The Mapletree Challenge 2020 Prize Presentation Ceremony… at Long Last!
Six finalist teams gather to celebrate eight months after announcement of results
On 9 March 2021, the six finalist teams of The Mapletree Challenge 2020 Grand Final gathered at long last to present their innovative and entrepreneurial ideas in person at The Mapletree Challenge 2020 Prize Presentation Ceremony, hosted by Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd.
The Grand Final was held on 23 July 2020, but plans for the prize presentation had to be delayed amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The event finally came into fruition eight months on, with safety measures in place.
Mr Ivan Low, leader of Team Paste Pods (the winning team of the Mapletree Gold award) called the Prize Presentation Ceremony “an exhilarating experience”. He said, “Besides getting to meet the donors personally, we actually got to present in front of everyone. It was also a good networking opportunity as we got to meet executives from Mapletree Investments. All in all, it was a great experience that my team and I will hold close to our hearts,” he said. In their presentation, Team Paste Pods showed how seaweed abstracts can be used as an alternative packaging to eliminate single-use plastic toothpaste tubes (prevalently used in hotels) to reduce the carbon footprint of the hospitality industry.
All six finalist teams received their certificates and medallions, and winning teams in the fourth to sixth place each received a cash prize of $1,000. Winners of the Mapletree Bronze award, Mapletree Silver award, Mapletree Gold award received cash prizes of $2,000, $3,000 and $5,000 respectively. Mapletree Gold award winner Team Paste Pods also received the Mapletree Gold Trophy.
Prof Tan Thiam Soon, President, SIT presented Mr Edmund Cheng, Chairman, Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd, with a token of appreciation that was specially designed by students of The Mapletree Challenge’s organising committee. In line with The Mapletree Challenge’s theme of sustainability, the token’s design featured a tree made from recycled wood, with photos that were taken from The Mapletree Innovation and Entrepreneurship Forum to The Grand Final.
Said Mr Edmund Cheng, “Mapletree has always placed great emphasis on giving back to the communities in which we operate. In fact, we find great synergy with The Mapletree Challenge, organised by SIT and supported by Mapletree, because education and the environment are two of our four corporate social responsibility pillars.” He added that he was “heartened by the effort” the teams have put into their plans and hoped they would continue to carry the entrepreneurial spark.
Prof Tan Thiam Soon expressed pride at the winning teams’ achievements in the year of pandemic disruptions, when even The Grand Challenge had to be moved to a virtual platform. “On behalf of SIT, I would like to express our appreciation to Mapletree Investments, for its steadfast support of The Mapletree Challenge – a platform that allows our students to learn, compete, and showcase their innovations,” he said.
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