Earlier this year, my team and I had the chance to compete in the MIT Entrepreneurship Club’s global competition—a whirlwind experience that taught me more than any classroom ever could.

Our project, DETECHT, started with a simple question: why are concussions in female athletes so often missed or ignored? We learned that female athletes are nearly twice as likely to suffer concussions as their male counterparts, but most existing detection tools are built for helmeted, male-dominated sports like football. With DETECHT, we wanted to change that. Our solution is a smart, sensor-equipped headband that detects dangerous impacts in real time—no helmet required. It’s designed specifically for female athletes in sports like soccer, basketball, and cheerleading, where concussions often go undiagnosed.

The competition itself was intense. We spent weeks refining our business model, stress-testing our cost breakdowns,and pitching to judges, friends, family—pretty much anyone who would listen.Along the way, we talked to neurosurgeons, athletic trainers, and high school coaches to make sure we were solving a problem that truly mattered. There were late nights, technical glitches, and last-minute pivots, but seeing DETECHT recognized on the global stage, by a prestigious institution like MIT, was a huge moment for us.

Winning first place in the global category at MIT Entrepreneurship Club Competition was a validation of both our product and the teamwork behind it. But honestly, the most valuable part was the process—working alongside friends, tackling real-world problems, and pushing past the point where we thought we’d hit our limit.

If you’re thinking about entering a competition like this, I’d highly recommend it. The process itself—learning, improving, and getting real feedback—is invaluable. It might just be the push your idea needs to really take off.

‍