In a world increasingly divided by partisan tensions and ideological echo chambers, the next generation of leaders is stepping up with fresh approaches to foster dialogue across differences. At the New Ideas competition, hosted by Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business in partnership with The Dialogue Project, ten undergraduate students recently showcased their innovative solutions for reducing polarization and strengthening civil discourse.
A Platform for Meaningful Exchange
The competition, now in its third year, brought together students from across the country to present their ideas to a panel of distinguished advisors from the corporate and academic worlds. As Bob Feldman, founder of The Dialogue Project, reflected, “What we’re seeing here isn’t just innovation—it’s a profound commitment to rebuilding the bridges our society so desperately needs. These students aren’t just identifying problems; they’re crafting solutions rooted in empathy, technology, and human connection.”
The panel of advisors included Feldman, Russ Yarrow, a corporate affairs veteran; Russ Grote of KPMG; Elizabeth Hogan, Fuqua’s Chief Marketing Officer; Shari Hubert, Fuqua’s Dean of Admissions; Adil Gazder, Duke University Data Science; Chloe Lim, a Master of Management student at Fuqua; Shamitha Shetty, Duke Biomedical Engineering and Duke Capital Partners; and Zhengxin (Sue) Su, a Master of Engineering Management student; representing a range diverse perspectives to evaluate the students’ proposals.
Reimagining Social Media for Constructive Discourse
Several students focused on transforming how we interact online. Ben Gottlieb, a sophomore finance major from Purdue University, presented “DebateX,” a structured debate feature for Twitter (now X) that would use AI to moderate meaningful conversations rather than allowing polarizing arguments to dominate the platform.
“I want to unite Americans through free speech, showing that you can have real discussions without content moderation to show how structured debates are possible on social media,” Gottlieb explained.
The advisors probed the technical and philosophical aspects of the concept. “Why X? Why not your own platform?” asked Grote, to which Gottlieb highlighted the advanced state of X’s AI engine. Hogan suggested Gottlieb investigate Duke’s Polarization Lab, which is already working with social media platforms on similar experiments.
Noel Ullom from Barnard College, who studies Political Science with a minor in Theatre, presented “Phoenix Social,” a platform aimed at educating younger users about media literacy. “Every time my brother opens a social media app, he’s bombarded with what to think and never told why,” Ullom noted, highlighting how 90% of teens use social media while 76% of young adults report encountering misinformation weekly.
Feldman offered a strategic insight about targeting the demographic already opting out of smartphones, suggesting exploring the grassroots effort OK to Delay: “There are a bunch of chapters all around the country… a lot of schools are banning smartphones. It’s actually a great audience to start to learn media literacy.”
Micro-Interventions for Macro Impact
Eniola Badejo from the University of Georgia offered perhaps the most scalable solution with “quCAPTCHA.” Badejo studies the intersection of media, business, and technology, and his project reimagines Google’s reCAPTCHA verification system as an educational tool. Instead of simply identifying traffic lights, users would engage with exercises to detect AI manipulation, identify fallacies, or recognize constructive language patterns.
“300 million CAPTCHAs are completed every single day,” Badejo explained. “These body-side interactions can shape behavior.” The advisors saw potential but raised critical questions about implementation and user experience, particularly the risk corporate partners might find around the potential for increasing website bounce rates.
Civic Engagement and Financial Empowerment
Shalin Bhatia from Georgia Tech presented “Civisight,” a hybrid platform combining physical kiosks in community centers with a digital app to help residents report local issues. Growing up in Atlanta, Bhatia witnessed firsthand how socioeconomic inequality and gentrification shaped the city, sparking his interest in finding practical, data-driven solutions. His solution aimed to bridge the digital divide, noting that 29% of Georgia’s rural population lacks broadband access.
Yarrow suggested enhancing the platform with civic literacy components: “What is the budget of my city? Where does it all go? Where does the money come from?” Hogan advised conducting interviews with city managers to better understand their perspectives and challenges.
Financial inequality emerged as another focal point. Greg Durgin from Boston University, who grew up helping his single mother pay for housing, developed “Seed Home Investments” to address homeownership disparities. His model uses tax credits and innovative down payment assistance to help marginalized communities build wealth through real estate.
Alexandra Mihailopol from Mount Holyoke College presented “Finlight,” a nonprofit offering free financial education, particularly for women and victims of domestic abuse. A junior double majoring in Economics and Data Science, Mihailopol is originally from Romania and drew on her international perspective in developing her concept. “In 2025, women have gained access to credit cards and bank accounts not so long ago,” she noted, emphasizing how financial literacy can help break cycles of dependency and violence.
Creating Pathways for Underserved Communities
Finley Warren from Spelman College proposed a program providing job training and language education for migrant women, who face higher unemployment rates and language barriers. A political science student with experience at Ireland’s Women Migrant Network, Warren has consistently worked to create opportunities for others through civic advocacy and policy research. Her well-researched approach included phased implementation, partnerships with local businesses, and clear metrics for measuring impact.
The advisors praised Warren’s focused approach and suggested developing personas to illustrate how individuals would experience the program. As Hogan noted, “Creating a story around Person X, to share how he or she spends every day, and the way a variety of people in the community might interact with this person” would help bring the concept to life to potential partners and funders.
Technology and Healthcare Solutions
Other participants brought fresh perspectives to different societal challenges. Nicole Alvarez from Rice University, a sophomore studying business management and social policy analysis, addressed the soaring costs of prescription medications in the United States. Her proposal leveraged artificial intelligence to rectify inefficiencies in pharmaceutical research and development, potentially saving billions across the healthcare system while making medications more affordable for patients. Alvarez’s interest in social enterprise was sparked during a high school program with a cancer research center, where she witnessed firsthand how an industry with immense civic responsibility often prioritizes profits over people.
Meanwhile, Ananya Bhatia from Columbia University and Stacy Zhang from the University of Washington offered innovative solutions for criminal justice reform and environmental governance, respectively. Bhatia, who studies Urban Studies and Political Science and has worked in juvenile courts since age 16, proposed an AI-powered education and job training platform for incarcerated individuals approaching their release dates. Zhang, drawing on her diverse international upbringing across China and Canada, presented “Regenify,” a metric-sharing platform driven by machine learning to standardize Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) reporting. By creating a common data foundation, her solution aims to foster collective problem-solving around sustainability challenges that often become polarizing due to inconsistent measurement standards.
The Power of Personal Experience
What stood out across presentations was how many students drew inspiration from their own experiences. As Feldman remarked to Durgin, “My admiration to you and a lot of you guys who’ve grown up, let’s just say, not in privileged circumstances, to take advantage of your experiences and turn it around and use it for something like this.”
This personal connection to social challenges fueled not just passion but nuanced understanding of problems that might otherwise remain abstract. The students demonstrated how their diverse backgrounds provided unique insights into addressing complex societal issues.
Looking Forward: From Ideas to Impact
The competition exemplified what Feldman shared in his dinner talk to students providing advice on their career success: the importance of teamwork, continuous learning, and effective leadership. As these students return to their universities with enhanced ideas and valuable feedback, they carry forward the potential to transform concepts into ventures that bridge divides and strengthen communities.
As Matt Clemons, Fuqua’s Assistant Dean for Admissions who conceived of the competition, reflected later: “New Ideas isn’t just a competition—it’s an opportunity to broadcast to undergraduate students around the United States what the Fuqua School of Business is interested in doing: using business as a force for good. Watching these students transform their personal experiences into innovative solutions that bridge divides is not just inspiring—it’s a glimpse into the future of ethical leadership.”
In a time when polarization threatens the fabric of society, these young innovators offer hope that the next generation is already working on solutions—leveraging technology, education, and human connection to build a more united future.