2023 Shark Tank of Wellness Global Student Competition

A highlight at the annual Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the Shark Tank of Wellness global student competition gives three university students a life-changing opportunity to network with the top visionaries and business leaders in wellness. Three finalists will be flown to the 2023 GWS being held November 6-9 in Doha, Qatar, to pitch their wellness business idea to a panel of Wellness Sharks who are top business leaders and investors in wellness. The Wellness Sharks will ask questions of the students, who will defend their innovations and make a business case for its feasibility on stage in front of the hundreds of attending Summit delegates—a “who’s who” in the global wellness world from over 50 countries.

Ready to present your idea to the “who’s who” in the global wellness world?

Step 1. Enter the competition as soon as possible to get the necessary information to compete

Step 2. Submit your entry for consideration by July 31, 2023

Who Can Participate? The competition is open to both individual students and teams of students over the age of 18 from anywhere in the world.

What Makes a Strong Submission? GWS Wellness Sharks are seeking innovative new concepts that would make positive impact in the wellness industry, including sectors as varied as architecture/design, beauty, education, fitness, hospitality, investment, medicine, nutrition, real estate, spa, technology, travel, tourism and more. Meet last year’s finalists.

Why Compete? The top three finalists, along with their professors, will be flown to Doha, Qatar, to attend the Global Wellness Summit, November 6-9, 2023, a priceless opportunity for students to mingle and network with global visionaries, and perhaps even find an investor for their business idea. The first-place winner will receive $5,000; second place will win $3,000; and third place will win $2,000.

How to Enter the Competition? Interested students must register by submitting this Entry Form first. Only registered contestants will receive the necessary information to complete the submission process.

How to Submit a Final Entry for Consideration? Once the idea is developed fully, students must submit a Concept Submission Form detailing their idea along with a one-to-two-minute video presentation. The deadline is July 31, 2023.

Deadlines

July 31, 2023 (11:59 p.m. US Eastern Time): Competition closes. All submissions, both the Concept Submission Form and video, must be completed by this time. Late submissions will not be accepted.

August 2023: The top three concept submissions, as decided by the judges, will be announced by email to all registered participants. Arrangements will then be made to fly each of the three student finalists and their professors to the annual Global Wellness Summit (GWS) being held November 6-9 in Doha, Qatar.

November 6-9: The Shark Tank of Wellness finalists will present their ideas on stage at the 2023 Global Wellness Summit. Students will pitch their ideas to the judges (a.k.a. “Wellness Sharks”) and the Summit delegates. The first, second and third place winners will then be announced on stage, at which time, the prizes will be awarded. The winners will be listed on the Global Wellness Summit website and promoted on social media post-Summit.

Guidelines & Tips

The Concept Submission Form consists of several questions regarding the wellness idea and its viability, such as:

• Give a general description of your wellness idea.
• Identify and explain your target market and potential customers.
• Identify companies, products or services that compete with your innovation or those that could pose a barrier to entering the marketplace.
• What sets your concept submission apart? How does your innovative idea differentiate from similar products or services already in the marketplace?
• The video should include a presentation of the wellness idea, focusing on why the innovation could positively impact the wellness industry. Please see Official Rules for more information.
• The video must be one-two minutes in length; any videos outside this length will be disqualified.
• Videos must be uploaded to a public platform, such as YouTube, Vimeo or Dailymotion.
• The video must contain only original work and not be subject to any copyright restrictions.

Eligibility

• The competition is open to both individual students and teams of students over the age of 18 from anywhere in the world. There is no entry fee. Note: If participating as a team and the team is chosen as one of the top three finalists, only the team leader will be eligible to attend the Global Wellness Summit with their professor.
• The participant(s) must be an undergraduate college or university student (working toward a one- or two-year diploma, a four-year Bachelor’s degree, or a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification) or a graduate/postgraduate student (working toward a Master’s, MBA, JD, MD or PhD degree) in a university or college of distinction at the time they develop and submit their concept.
• The participant(s) must be either a full-time or part-time student at the university or college.
• The participant(s) must have a professor or faculty advisor who serves as a mentor for their project.
• All contestants must be available to attend the 2023 Global Wellness Summit, November 6-9, in Doha, Qatar, to present their idea in person.

Prizes

First Prize: One (1) first-prize winner will receive US$5,000.
Second Prize: One (1) second-prize winner will receive US$3,000.
Third Prize: One (1) third-prize winner will receive US$2,000.

Total value of all prizes is US$10,000.

Additional noncash prizes include airfare and hotel accommodations in Tel Aviv, Israel, for the top three student finalists (individual or team leader) and their professors. Also included is access to the three-day Summit (a $4,560 value), including all general sessions, breakout discussions and industry forums, featuring global industry leaders. A myriad of social events and a final evening gala are included. This is a priceless opportunity to meet and learn from global visionaries.
See Previous Shark Tank of Wellness Top Finalists Here.