Credit Union West awards $5,000 to student entrepreneurs
As part of Glendale Community College’s 2023 Innovation Challenge
GLENDALE, AZ (March 13, 2023) — Credit Union West was proud to partner with Glendale Community College (GCC) to sponsor the 2023 Innovation Challenge for the fourth year in a row. The Innovation Challenge gives GCC students an opportunity to pitch their ideas for a business that solves a problem or makes a difference in their community. The credit union awarded a total of $5,000 to the top three winners to help launch their businesses.
Five finalists were chosen by faculty at GCC to present their ideas to a panel of judges on Thursday, February 16th. The panel of judges was comprised of GCC faculty and local business leaders, including Credit Union West’s Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Ning Duong.
“I loved being part of the judging panel for the Innovation Challenge,” Duong said. “At Credit Union West, we believe in the power of the youth, and we see them as the future leaders of our community. It’s an honor to sponsor this event and help these students reach their goals.”
In addition to sponsoring the event, Credit Union West provided a Financial Education Workshop to the participating students which focused on budgeting, the importance of credit, and how to make saving money a habit. The credit union is proud of its work in teaching financial literacy to the youth in the communities they serve.
The 2023 Glendale Community College Innovation Challenge winners are:
- Laura Morales, the first-place winner, received $2,500
- Daniel Hulse, the second-place winner, received $1,500
- Edwin Leon, the third-place winner, received $1,000
“Thanks to the generous support of Credit Union West’s prize sponsorship, we can recruit more students and raise the stakes of this competition,” said Dr. Gabriela Cojanu, GCC Business Faculty and Innovation Challenge Founder. “Not everyone wins a prize, but in the end all participants are winners by competing in the Innovation Challenge.”
Congratulations to the 2023 GCC Innovation Challenge winners! To learn more about how Credit Union West gives back to local communities, visit cuwest.org/givingback.
About Credit Union West
The Credit Union West tradition had the honor of beginning in 1951 as Luke Federal Credit Union. Originally located on Luke Air Force Base, the organization’s mission was to enhance the lives of military members and their families through being a trusted provider of financial services. Today, Credit Union West embraces the same commitment to the military and now has expanded to include all who live, work or worship in Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma, Mohave, Coconino, Cochise, Navajo, Apache, and Gila counties. Credit Union West serves over 90,000 members with more than $1.1 billion in assets. The credit union’s core principles have guided its decisions, which in turn has ensured integrity and trusted member service. Federally insured by the NCUA. Learn more at www.cuwest.org.
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