A team of three George Washington University students earned first place in the U.S. finals of the 2025 L’Oréal Brandstorm Competition. The international innovation challenge is a global competition open to individuals between 18 and 30 years old, with no specific background or experience required. This year, the L'Oréal Brandstorm attracted over 135,000 participants worldwide.
The team of first-year GW students included Shoki Sakuma, studying entrepreneurship and innovation, Barney Smith, studying management and marketing, and David Perchuk, studying organizational science. They were selected by the L’Oréal group to represent both George Washington University and the United States in the challenge. The team will travel to Paris in June to present their innovation to L’Oréal global executives in the competition’s international semifinals.