Young Social Entrepreneurs Honored at Global Competition

The fifth annual Youth Social Entrepreneur (YSE) Competition organized by Staples and Ashoka has announced its winners from among hundreds of entries received from more than 50 countries worldwide. Staples, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPLS) and Ashoka, a global community of leading social entrepreneurs has instituted this annual competition to highlight youth-led social enterprises that address pressing social issues affecting their communities, using social innovation and technology.

The competition is a part of Ashoka's Youth Venture, which is an initiative to identify and mentor young social entrepreneurs from around the world who are creating positive change. The competition recognizes and applauds very young and enthusiastic social entrepreneurs who are making a unique use of technology to bring change in their communities and the world. Winners of the competition in 2011 include some exceptionally talented and motivated youth entrepreneurs.

Vineet Singal, 21, United States

Vineet is the founder of Anjna Patient Education, an organization that provides health education programs and free health clinics to help low-income and disadvantaged patients learn about diet, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. With this social enterprise, Vineet is determined to break the cycle of chronic, preventable diseases through the development of interactive health education applications for disadvantaged people.

Eden Full, 19, Canada

Eden is the founder of Roseicollis Technologies, a social innovation company focusing on unique technologies for the developing countries. The company's primary technology is the SunSaluter, which is a cost-effective solar panel rotator that enhances the efficiency of solar panels to deliver renewable energy at affordable rates to developing countries.

Karthik Naralasetty, 22, India

Karthik built SocialBlood.org as a social media platform to help address the blood shortage crisis. The platform connects blood donors and recipients of the same blood type through Facebook. The platform already has more than 500 users and has plans to expand internationally.

Vivek Nair, 23, Singapore

Vivek's social enterprise called Damascus Fortune has developed a socially innovative technology to produce carbon nanotube and nanofibers from industrial flue gas. The technology converts carbon emissions from industrial plants to produce nanotubes and nanofibers, which are usable for various science applications. Vivek and his team of 15 engineers are further developing this technology to help reduce global climate change.