Credit Union West Awards $5,000 to GCC Students

Credit Union West Awards $5,000 to Student Entrepreneurs

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 16^th. 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 and Information Technology 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.