QBE North America, Ashoka announce winner of the QBE and Ashoka Urban Resilience Challenge

Drugviu selected for their innovative solution to help change the world

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Oct 24, 2019, 11:31 ET

NEW YORK, Oct. 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- QBE North America, an Integrated Specialist Insurer, in collaboration with Ashoka, is excited to announce Drugviu as the winner of the QBE and Ashoka Urban Resilience Challenge. The Challenge is a countrywide initiative that highlights bold and impactful innovation to power resilience within city ecosystems.

QBE Board of Directors Chairman Truett Tate joined the QBE and Ashoka Urban Resilience Champion Drugviu and Runner-up Biocellection at the Challenge awards presentation on October 23rd. Pictured are Kwaku Owusu (Drugviu), Truett Tate, Melanie Igwe (Drugviu) and Miranda Wang (Biocellection.)

Recognizing a need to build more resilient and risk-adverse cities, the Urban Resilience Challenge was developed to encourage social entrepreneurs across the United States whose ventures effectively manage and respond to a rapidly changing environment of physical, economic, and social risk. The competition supports transformative, product-centered, technical innovations from for-profit organizations that impact the broader urban ecosystem.

The Challenge winner – Drugviu - developed a population health platform that empowers communities of color to use their data to improve health outcomes. Drugviu collects authenticated, user-generated health profiles from people of color that include their medication experiences and outcomes. Combining online reviews with pharmacist expertise and FDA data, Drugviu provides patients with better information and physicians and pharma companies with more data — all to ensure that communities of color can have the best possible quality of life.

Drugviu was selected from nearly 100 start-ups whose businesses tackle a range of issues including the built environment, sustainable economies, food/water/waste, and public health and safety. The Challenge culminated with a pitch event on Oct. 23, where a distinguished panel of business, technology and social innovation leaders from around the country had an opportunity to hear from each of the ten finalists. Judges included: Truett Tate, Chairman of the Board of Directors, QBE North America; Dan Franzetti, Chief Operating Officer, QBE North America; Michael Lake, CEO, Leading Cities; Sascha Haselmayer, Founder, Citymart and Ashoka Fellow; and Alyssa Hunt, Senior Vice President, Technical Operations, QBE North America.

As the winner, Drugviu was recognized as The Urban Champion and was awarded a cash prize of $75,000. Biocellection, a company that created a market-based solution to the plastic problem that's both scalable and sustainable was named the runner-up. As the Urban Pioneer, Biocellection received a cash prize of $25,000. Both companies will also have the opportunity to receive additional support and mentorship from QBE Ventures, the insurer's venture capital arm, which aims to leverage its expertise and investments in technology to accelerate the advancement of innovations that are helping to solve global challenges.

"Part of our QBE DNA is to take care of people and communities. Fostering a more resilient and sustainable world is one of the ways that we accomplish this mission," said Todd Jones, Chief Executive Officer, QBE North America. "On behalf of all of the employees at QBE, I want to congratulate Drugviu as our winner and commend the other finalists for their entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to our society."

Through the QBE and Ashoka Urban Resilience Challenge, QBE strengthens its commitment to the United Nations' sustainable development goals: Sustainable Cities and Communities, No Poverty and Decent Work, and Economic Growth.

"Drugviu has set the standard for innovation and urban resilience. This initiative boldly addresses one of our most pressing societal challenges and moves us closer to sustainable, thriving cities. We are grateful to be collaborating with QBE North America to support Drugviu as they develop their idea and grow their impact," said Tim Scheu, Director of Partnership Management, Global Partnerships Team, Ashoka.

About Ashoka

Ashoka identifies and supports the world's leading social entrepreneurs, learns from the patterns in their innovations, and mobilizes a global community that embraces these new frameworks to build an "everyone a changemaker world." Over thirty years, Ashoka has supported more than 3,500 social entrepreneurs with solutions addressing society's most pressing issues. Ashoka's vision is a world in which Everyone is a Changemaker—a society that responds quickly and effectively to social challenges, and where each individual has the freedom, confidence and societal support to address any social problem. Learn more at www.ashoka.org

About QBE

QBE North America, an integrated specialist insurer, is part of QBE Insurance Group Limited, one of the largest insurers and reinsurers worldwide. QBE NA reported Gross Written Premiums in 2018 of $4.7 billion. QBE Insurance Group's 2018 results can be found at www.qbe.com. Headquartered in Sydney, Australia, QBE operates out of 31 countries around the globe, with a presence in every key insurance market. The North America division, headquartered in New York, conducts business through its property and casualty insurance subsidiaries. The actual terms and coverage for all lines of business are subject to the language of the policies as issued. QBE insurance companies are rated "A" (Excellent) by A.M. Best and "A+" by Standard & Poor's. Additional information can be found at www.qbe.com/us, or follow QBE North America on Twitter.

SOURCE QBE North America