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. Each year, three finalists are flown to the Summit (all expenses paid) 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. The winner receives a cash prize of $5,000, second place receives $3,000 and third place receives $2,000. All finalists win the experience of a lifetime to attend and network on the most important conference in the business of wellness.
The 2025 contest deadline is April 30, 2025.
Timeline
April 30, 2025 (11:59 p.m. US Eastern Time): Competition closes. The Concept Submission Form (including the video link) must be completed by this time. Late submissions will not be accepted.
June 2025: 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).
November 2025 (exact date to be announced soon): The Shark Tank of Wellness finalists will present their ideas on stage at the 2025 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.
- The video must be 60-90 seconds in length; any videos outside this length will be disqualified.
- Videos must be uploaded to a public platform, such as YouTube or Vimeo.
- 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 2025 Global Wellness Summit in person to present their idea in person.
- The business idea must NOT have previously won an award or contest of any type.
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 non-cash prizes include airfare and hotel accommodations for the top three student finalists (individual or team leader) and their professors. Also included is access to the three-day Summit (a $5,350 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.
Judging Criteria
Entries will be judged on the following criteria, which will hold equal weight:
- Project innovation
- Visual appeal or design
- Relevance and importance to the wellness industry
- Viability as a business (customer/market analysis and competitors)
- Quality of the project presentation
Judges’ decisions are final.
Please contact Jessi Brandt for additional questions.
Meet Last Year’s Winner
Please join us in congratulating the winner of the 2024 Shark Tank of Wellness Competition: Sofia Sanchez (Savannah College of Art and Design, US).
Sofia won the top prize ($5,000) with her innovation, Bond-Sai, a modular, plant-like structure supporting mental wellness by allowing people to connect and check in from anywhere, while also functioning as a stylish lamp. View her video submission below.
More information here