Five University of Virginia students took home a $20,000 grand prize for winning the Walmart Better Living Business Challenge.
Their business plan called PureMadi aims to improve human health and local economy in a rural South African province. Their business helps the province build water filters out of materials that are available in their community.
Darden School of Business student Bennett Graham said, "We have people from the engineering department, chemical backgrounds, commerce backgrounds and it is really a fresh perspective on how to participate in the global community."
PureMadi hopes to funnel revenue from the sale of filters back into the community. The grand prize of $20,000 in unrestricted funding will allow the team to begin production this summer.
