Tufts $100k Friedman Prize
2024 Winner
2024 – Isuku
Isuku represents a low-cost, high-impact solution to a pressing need: accessible hygiene. The enterprise is not just providing soap; it’s fostering a healthier community. With the oversight of Tufts University’s students and faculty and the financial backing of Move Up Global, Isuku is building local capacity and ensuring sustainable growth. The goal is clear: to evolve Isuku into a self-sustaining social enterprise that can be replicated across the district and, ultimately, the nation.
Isuku’s vision extends beyond the bars of soap it produces. It sees a future where families are nourished, children are energized in classrooms, and communities are interwoven with its business. With each bar of soap, Isuku is saving lives and nurturing hope for a cleaner, healthier Rwanda.
Past Winners
2023 – Duo Toothpaste
Duo Toothpaste is the first oral care company conceived as a sustainable premium wellness brand. Duo is on a mission to reduce single-use plastic and to turn brushing teeth from a chore into a craved act of self-care with bespoke flavors and functional vitamins and supplements that are absorbed through your mouth while you brush.
2023 – P107 Drone Service
P107 Drone Service is a precision agriculture company based in rural Louisiana, offering drone-based crop health analysis, topographic mapping, and hydrology analysis to farmers, livestock keepers, and other relevant stakeholders. By providing high-resolution crop health data, P107 will help farmers improve crop management practices, decrease fertilizer costs, mitigate risks, and increase yields.
2022 – Traveling Tummies
Traveling Tummies is a culturally relevant, nutritious baby food start-up.
2021 – CorePerform
Core Perform is a nutrition science platform that bridges food and science to optimize metabolism.
2020 – The Sacramento Valley Food Hub
The Sacramento Valley Food Hub is a food distribution platform connecting beginning farmers with schools, hospitals, and other institutional customers.
2024 Update: Jacob remains dedicated to his vision and is currently the General Manager of Spork Food Hub!