Top idea in the world

Ryan Alam, while preparing for his masters of science in social entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California, participated with two classmates in a graduate-level competition sponsored by Morgan Stanley. The objective was to design an investment proposal that would impact the world with positive and sustainable results. It was a worldwide competition; 341 prospectuses were submitted from 64 colleges in 21 countries. Ryan’s team developed a proposal to eradicate four decades of landmines from Angola, and establish an agricultural industry for the country. The team said Angola currently imports 80 percent of its food supply, although it has some of the richest soil on the planet. Ryan’s team was selected as one of the top 10 finalists. The teams were flown to Hong Kong to present to judges from the World Bank, Morgan Stanley, The Rockefeller Foundation, T. Rowe Price, BlackRock, and other investment firms. Ryan, who is an alum of St. Thomas’ Episcopal School, and his team won first place in this worldwide competition. Ryan also was accepted into the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Be seen in Buzz About Town. Send your high-res photos and community news to [email protected]. Items are published on a space-available basis. Also share your upcoming-event listings here.