University of St. Thomas hosts international student competition focused on solutions to the world’s toughest social and environmental challenges.
Seeing discarded clothing clog up rivers in Ghana inspired Natalie Larson ’26 and Noah MacDonald ’26 to create change. That change led to these social entrepreneur students becoming finalists in the Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge (Fowler GSIC) Global Finals held at the University of St. Thomas Minneapolis campus on May 30-31.
“I got to see where all our clothes from the United States that we don't wear get sent,” MacDonald said. “It’s in rivers and streams, in farmland along the side of oceans, along the side of roads, just everywhere.”
Larson and MacDonald were among several student teams globally who presented their innovative solutions tied to one or more of the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals at Fowler GSIC. They placed among the top two teams at the University of St. Thomas Campus Finals.
The competition brought together student changemakers from universities across the globe, each presenting ventures that addressed critical global issues such as poverty, climate change, and inequality. Rooted in the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Fowler GSIC empowers students to turn their classroom knowledge into real-world impact. As the host institution, St. Thomas showcased its commitment to social innovation and entrepreneurship, giving students like Larson and MacDonald a platform to launch ideas that could change lives.
The duo’s concept, GreenGear, focuses on outerwear jackets created from upcycled clothing. Instead of stuffing its jackets with brand-new synthetics, GreenGear turns would-be waste into warm insulation. Many sustainability-minded labels – think Cotopaxi or Patagonia – use recycled fabrics for the shell but still rely on brand-new synthetics for the fill. By turning discarded material into insulation, GreenGear closes that loop and keeps fresh resources out of the supply chain.
Larson is double majoring in economics and finance with minors in accounting and theology. Outside of being a Resident Advisor in Schoenecker Hall North, she is also Finance Chair of the business fraternity, DSP. MacDonald is a GHR fellow majoring in accounting, finance and economics, with a minor in theology. He is president of the Undergraduate Student Business Council. In addition, they are both tutors for the Department of Economics. Their extracurricular opportunities at St. Thomas, along with their course of study prepared them well for the competition.
Walking their way to entrepreneurial acclaim
Larson and MacDonald’s entrepreneurial journey did not start with GreenGear. Meeting each other during Freshman Innovation Immersion in 2022, the duo started their first concept, Soul Shoes. Their sustainable footwear concept provided creative solutions to reduce excessive shoe consumption. Using sustainable materials and an interactive substitution service, Soul Shoes satisfied the demand for appearance renewal while allowing people to keep their soles longer. Their idea landed Larson and MacDonald in the finals for multiple competitions over the past two years.
“We could take the feedback we got from judges or other people, and continue to grow the concept. Add in what we both learned,” Larson said.
With support they received from the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship, their early idea started taking shape as a real business. MacDonald said that the Schulze School was quick to treat Soul Shoes like a serious venture, helping them take the idea from concept to business potential. “They always offer to give mentors. They're constantly putting on events, getting you connected with other people,” he added.
Competitions became a regular part of their experience at St. Thomas. It was a chance to test ideas and apply what they were learning in class. MacDonald said the business courses gave them a little bit of everything, from supply chain to marketing, and those tools came in handy as they built their ventures. “I still take, for example, creating market sizing, that's taken straight out of my Entrepreneurship 100 class freshman year,” he said.
The competitions look good on resumes, too. Larson added that getting to build something hands-on was fun, which, she added, will be great to raise when applying for jobs.
At the Fowler GSIC Global Finals, students compete to win a share of $75,000 in seed funding. Over 3,000 students spanning 25 countries have been brought together in the competition since 2011. During that time, over $700,000 has been allocated to fund groundbreaking initiatives.
The Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge 2025 Results
| Award | Team Name |
| 1st Place ($25k) | MariTest |
| 2nd Place ($15k) | BiliRoo |
| 3rd Place ($10k) | OnTheJob |
| Highly Commended ($3k per team) | Grow With Flora, LightEd, UpCycleX |
MariTest (African Leadership University – Kigali, Rwanda): Reimagining malaria diagnosis with an AI-powered, non-invasive point-of-care device designed for remote and resource-limited areas. MariTest ensures fast, accurate malaria detection and real-time disease tracking.
BiliRoo (Calvin University – Grand Rapids, MI): A patent-pending, non-electric, low-cost medical device designed to treat neonatal jaundice in low-resource settings.
OnTheJob (Lipscomb University – Nashville, TN): A career platform dedicated to transforming the skilled trades industry. Our mission is to create lifelong, tech-enabled pathways to skilled trades careers by increasing access, restoring respect, and empowering a workforce that has long been underserved and overlooked.
Grow with Flora (University of St. Thomas – St. Paul, MN): A period and puberty education app designed for girls ages 8-14 and their guardians. Flora allows girls to learn at their own pace through engaging and age-appropriate content. Our mission is to help girls feel more comfortable and confident as they navigate these changes.
LightEd (African Leadership University – Kigali, Rwanda): A social enterprise transforming plastic waste into energy to address three critical challenges: energy poverty, plastic pollution, and climate change.
UpCycleX (Harvard University – Cambridge, MA): Transforming plastic waste into valuable chemicals through our zero-waste, zero-carbon electrocatalytic process. We convert PET waste into essential textile and animal nutrition components under mild conditions, offering a sustainable alternative to landfills.
