President's Innovation Prize

Celebrating the newest President’s Prize winners

Interim President Wendell Pritchett noted at the luncheon that this year’s recipients represent the biggest cohort yet—a testament to the “incredible strength of our applicant pool.”

(Top left to right) Manoj Simha and Rawonna Miller; Shoshana Weintraub, Sarah Beth Gleeson, and Julia Yan. (Bottom left to right) Will Danon and Luka Yancipoulos of Grapevine; Sam Strickberger, Seungkwon Son, and Max Strickberger; and Saif Khawaja.

Class of 2022 President’s Engagement, Innovation, and Sustainability Prize winners announced

Six prize-winning teams will design and undertake post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world.

Improving access to at-home health care

With their company Mobility Health, President’s Innovation Prize winners Aris Saxena and Yiwen Li have created a program which connects patients with on-demand health care at their homes.

innovation prize portrait of anthony scarpone

From wearable light to tech startup

Lumify Care, supported by the 2021 President’s Innovation Prize and co-founded by May graduate Anthony Scarpone-Lambert and NICU nurse Jennifferre Mancillas, launched an app in January and expects version 2.0 of its uNight Light later in 2022.

The Washington Post

Fighting food waste, one apple at a time

Strella Biotechnology, a company housed in Pennovation and co-founded by then junior Katherine Sizov, a winner of the 2019 President’s Innovation Prize, is working to reduce food waste using biosensors to monitor ethylene, a natural gas that ripens fruits and vegetables. “If we don’t solve this food waste problem now, it will become a lot more expensive later,” Sizov said. “As our climate becomes more volatile, this is going to crop up more and more.”

Portrait of the two students standing on Penn campus

Connecting health care with patients in need

As part of their President’s Innovation Prize project, seniors Aris Saxena and Yiwen Li hope to provide global access to health care with their company, Mobility.

Person in a blue button-down shirt, arms crossed, leaning against a tree outside. In the background are blurred out bushes and trees, a path and a streetlight.

With its flagship light device, Lumify Care improves patient experience from the frontline

Penn Nursing senior Anthony Scarpone-Lambert earned a 2021 President’s Innovation Prize for his company and its first trio of products: uNight Light, the Sleep-First Education Initiative, and the uNightShift Community.

Class of 2021 President’s Engagement and Innovation Prize winners announced

The Prizes enable students to take on post-graduation projects that make a positive, lasting difference in the world.

Philadelphia Business Journal

Strella Biotechnology, whose backers include Mark Cuban, expands its presence at Pennovation Works

Strella Biotechnology, a company developing technology to reduce food spoilage, has moved into a 2,000 square foot space at the Pennovation Lab. The company’s founders won the $100,000 Penn President’s Innovation Prize in 2019.

Nikil Ragav smiles and leans casually on a tree

Nikil Ragav wants to bring high-tech, hands-on learning to all students

The President’s Innovation Prize winner wants to bring high-tech, hands-on learning to students of all backgrounds across the country with inventXYZ.

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