OSV CHALLENGE – 2022 WINNERS & FINALISTS

Over 1,000 innovators started this journey with ideas to impact the Catholic Church. Those ideas were narrowed down over 5 rounds of intense courses including Value Proposition, Business Model Canvas, and an 8-week Accelerator. The entrepreneurs who demonstrated creativity, grit, hustle and those with the most revolutionary ideas came out on top.

The OSV Challenge is more than just a competition of winning ideas to impact the Church. It is driven, motivated and inspired by the passion of the people behind those ideas. These Catholic men and women are the spearheads of innovation, the saints-in-the-making and the go-getters in entrepreneurship.

Now that this year’s Challenge has come to an end, we invite you to…

Meet our 2022 OSV Challenge Winners & Finalists!

Creative Arts Track

The creative arts track expresses your innovative idea through performance art, painting, sculpture, literature, film & media, architecture, music and theater.

CREATIVE ARTS TRACK WINNER:

SAINTS ALIVE

MELISSA AND ALEX DEE

Saints Alive is a radio theater podcast for kids on the lives of the saints. Our mission is to redeem art and inspire the next generation through truth and beauty.

CREATIVE ARTS TRACK FINALISTS:

MARCAM

DANIEL AND EMILY HUSSEM

Marcam provides an engaging, modern kids TV show completely in line with Catholic values that will help educate, entertain, and get children excited about the beauty and depth of Catholicism.

TRUTH CHARTING

JOHN DONAHUE

Truth Charting aims to show 13-24 year olds that Catholicism is not boring through engaging and high stakes video content.

Being a part of this Challenge was the best decision we’ve made in our first year starting Saints Alive Podcast. We learned quickly that even the best ideas will fail without asking the hard questions, pushing the envelope and setting in motion a business plan. It was just as inspiring as it was exhausting (they put you to work!) and we couldn’t recommend it more highly to anyone considering joining the Challenge! 

Melissa Dee – Saints Alive

Entrepreneur Track

If you are an innovator with a for-profit Catholic business, an outside of the box thinker with a non-profit Catholic apostolate or ministry, or you are a change-maker at an independent Catholic school, this track is for you.

ENTREPRENEUR TRACK WINNER:

DIARY OF A GOD-MAN

THE DICKINSON FAMILY

Diary of a God-Man is a graphic novel style Children’s Liturgy for the Mass. The illustrations were Created by KIDS for KIDS with the goal of engaging children with scripture.

ENTREPRENEUR TRACK FINALISTS:

BRIDGES AND BOUNDARIES: BUILDING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT

MONICA ASHOUR

Bridges and Boundaries: Building a Safe Environment will disrupt the market of Safe Environment, bringing a dual purpose training for children and youth: safety and formation based on JPII’s TOB.

THE HILDEGARD COLLECTIVE

CECILIA LESKOWICZ

The Hildegard Collective provides Catholic musicians with the community and resources necessary to integrate their faith with their profession. We welcome all musicians, but particularly musicians working in secular environments.

Though hard, time-consuming, and extremely demanding, the Challenge helped my business partner and me not to get merely to the next level…but many levels ahead! We almost didn’t apply, having heard about it from a friend just a few days before. OSV equipped us to assist the Church in bringing the message of Jesus Christ to the world. I am eternally grateful that OSV is helping us make an eternal difference.

Monica Ashour – Bridges and Boundaries: Building A Safe Environment

Technology Track

The technology track is ideal for those ideas that live in the digital space or are products that require more mechanical expertise or technical machinery. Examples can include apps, software, digital tools and platforms.

TECHNOLOGY TRACK WINNERS:

MY GUARDIAN DEAR

JUAN CARLOS CARREDANO

CCC of America presents an innovative app, designed specifically for children so they may find peace, joy and tools for being closer to God and help with their emotions.

VCON

MIKE DAY

VCON harnesses VR technology to transform any room into a personalized sacred space. This immersive new faith experience offers an unprecedented opportunity for spiritual nourishment and renewal.

TECHNOLOGY TRACK FINALIST:

LEAP FOR JOY, INC.

KAELA BEUGNET

Leap for Joy, Inc., is a free, virtual, & personal mentorship program for expectant mothers in unplanned pregnancies. By empowering women, we seek to support a culture of life.

I entered the OSV Challenge with a “napkin idea,” a crafty proposal sustained by little more than wishful thinking, yet came away emboldened with a solid model and plan to make it a reality. I cannot express enough my gratitude for the wealth of resources generously provided to cultivate the idea and holistic support rooted in the richness of our faith to persevere through the most difficult moments of the iterative process. It has been a remarkable experience that challenged my own limitations and has not only given life to an innovation but helped me grow as a Catholic leader.

Mike Day – VCON

MEDIA REQUESTS

Interested in doing an interview, episode, or article on the OSV Challenge or one of the Challengers?

Challenge Trailblazers

The OSV Challenge is a journey designed to accelerate unique project ideas in any stage from Catholics whose faith has motivated them to make a difference. We’ve discovered many people with ideas ready to impact the Church that deserve to be nurtured, cultivated and taken to new heights.

FEELING CALLED TO SUPPORT CATHOLIC INNOVATION?

Want to invest your time, talents, and treasures into sparking innovation in the Catholic Church? We want to collaborate with organizations and individuals that may be willing to serve as mentors or want to have a conversation on how to amplify innovation through investment.

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