Relive the excitement as Samsung Electronics America hosted the final round of its 15th annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition on April 28, 2025 at Samsung DC in the heart of our nation’s capital. Ten National Finalist teams—each already awarded a $50,000 prize package of Samsung technology and classroom supplies—took the stage to pitch their groundbreaking STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) solutions to community challenges. But only three emerged as National Winners, each securing a $100,000 prize package for their schools—part of more than $2 million in prizes up for grabs.
Revisit the big moments —watch the livestream replay right here:
National Finalists Pitch Event
Celebrating its 15th year, Samsung Solve for Tomorrow empowers public school students in grades 6-12 to apply STEM skills to tackle real-world problems and drive positive change in their communities. Representing the very best from this year’s competition, the 10 student teams—hailing from middle and high schools in Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Nevada, and Wyoming—presented their groundbreaking STEM solutions at a live morning pitch event on April 28. These Gen Z and Gen Alpha student innovators have created game-changing solutions to tackle challenges such as healthcare access, accessibility in sports, gaming, and music, climate-driven heat disparities, youth mental health, and more—demonstrating the power of STEM to drive real-world impact.
Their projects, developed using cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), 3D modeling and printing, the Internet of Things (IoT), and robotics, were evaluated by a panel of esteemed judges, including Charlotte Dungan, Chief Learning Officer at the Mark Cuban Foundation; Enobong Etteh, YouTube Creator; Hope King, Macro Talk News Founder and Axios Contributor; Rameen Rana, Investor at Samsung NEXT; and Renzo Villavicencio, Vice President of Process Innovation & Procurement at Samsung Electronics America. Kicking off the event, Alix Guerrier, CEO of DonorsChoose—the leading education nonprofit for teachers and a long-time Solve for Tomorrow partner—delivered the opening remarks.
National Winners Reveal Event
Evening festivities kicked off with an inspiring keynote from Gitanjali Rao, a 19-year-old MIT sophomore, innovator, author, and changemaker. Named TIME’s Kid of the Year and a UNICEF Youth Advocate, Gitanjali has been recognized globally for her groundbreaking work in STEM taking on issues ranging from contaminated drinking water to opioid addiction and cyberbullying. With accolades like Forbes 30 Under 30, America’s Top Young Scientist, Stephen Hawking Medal Junior for Science Communications, and the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award, she embodies the next generation of problem-solvers harnessing technology for good.
Following the keynote, the “AI for Good: Empowering the Next Generation of Problem-Solvers” panel explored how AI can drive positive impact while addressing key challenges like bias, energy consumption, and ethical responsibility. Moderated by Allison Stransky, CMO of Samsung Electronics America, the panel featured Charlotte Dungan from the Mark Cuban Foundation, Paul Kim, Vice President of Corporate Strategy at Samsung Electronics America, and Jordan Harrod, AI Strategist and Ph.D. Candidate in Medical Engineering and Medical Physics at the Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology program.
