Why GSEA Matters To Both Student Competitors and Established Entrepreneurs

By Parveen Dhupar, an EO Toronto member who serves EO as Chair of the Global Marketing and Partnerships Portfolio. Dhupar is the founder of BTI Brand Innovations.

I’ve had my share of big EO moments: Forum breakthroughs, chapter events, and global learning experiences. But nothing, and I mean nothing, prepared me for the deep shift I experienced judging the Global Finals of the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA) through our web series Start It Up in Cape Town, South Africa.

I walked in thinking I was going to give back.
I walked out realizing this experience gave me far more than I ever expected.
And I want every EO member to feel that.

Because this is where our purpose comes to life.

Why GSEA Matters, To Them, and To Us

At EO, our shared purpose is to move the world forward by unlocking the full potential of entrepreneurs. GSEA does exactly that at the source. It finds student entrepreneurs from every corner of the world who are not just building businesses but changing lives personally and in their communities.

This is not charity. This is legacy. These students are the real thing.

Let me be clear — these are not just kids with ideas. They are founders. CEOs. Builders. Some of them are already EO-qualified. I’ve met EO members who were once GSEA competitors. That’s when it hit me: This isn’t a student pitch competition. This is a launchpad for the next generation of EO and a way to fortify and support the future of entrepreneurship to solve problems at both the local level and on a global scale.

In EO, and as entrepreneurs, we often talk about legacy, about growth, about giving back. GSEA is one of the most powerful ways to live it.

These student entrepreneurs are not waiting for someone to tell them what to do. They’re out there solving real problems with limited resources and unstoppable drive. They are building businesses in healthcare, sustainability, mental wellness, food security, biotech, social impact, and beyond. And they’re doing it while balancing university, family pressure, and often real hardship.

When you sit across from a 17-year-old from a rural village who built a company to protect her family, or a neurodivergent founder who turned bullying into a national retail brand, you don’t walk away unchanged. You walk away humbled. Reignited. Human again.

These students are proof that entrepreneurship is not just a strategy, it’s a survival instinct in motion. And they don’t want our money. They want our time. Our questions. Our belief. 

It’s Not About the Business. It’s About the Entrepreneur

What makes GSEA so powerful is the basis for how it's judged.

Seventy percent of the score is based on the entrepreneur. Thirty percent is based on the business itself.

EO established the judging this way because there are a thousand versions of the same idea, and it’s possible that entrepreneurial students in one area of the world might inadvertently form companies to solve similar problems in similar ways. What is rare, however, is someone with entrepreneurial agility who can push through the fear, failure, and fatigue when no one’s watching.

I sat across from these student founders and didn’t just see business plans. I saw purpose. I saw grit. I saw the kind of leaders we all aspire to be. Honestly, they made me reflect on how I’m showing up in my own company.

In Cape Town, we started with 19 finalists who earned their spot after winning their local competitions in various cities, countries, and continents. We narrowed the field to 12. Then to 6.

In the end, we made the difficult selection of one global winner who walked away with US$50,000, a runner-up who received US$25,000 and a third-place winner who received US$15,000. In addition, the fourth through sixth place winners also took home smaller cash prizes equaling another US$10,000, bringing GSEA’s collective total prize money given to US$100,000.

But what these individuals took home was far more powerful than the cash to help fund the next step in their company. They left GSEA with a stronger belief in themselves, in addition to belief from us, established entrepreneurs who were impressed by their achievements at such an early stage of life.

And I, an EO member for nearly 10 years now, walked away with something even deeper. A reset on my own entrepreneurial mindset.

What I Gained as a Judge (and What You Will Too)

Let me be clear: This is not just about giving back.

We all joined EO for transformation. To grow. To learn. To become better leaders.

Well, this is growth in real time. Here’s what I walked away with:

• Humility: I met students who have faced adversity that would’ve broken many of us and they still pitch with a smile.
• Inspiration: Their courage challenged me to dig deeper in my own business. To lead more boldly. To stay grounded.
• Hope: In a world heavy with uncertainty, these founders are designing a better future. Not waiting for permission. Building it.
• Perspective: Their challenges reminded me that our work is not just about scale or exit. It’s about meaning.

If you’re feeling stuck, burnt out, or disconnected from the "why" behind your own business, get into a GSEA judging room or just attend a GSEA competition to watch and get inspired.

You’ll remember why you became an entrepreneur in the first place.

Get Involved with GSEA

If you are ready for your next big EO moment, where you will find inspiration from the energy of student entrepreneurs in the early days of their journey to change our world, get involved with GSEA as a judge, mentor, sponsor or guest at the local, country, or global level.

If you know a student entrepreneur who is running a company while simultaneously attending university, encourage them to apply to compete in the next GSEA competition.

Let’s show up for them so they can show the world what’s possible.

And be sure to tune in to GSEA’s YouTube channel for Season 4 of Start It Up. The first episode drops on 22 June 2025!

You might also be interested in Dhupar's follow-up post, The Power of Start It Up To Showcase the Global Student Entrepreneur Awards Experience on EO Blog.