This past month, Contrary at Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland teamed up to host our first-ever DMV wide pitch competition, open to all students and recent alumni across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.

After careful deliberation, we narrowed it down to 13 finalists from a competitive pool of nearly 50 student-run startups across 17 different schools. Each of our finalists had 4 minutes to pitch and 4 minutes for judge’s Q&A. By the end, we had a crowd of 70+ come out to virtually support our awesome companies.

Another congratulations to Greener from the University of Maryland, College Park for…

My name is Shruti; it’s pronounced [shru-thī], not [shroo-tee]. As a Sanskrit word, “Shruti” originates from the Vedas found in Hinduism meaning “lyrics” or “that which is heard.” As a name, “Shruti” is seen as canonical in Hindu texts, seen as revelations coupled with unquestionable truths.

When I think about my name now, I cherish the cultural context that goes along with it. But it’s been a long journey of accepting my own cultural identity that’s…

When we think of hackathons, we traditionally think of collaborative, fast-paced spaces built for developers to come together and work on projects. Hackathons, in essence, are catered towards college students: the late night hustle, lack of sleep, and countless caffeine boosts are all hallmarks of the typical student studying computer science.

* To acknowledge and recognize women of all walks of life including cis and trans women, as well as non-binary, agender and intersex people.

1. Never underestimate the power of a supportive group of kickass women*.

Around this time last year, I was a freshman never more unsure about what I wanted to do. I was stuck in a constant cycle of doubting myself and my ability to pursue a career in tech.

You don’t really realize the importance of having a strong support system until you find one. …

An interview from 2014 recently resurfaced of a Bollywood Now male journalist interviewing Parineeti Chopra, an Indian actress and brand ambassador for WhisperIndia, a sanitary napkin company playing an instrumental role in reshaping how menstruating is viewed in Indian culture.

The journalist starts out the interview by telling Chopra he really has “no clue about periods”. He then continually baffles Chopra by the number of times he cannot bring himself to actually utter the word, “period”, dubbing it as “problems” instead.

For all you non-Hindi speakers who’d like to watch the original interview — I’ve included a English-translated version below.

As someone who’s recently come to terms with the ups and downs of this lifestyle, I thought I’d share a few things I’ve learned along the way about what it means to embrace veganism wholeheartedly.

Now, I’d say most ethical vegans transition immediately into their plant-based diets following their “ethical vegan awakening”: the moment when they just can’t seem to look at their dinner plate the same way again. These morals are the foundation under the pillars of veganism, frequently fueled by a sense of greater purpose and determination to stick to this newfound regimen.

Personally, I took a little…