Meet the winners of BU’s 2025 Hospitality Innovation and Student Wellbeing Competition
It all starts with an idea.
Do you have an innovative idea about how to support students’ social wellbeing at BU?
These students did!
In the spirit of Experience Innovation, Boston University School of Hospitality Administration and Student Wellbeing celebrate these winners of the 2025 $12.5k Student Wellbeing Competition.
The Student Wellbeing Competition focuses on innovative ideas or initiatives that promote the social wellbeing of students at BU. The success of these ventures were assessed on creativity, novelty, reach, and feasibility to implement.
Student Wellbeing Winners
1st Place – Missed Connections ($6,000)
Frank Yang – College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Class of 2027
Andrea Rojas Doupovec – College of Fine Arts (CFA), Class of 2025
Mohammed Hit – College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Class of 2027
Joseph Marotta – College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Class of 2027
Jodi Yu – College of Arts & Sciences (CAS), Class of 2026
MissedConnections is an iOS social app that fosters meaningful friendships among BU students. Using location tracking and interest-based matching, the app connects students who crossed paths during the day but didn’t interact, helping reduce loneliness and spark real-life friendships.
2nd Place – You and Me Both for International Graduate Students ($4,000)
Manasa Sivakumar – School of Public Health (SPH), Class of 2026
You and Me Both is a two-part program designed to combat isolation among international graduate students. The initiative pairs first-year international students with upper-year peers for mentorship and hosts monthly cultural events to build community and promote cross-cultural connection.
3rd Place – Kindness Chain ($2,500)
Qilin Liu – College of Communication (COM), Class of 2026
Chen Yang – College of Communication (COM), Class of 2026
Kindness Chain is a digital platform that cultivates a culture of giving at BU. Students can request or offer help, but to receive assistance, they must pledge to help someone else—creating a visible, growing chain of kindness across campus.
View the winning teams and their final pitches:
In addition to SHA and Student Wellbeing, partners include BU Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences and Innovate@BU.
Learn more about the BU School of Hospitality’s Innovation Competitions.