Our first ever Conference Workshopper App was a resounding success, crowdsourcing the best workshop ideas for the 2013 Net Impact Conference, to be held Oct. 24-26 in Silicon Valley CA, and opening them up to a community vote. Sixty-three submissions and 1,200 votes later, a team of Net Impacters from Colorado State University's Global Social Sustainable Enterprise MBA Program came out on top with 184 community votes. Net Impact CSU's conference workshop, The World's New Backpacker: The Techpreneur, will give participants a chance to apply technology-based solutions to real scenarios in rural development through interactive simulations. Having worked with rural African communities on social entrepreneurship projects, the CSU team is excited to share their experiences and knowledge.We asked Net Impact CSU chapter leaders Shannon Scott, Julie Baker and Trang Tran to share the story behind their winning proposal.

Nurangiz Khodzharova: First of all, congratulations on your winning entry! Tell us more about the project your team is involved in.

Julie Baker: Our team is developing business model plans for an app that targets rural farmers in Zambia by providing market access information that strengthens their negotiation power. Our workshop proposal is representative of the ideology behind our program and the different ventures we are involved in.

Why did you decide to participate in the #NI13 Workshopper process?

Shannon Scott: After attending the conference [in 2012], I returned to CSU realizing what a great program we have here - we get to travel to Africa and learn hands-on what communities need to help themselves out of poverty. I found myself telling a lot of people about our program and getting great feedback. When I saw the Workshopper, I thought it would be a great way to let more people learn about what it means to get out and work with the rural poor to develop sustainable, socially responsible opportunities.Trang Tran: We're passionate about the idea of conducting a workshop where we can have other people join us in the problem-solving process, learn with us, and help us figure out the best way to go.

In your opinion, how can entrepreneurship be a driver of change in developing countries?

Julie: Entrepreneurship can leverage small-scale solutions that get at what the customers actually need in sustainable ways.Trang: It's all about going there and getting your hands dirty. It is the spirit of being the searchers, not the planners. That is the essential element to developing appropriate solutions tailored to the specific circumstances in developing countries.Shannon: Entrepreneurship enables people to feel they are in control of something. They are earning an honest living - not relying on handouts. When local members of a community successfully start a business, it becomes contagious and an economy develops.

How did you leverage members of the Net Impact community to support your proposal?

Trang: The workshop idea was a student-led initiative showing our effort and passion about the impact we are building. So we were using that to appeal to the community who share the same values with us.Shannon: We had recently done a community event with members from University of Colorado and Denver University's Net Impact Chapters. I think their support was a great help. The leadership team really pushed this as well, along with our faculty.

What aspect of the 2013 Net Impact Conference are you most excited about?

Trang: The chance to conduct a workshop session at a big conference. Also, of course, the opportunity to network and learn!Julie: I'm excited to participate in more workshops, and am looking forward to the networking opportunities and keynote speakers.

More winning workshops at the 2013 Net Impact Conference

In addition to The World's New Backpacker, here's a taste of other workshops you can expect to see at #NI13:

Getting Your Venture Game Ready
Featuring: Lifetime Net Impact member Drew Tulchin, who has helped launch more than 15 start-ups as a management consultant.

Bringing Clean Energy to Low-income Microfinance Customers
Featuring: Workshop and live case-study with Rupert Scofield, President of FINCA International and author of the acclaimed The Social Entrepreneur's Handbook.

Public Education: What We Can Learn from the Private Sector
Featuring: Peter Piccolo, Deputy Chief of Innovation and Reform for the Denver Public Schools.

Personal branding: the Art of Personal Purpose
Featuring: Kim Sokolnicki, a senior strategist at Saatchi & Saatchi S with more than six years of experience in the fields of social enterprise and sustainability.

Trace a Product to its Origins: Supply Chain Case Study
Featuring: Identifying the human and natural resources that go into manufacturing a product, with the Fair Labor Association.

Hands-On Biomimicry: Design Inspired by Nature
Featuring: Lifetime Net Impact member (and winner of the 2012 Impact at Work Award) Asheen Phansey, Manager of the Sustainable Innovation Lab at Dassault Systemes.For updates about the 2013 Net Impact Conference, to be held this Oct. 24-26 in Silicon Valley, California, join us on Facebook.