Computer Science, Class of 2024)
- Samuel Denny (Undeclared, Class of 2028)
- Ariel Liang (M.S. Business Analytics, Class of 2025)
- Tai Wen Lee (Computer Science, Class of 2023)
Together, they developed a personalized fitness and meal planning platform designed to optimize workouts, nutrition, and schedules for recreational, collegiate, and professional athletes. Their venture directly aligns with SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being, promoting physical health, mental wellness, and injury prevention.
Reflecting on their experience, Nathan shared:
“Our goal is to connect with industry professionals and build strategic partnerships to refine our application and understand how it can best serve the industry. The AI Innovation Challenge was pivotal in streamlining our processes and leveraging AI tools to accelerate our development. It helped us move from endless ideation to a clear focus on launching the application, gathering feedback, and improving it.
The ANTrepreneur Center has been incredibly supportive, providing us with invaluable resources and connections. I’m thrilled to represent UC Irvine and the ANTrepreneur Center on the national stage, especially because of the Center’s dedication to helping us achieve our goals.”
As the team prepares for the Hult Prize nationals, Kate Ramirez, North America Regional Manager for the Hult Prize Foundation, shared advice for students looking to make a meaningful impact through their startups:
“A good idea is a good idea, but passion is what brings a startup to the next level. Focus on building a team of passionate individuals who care deeply about the problem you’re solving. And don’t be discouraged if you don’t succeed right away—use the experience to refine your idea and come back stronger.”
The AI Innovation Course: Where Learning Becomes Doing
The UC Irvine ANTrepreneur Center is the heart of student innovation on campus, fostering entrepreneurial thinking, hands-on learning, and career readiness. The Center provides equitable access to resources and opportunities, with a particular focus on serving underserved and first-generation students. Through its programs, the ANTrepreneur Center equips students with essential skills, such as leadership, teamwork, problem-solving, communication, networking, and more.
The AI Innovation Course, hosted by the ANTrepreneur Center, introduces students to the transformative role of artificial intelligence in academics, professional development, and entrepreneurship. This project-based course challenges students to develop business ideas, improve systems using AI, and articulate their projects in a clear and compelling manner. The program culminates in the AI Innovation Challenge Demo Day, where students present their projects and compete for prizes.
Stefani Rios, Program Coordinator for the ANTrepreneur Center and co-creator of the course and Demo Day, shared her thoughts on the program’s experiential approach:
“This course is another example of how a classroom can become an experiential learning environment. We designed it to give students tools and hands-on opportunities to use and implement new AI technologies. I was so impressed with the variety of applications they came up with—it shows the incredible creativity and problem-solving potential of our students.”
Ramirez added:
“When a school has an existing entrepreneurship ecosystem like the ANTrepreneur Center, it’s a huge advantage. It provides students with additional mentorship, resources, and access to opportunities like the Hult Prize. We are excited to see UC Irvine students taking their ideas to the next level.”
What’s Next for UC Irvine Entrepreneurs?
The ANTrepreneur Center continues to provide students with hands-on opportunities, mentorship, and resources to develop their ideas. The next opportunity for students to showcase their projects will be the Y Combinator + ANTrepreneur Center Startup Course Demo Day on March 19, from 4:00–6:00 PM in the Anteater Learning Pavilion (Room 1600).
Looking ahead, students can also participate in the Side Hustle Challenge, which will be held in Spring Quarter 2025. This program helps students transform their passions and side projects into viable ventures.
Stay up-to-date with upcoming opportunities by visiting the ANTrepreneur Center website.