Parity Project Innovation Challenge 2022

Do you have an idea for how science and technology can help achieve economic parity for Black America? If so, this is the challenge for you! 

Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (The Boulé) and Base 11 have launched the Parity Project Innovation Challenge to showcase the talents of young and diverse innovators just like you and they want to hear your vision for the future.

Submit your idea to be eligible for both a cash prize and a once-in-a-lifetime Grand Prize award of attending sponsored trips to present your idea to executives and game changers from some of the most influential companies and organizations in the Americas. 

Confirmed stops on the sponsored trip:

• The Executive Leadership Council - Washington D.C.
• JP Morgan Chase - New York City
• The Grand Boulé meeting of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity - Nassau, Bahamas

Hit the “Solve This Challenge” button above and go to the Guidelines Tab to learn how to participate.

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Learn more about the Challenge Sponsors, The Boulé and Base 11, on this tab.

For those who viewed this page before the recent challenge update, joining the Boulé-Base 11 Fellows Program is no longer a requirement for participation in the challenge. However, you are still encouraged to apply to benefit from all of the unique opportunities the Program has to offer!

Your Task

To participate in this challenge, Base 11 and Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (The Boulé) are asking you to propose how you believe science and technology can be utilized to help achieve economic parity for Black America.

One way to approach this question is to locate a source of inequity within Black America and then investigate what applications can address the disparity.

For example:

• If Black Americans face statistical discrimination when seeking a mortgage…
  • Could a tool like Artificial Intelligence be used to remove human bias in reviewing loan applications?
• If Black Americans are less likely to seek medical care and preventative health appointments due to concerns about the security of their personal data…
  • Can Blockchain be leveraged to help patients understand which data have been recorded, to enable them to access their data at all times, and potentially to reward them for sharing their data with researchers?
• If Black Americans are underrepresented in lucrative industries such as STEM or finance…
  • Could community organizations encourage children to learn important skills for these fields with AR and VR technology, helping equalize access to this education?

Who can participate:

Please review the Rules and Challenge-Specific Agreement for complete eligibility requirements:

• Age: Anyone from junior year of high school (grade 11) to early career adults up to 34 years of age can participate, if you are from one of the regions below.
  • If you are under 18, your parent/legal guardian must create a HeroX account to submit your idea on your behalf. You should still be the primary creator of the submission and the author of the “Author Bio” section of the Submission Form.
     
• Geography: To participate, you must be a legal resident of the United States, United Kingdom, or the Bahamas.
   
• Individual Entries: You may only submit as an individual, not as a team. You are still encouraged to draw upon the knowledge and guidance of others while developing your idea.

Prizes and Incentives

The Parity Project Innovation Challenge is an opportunity to develop your ideas with personalized feedback and to share your proposal with influential leaders, executives, and STEM professionals. Additionally, up to ten cash prizes await those who win this challenge and three Grand Prizes await those who rise to the very top!

In total, up to $10,000 will be awarded across the following competitor groups and awards:

*up to age 34

The Grand Prize

The three 1st place winners from each competitor group will be offered the Grand Prize of a paid seat on sponsored trips to the following destinations and potentially more:

The week of June 20, 2022:

• The Executive Leadership Council - Washington D.C.
• JP Morgan Chase - New York City

Slated for August 19-23, 2022:

• The Grand Boulé meeting of the Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity - Nassau, Bahamas

On these trips, you will bond with your fellow 1st Place winners, learn from the Base 11 and Boulé members traveling with you, and make memories as you visit these historic and important cities. Washington D.C. and New York are also home to world-class museums and memorials, many of which you will visit during your journey.

Furthermore, you will be invited to share your proposal with leaders and executives along the way. Not only will you receive insightful feedback from these leaders, but you may discover recruitment opportunities or even find sponsors who wish to help you implement your proposed solution. In short, you will be bumping shoulders with people who have run the race and excelled in their careers, all of whom may wish to learn more about you and your aspirations.

Timeline

*If you would like to receive constructive feedback on your submission from members of Base 11 or the Boulé, submit your entry before midnight ET on April 17, 2022.

How winners will be selected

Once submitted, your idea will be scored against the following criteria to help determine up to nine challenge finalists. If you are then selected as a finalist, you must develop a 3-5 minute pitch presentation for your proposal. All finalists will be asked to present their pitch to the challenge’s judging panel, followed by a brief Q&A from the judges. After each competitor has presented their pitch and responded to a Q&A from the judges, the final prize rankings will then be determined.

Your Submission

Character limits in the submission form are maximums only and include spaces. We recommend providing concise answers. Begin crafting your submission through the link at the top of this page.

1. What is the racial disparity your solution addresses? (1500 characters max)
   • Describe the issue and how it affects economic parity for Black America. Consider what the root cause of this disparity may be. Support your discussion with research and/or sound reasoning.
      
2. What is your solution to address this racial disparity? (2500 characters max)
   • Explain what technology or scientific practice you are applying to the racial disparity and how it will address the problem. Be sure to justify any claims you make.
   • Explain how your idea addresses the racial disparity in an innovative or novel way. 
      
3. How would you implement your solution? (1200 characters max)
   • What would be required to take your solution forward? Propose a timeline of main activities if you were to advance your solution.
   • What resources would you need to implement your solution (i.e., expertise, funding, materials, physical space, etc.)?
      
4. What do you see as the biggest obstacles to your solution? (1000 characters max)
   • How would you address these obstacles, should they arise? 
      
5. What is the potential impact of your solution? (1000 characters)
   • Explain how your solution will make an impact in the targeted racial disparity and the extent to which it will create positive change. Consider how you could measure success.
      
6. References

Challenge Rules

Participation Eligibility:

The Challenge (The Parity Project Innovation Challenge) is open to individuals from their Junior year of high school to students, professionals, and entrepreneurs up to 34 years of age. Participation in The Challenge is limited to qualified residents of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Bahamas. Submissions must be made in English. All challenge-related communication will be in English. 

This challenge is only accepting submissions by individuals, not by teams.

If you are under 18, your parent/legal guardian must create a HeroX account to submit your idea on your behalf. You should still be the primary creator of the submission and the author of the “Author Bio” section of the Submission Form.

No specific qualifications or expertise in the targeted fields of STEM or the Social Sciences is required. Prize organizers encourage outside individuals to compete and propose new solutions. 

The Challenge Sponsor reserves the right to determine the eligibility of any Competitor.

To be eligible to compete, you must comply with all the terms of the challenge as defined in the Challenge-Specific Agreement

Registration and Submissions:

Submissions must be made online (only), via upload to the HeroX.com website, on or before 5:00 pm ET on May 6, 2022 in order to be eligible for this Parity Project Innovation Challenge. All entries must be completed through the submission form and all uploads to the form must be in the requested format(s). No late submissions will be accepted.

Intellectual Property Rights:

As detailed in the Challenge-Specific Agreement – Innovator will retain all intellectual property rights to their technology.

Selection of Winners:

Based on the winning criteria, prizes will be awarded per the Judging Criteria section above and the quality of the pitch session. In the case of a tie, the winner(s) will be selected at the discretion of the Judging Panel.

The Challenge Sponsor reserves the right to redistribute any unawarded prizes or pitch opportunities to members of other competitor groups, should any competitor group not receive enough eligible submissions to award the maximum number of prizes. Furthermore, the Honorable Mention prize will be awarded at the discretion of the Judging Panel and Challenge Sponsor in consultation with the Judging Criteria.

In the event that none of the submissions meet the Judging Criteria, the sponsor will award the following consolation prize(s) to the eligible competitor(s) that score the highest (up to one consolation prize per competitor group):

• Consolation Prize: $200

Awarding of the Prize:

The Individual Submitter is automatically designated as the Recipient of the prize monies. The Individual’s name must also match the Authorized Person on the receiving Bank Account information provided. No changes are permitted to the prize Recipient after the Submission Deadline date. If you wish to change who would receive the prize monies, those changes must be completed prior to the Submission Deadline.

Up to 3 eligible finalists within each competitor group may be chosen to participate in the Pitch Sessions in order to compete for the sponsored trip and relevant monetary prizes.

If a 1st place winner is selected who is also younger than 18 years of age, their participation in the sponsored Base 11 trip(s) will be subject to agreement between their legal parent/guardian and the Challenge Sponsor.

The timing or in-person format of the 1st place sponsored Base 11 trip is subject to change due to the state of public health restrictions or other unforeseen restrictions. Furthermore, the Challenge Sponsor reserves the right to determine all final trip itineraries.

Judging Panel:

The determination of the winners will be made by a group of judges and technical experts selected by Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity and Base 11.

Additional Information:

• By participating in the challenge, each competitor agrees to adhere to the HeroX Intellectual Integrity Policy and promises to submit only their original idea. Any indication of "copying" amongst competitors is grounds for disqualification.
• All applications will go through a process of due diligence; any application found to be misrepresentative, plagiarized, or sharing an idea that is not their own will be automatically disqualified.
• All ineligible applicants will be automatically removed from the competition with no recourse or reimbursement.
• No purchase or payment of any kind is necessary to enter or win the competition.
• Void wherever restricted or prohibited by law.