--- title: 6 Teams to Pitch Their Social Impact Ideas at Do Good Challenge date: 2026-04-07T05:30:00-04:00 author: University of Maryland canonical_url: "https://today.umd.edu/6-teams-to-pitch-their-social-impact-ideas-at-do-good-challenge" section: Articles --- # 6 Teams to Pitch Their Social Impact Ideas at Do Good Challenge *April 7, 2026* — by [Jenny Cox](/author/jenny-cox) > $40K to Be Awarded to Students to Ramp Up Initiatives *Do Good finalists 1920x1080 1 — Student teams will vie later this month for for a share of $40,000 in prize money for projects that aim to make the world a better place through philanthropic efforts and business ventures that tackle major societal challenges. (Photos courtesy of Do Good Institute)* Whether supporting a virtual school serving students in conflict-torn Myanmar or volunteering at health clinics in rural Maryland, students participating in the University of Maryland’s 2026 Do Good Challenge have changed thousands of lives before they've even taken the stage. Those are two of the six finalist teams that will pitch solutions to pressing social problems at the 14th annual event on April 23, after spending the year advocating, fundraising and volunteering. They'll compete for a share of $40,000 in front of a panel of expert judges as well as an audience that gets to vote. “This year’s Do Good Challenge is very exciting because all six of the finalist teams taking the stage are new to the competition,” said Catherine Curtis, program coordinator in the School of Public Policy’s Do Good Institute, which hosts the event. “I can’t wait to see these teams share their incredible impact with the audience and use the prize money to go out and do more good.” The challenge is split into two tracks: The Founders track is designed for students who have created an original organization, project or initiative, while the Leaders track is for those in leadership or decision-making roles, often as a member of a larger club or outside organization. Take a look at how finalists from both tracks are making an impact: ## Founders Track *T-Kea Blackman portrait* *Aung Khant Pyae ‘26 and David Lebedco ‘26* *Esther Bonney ‘29 portrait* ## Leaders Track *Yash Porwal ‘26 and Anik Saha ’25* *Krishnan Inban Tholkappian ’26 and Aaryan Patel ’25, M.S. ’26* *Malini Raghu ’26 and Aryaan Duggal ‘26* During the show, guests will also get to hear lightning pitches from some of this year’s most impressive Do Good Challenge semifinalist teams. The audience votes on their favorite pitch, and the winner gets $1,000. **Lean on Me UMD** is a university chapter of a nonprofit that provides university students with peer emotional support via text. Since the UMD chapter was founded in 2020, it has operated 12 hours a day, seven days a week, having thousands of conversations from fellow students on campus. **DefenX** is an AI-driven software platform designed to address the challenge of active shooter threats in U.S. schools. Its solution, developed through the [Xperience](https://www.xfoundry.org/xperience) competition at the UMD-based xFoundry, combines real-time computer vision, gunshot detection, and seamless integration with existing security infrastructure to enable early threat identification and a coordinated, end-to-end response. **Sidebar note:** The 14th annual Do Good Challenge finals will take place at 7 p.m. April 23 at the Samuel Riggs IV Alumni Center. A public reception where students, alumni and changemakers can connect over food, refreshments and giveaways, starts at 6:15 p.m. [RSVPs encouraged](https://checkout.eventcreate.com/2026-do-good-challenge/select-buy). **Sidebar note:** **Terps Do Good** The University of Maryland is the nation's first Do Good campus, committed to inspiring Terps to make a positive impact now through research, public service and education. See more stories about Terps doing good at [today.umd.edu/topic/do-good](http://today.umd.edu/topic/do-good). You can support UMD's Do Good initiatives by making a gift to [*Forward: The University of Maryland Campaign for the Fearless*](https://forward.umd.edu/). **Sidebar note:** **Do Good Service Challenge** During Do Good Month, the Do Good Institute, Alumni Association and Center for Community Engagement are hosting the [Do Good Service Challenge](https://dogood.umd.edu/news/do-good-service-challenge). All Terps are invited to complete at least three activities from any of the challenge categories (serve, learn and give) and submit a quick form to receive a custom UMD Do Good tote bag, while supplies last. **Topics:** [Campus & Community](https://today.umd.edu/tags/campus-community) **Tags:** [Academic Competitions](https://today.umd.edu/topic/academic-competitions), [Student Experience](https://today.umd.edu/topic/student-experience) **Units:** [School of Public Policy](https://today.umd.edu/topic/school-public-policy)