Meet The Winners of BU’s 2026 Hospitality Innovation and Student Wellbeing Competition
It all starts with an idea.
In the spirit of Experience Innovation, Boston University School of Hospitality Administration and Student Wellbeing celebrate the winners of the 2026 $20k 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.
Through a multi-stage judging process, five finalists were selected from over 40 applications. Award winners were announced at the BU SHA Hospitality Leadership Summit held April 10.
Student Wellbeing Competition Winners
1st Place – BU Brought to You! ($10,000)
Sarah Keating, Grace Dolan & Kristin Hudson – SPH Graduate Students
“BU Brought to You!” addresses loneliness experienced by off-campus students by hosting social-wellbeing events closer to where interested students live, such as local libraries or coffee shops.
2nd Place – TerrierFit ($6,000)
Dannar Zharkyn & Ana Balaci – ENG Graduate Students
TerrierFit is an app that connects BU students who want to work out or play sports together, reducing gym anxiety while making physical activity more social, accessible, and easy to organize on campus.
3rd Place – CommonGround ($4,000)
Dannar Zharkyn & Ana Balaci – ENG Graduate Students
CommonGround is a digital toolkit that helps BU roommates set healthy boundaries, resolve conflicts respectfully, and maintain positive shared living environments through guided support.
Finalist: BU Integration Lab
Maryjoy Gerald, Sam Amoako-Kusi, & Feven Lencha – SPH Graduate Students
The BU Integration Lab is a student-led hub where international BU students form small cohorts to connect, navigate campus life & build a lasting, supportive community.
The Student Wellbeing Competition has grown each year thanks to partnerships across campus, including funding provided by BU Student Wellbeing, College of Communication, Sargent College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, School of Hospitality Administration, School of Social Work, and Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.
Congratulations also to the winners of the $50k Hospitality Innovation Competition.