OSV INNOVATION CHALLENGE 2020 WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Posted: 08/31/2020 | Press Releases

OSV Institute awarded three $100,000 prizes to Catholic Sprouts Domestic Church Project, Eden Invitation, and Juan Diego Network on August 29 at a virtual event called “Demo Day.”

OSV Institute awarded three $100,000 prizes to Catholic Sprouts Domestic Church Project, Eden Invitation, and Juan Diego Network on August 29 at a virtual event called “Demo Day.”

Demo Day was the culmination of the first ever international OSV Innovation Challenge. Joined via Zoom by fellow entrepreneurs, investors, mentors, and many supportive family members and friends, the three winning initiatives competed among a total of twelve finalists to present their final pitches to a panel of expert judges.

CATHOLIC SPROUTS: DOMESTIC CHURCH PROJECT

“Being part of the OSV Innovation Challenge has changed our lives!” expressed Nancy Bandzuch, founder of Catholic Sprouts. “This experience has put us in touch with the larger Catholic world, a world that is filled with hope and truth. We are honored and humbled to be chosen as recipients of the innovation grant,” continued Bandzuch. “We will use these funds and these connections to work tirelessly to build domestic churches!”

EDEN INVITATION

“This prize is more than money,” shared Anna Carter, co-founder of Eden Invitation. “It’s validation that people wrestling with same-sex desires and gender discordance are seen, heard, and valued by the Church. We’re incredibly grateful to the OSV Institute, Catholic Creatives, the judges, the Notre Dame Idea Center, and all of our advisors for equipping us to successfully bring our vision to the next level!”

JUAN DIEGO NETWORK

“With this prize and the money that comes with it, we will be able to create and produce new podcasts of different formats, styles, durations, and content that focus on specific niches of Latinos, the largest growing portion of the Church in the US,” said José Manuel De Urquidi, founder and CEO of JDN. “We expect to reach 500,000 monthly listeners by Spring 2021 and continue partnering with organizations and brands so we can fulfill our mission to evangelize, form, and entertain Latinos, who have traditionally been underserved or have no access to attractive and professionally produced content.”

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