A PhD researcher won £2,500 from Sussex’s Entrepreneurship team, and a trip to California to pitch for a further $10,000 funding, for her social impact idea. 

Jacqueline Carhoun, who is currently working towards her PhD in Psychology, applied to the highly competitive Big Ideas Contest for her initiative SEEN. Standing for ‘Shared Experience to EvideNce,’ SEEN is the first co-produced and trauma-informed digital resource designed for Affected Loved Ones of people who use opioids. Jacqueline took the trip to California earlier this spring to pitch for the overall $10,000 Big Ideas Contest Prize.

Reflecting on the trip, Jacqueline said: "SEEN is a digital support resource for loved ones of people living with opioid addiction, and hearing people personally connect with that need and understand why a resource like this matters was both validating and emotional. I came home proud to have represented the University of Sussex, and energised for what comes next.”

The competition saw more than 40% of submissions led by undergraduates, and 50% percent by women. Over 350 applications from UC Berkeley and the University of Sussex were whittled down to 13 pitches – of which Jacqueline’s SEEN was one – for the final pitching rounds in California to compete for the $10,000. “That was one of the toughest and most thoughtful pitch deliberations I’ve had the opportunity to listen in on,” said Phillip Denny, director of Big Ideas. 

The trip to California was an incredible opportunity for Jacqueline to gain international pitching experience and professional feedback from judges. This anniversary year was made special by an accomplished alumni panel of judges consisting of former Big Ideas prize winners: Christelle Rohaut, CEO of Codi; Manny Smith, CEO of Edvisorly; and Ashmita Kumar, CEO of Code Blue AI.

“There's something about being in a room full of people who believe their idea can make a difference, it's genuinely inspiring. Competing as a Grand Finalist at Berkeley Big Ideas was that kind of experienc," said Jacqueline. "The atmosphere at such a prestigious university, surrounded by such talented and driven entrepreneurs, was unforgettable. Having the chance to pitch on an international stage felt like a real milestone, and sharing that space with three other driven finalists made it even more special.” 

Sussex Big Ideas Contest finalists

Students from across the University took part in support sessions and coaching from the Entrepreneurship team, in preparation for applying to the Big Ideas Contest, in the autumn and spring semesters. The competition aims to support and develop student-led initiatives to tackle social, health and environmental issues. This year’s impressive applications demonstrated our campus community’s passion, creativity and ambition – with pitches relating to educational inequality, global health issues, social justice, and more. 

This year’s Sussex finalists were (in no particular order): 

A huge congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s contest!