News

Dongseo University(President Jekuk Chang) proudly announces that Damia Batrisyia, an international student majoring in Global Business Administration at the university’s International College, has been awarded Second Runner-Up at the prestigious 2025 Global Wellness Summit (GWS) “Shark Tank of Wellness” global competition.

Hosted by the Global Wellness Summit, the 2025 Shark Tank of Wellness was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, from November 18 to 21. The competition provides a global platform where students and young innovators present their ideas directly to wellness leaders, investors, and global industry professionals, and receive in-depth evaluations from a panel of academic experts and industry leaders known as the “Sharks.” The judging process focuses on feasibility, market potential, and real-world applicability.

Damia’s innovation, SeedSniff, is a consumer-focused wellness concept designed to help individuals detect harmful seed oils in everyday foods, empowering people to make transparent, healthier, and safer choices. Open to university students from around the world, the competition attracted numerous submissions, among which SeedSniff stood out for its creativity, feasibility, and strong alignment with the Summit’s mission to advance human and planetary wellbeing.

At the Summit, Damia presented her concept live before an international audience of academics, wellness leaders, investors, and industry executives. Following her pitch, she was challenged by three “Sharks”—one academic expert and two industry leaders—who tested her idea through an intensive Q&A session focused on its feasibility, marketability, and practical implementation.

Professor Danny Kessler, a professor in Dongseo University’s Global Business Administration Department and Director of the Wellness Research Lab, accompanied Damia to the Summit and shared his reflections on her achievement.

“From her freshman year, Damia had an exceptional sense for visual storytelling. SeedSniff’s global recognition shows what happens when authentic curiosity and student-driven creativity receive the right mentorship and platform.” he said.

The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) is a non-profit international forum that brings together leaders and experts from across the global wellness industry to discuss future directions and key trends in the global wellness economy. Held annually, the Summit addresses a wide range of topics including health, healthcare, tourism, and technology, and is supported by in-depth research from its affiliated organization, the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), whose findings are widely used as key indicators of the global wellness market.

The Shark Tank of Wellness, hosted by GWS, is a global competition designed to identify and support the next generation of wellness innovators. Participants present their business models directly to the Sharks, with winners receiving prize funding and professional mentoring opportunities aimed at supporting the real-world commercialization of innovative ideas.