The Rules

All ChangeWorks teams must abide by the specific rules set out below. The competition organizers reserve the right to disqualify any team that violates the rules or the spirit of the competition.

Entry Eligibility

  • The individual or team must be composed of all Duke undergraduate level students currently attending the university.
  • There is no minimum or maximum team size.
  • Teams may look to outside advisors for input, but the venture must be led entirely by Duke University students.
  • All team member listed on the ChangeWorks proposal will be considered equal owners of the venture unless otherwise specified in the proposal.
  • This year, Duke STARS is proud to sponsor the ChangeWorks competition so one of our Final Four Ideas must be environmentally-focused.

Social Innovation Eligibility

  • The venture must propose a solution for a significant social problem.
  • The venture may take the shape of a for-profit social business, a non-profit service project, and anything in between.
  • The venture may plan to operate anywhere in the world.
  • The venture must project quantified social return resulting from the ChangeWorks Award.
  • The Duke team that submits the idea for the venture must be prepared to launch and operate it.
  • If the venture is already up and running, it may not have been in operation for more than three years.
  • Ideas entered for an existing business or non-profit venture without student involvement are not eligible.