WASTE NOT -
Efforts to eliminate the global food waste problem continue to gain momentum, giving rise to two new technologies that aim to curb the issue at each step along the value chain.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
It was standing room only on Tuesday at Buenos Aires’ MALBA modern art museum, for the second of two ‘InFocus’ events this year by the Sustainable Brands Buenos Aires team. Last month’s event at MALBA presented “Good to the Core” as a collective construction that can be achieved when all of society’s stakeholders work together to achieve it.
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Nature-inspired solutions designed to tackle some of the world’s most pressing problems continue to gain steam as five teams of entrepreneurs from around the world vie for the top prize at the 2017 Biomimicry Global Design Challenge.
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Russia’s Amway Charity Foundation recently presented the results of its highly popular “Mompreneur” program at the prestigious 2017 St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).
Over the past two decades, the Forum has transformed into a leading global platform used by business leaders to discuss key economic challenges faced by Russia, emerging markets, and the world.
The theme of the 2017 forum was women’s entrepreneurship. Participants gave insights and solutions for a variety of issues, such as economic rights and opportunities for women, as well showcased best practices aimed to support women’s economic rights and opportunities.
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Late last month, IKEA and entrepreneurial cooperative Rainmaking announced the launch of a new startup accelerator, IKEA Bootcamp, which will run from September 18 until December 8, 2017. The program will see startups create solutions for three challenges outlined by IKEA: creating products that are affordable, accessible and have positive impact on both people and planet.
WASTE NOT -
Arizona State University (ASU) continues to blaze new sustainability trails with the launch of a new innovation incubator program in partnership with the City of Phoenix, Arizona.
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Expanding its commitment to innovation in the food industry, Nestlé has teamed up with Rabobank and Rocketspace to support startups through the Terra Food + Agtech Accelerator Program. The food giant will collaborate with Terra to select and coach the most forward-thinking and disruptive startups in the food and agricultural industries.
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Not all circular news is good news. As a new startup accelerator launches to drive forward sustainable solutions to everyday challenges, a prominent defender of the circular cause lands himself a spot in federal prison for copyright infringement.
The UK’s first-ever sustainability accelerator fund — the cleverly named Sustainable Accelerator — has been met by enthusiastic reception, successfully raising over £700,000 through crowding.
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Detroit Ento wins startup competition at SB’17 Detroit
PRODUCT, SERVICE & DESIGN INNOVATION -
Startup accelerators designed to bolster support for the low-carbon transition seem to be popping up almost daily — within the last two months alone, H&M, Levi Strauss, Plug & Play, Target and even the
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Levi Strauss & Co. continues to drive the apparel industry towards a more sustainable, circular model, announcing that it has awarded more than $350,000 grants to the inaugural class of its LS&Co. Collaboratory fellowship program. The funding will go towards new approaches and innovations in the apparel supply chain.
WALKING THE TALK -
We jump-started an incredibly action-packed week here at SB'17 Detroit with powerful plenaries from thought leaders, researchers and on-the-ground change-makers working to Redefine the Good Life in Detroit and beyond.
COLLABORATION -
The problem of marine plastics continues to be a top priority across the globe, spurring even more businesses and organizations to dig in their heels and find create new solutions to the growing issue.
Continuing its efforts to keep plastics out of the ocean, the Ellen MacArthur Foundation has teamed up with The Prince of Wales’s International Sustainability Unit to launch a $2 million New Plastics Economy Innovation Prize.
THE NEXT ECONOMY -
At this stage in the game, there’s no stopping the sharing economy, but organizations and government in the UK and China are working to create a safer, more responsible space that allows consumers, businesses and investors to fully take advantage of its benefits through the rolling out of greater regulation.
Back in 2016, UK trade body Sharing Economy UK (SEUK) launched its TrustSeal — the world’s first kitemark for the sharing economy in an effort to make the industry a safer space for consumers.
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What if there was an easier way to connect revolutionary solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges with the capital needed to initiate real change? That’s exactly what the Global Opportunity Explorer sets out to do.
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Approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted around the world each year, putting unnecessary strain on natural resources, needlessly producing greenhouse gas emissions and contributing to climate change. Two startups in Australia and the US are working to change that with the opening of a rescued-food supermarket and the launch of a technology that turns food waste into nutrient-rich fertilizer.
Perishable food rescue organization OzHarvest has opened Australia’s first ever rescued-food supermarket — The OzHarvest Market — in Kensington, Sydney.
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The Mekong Business Initiative (MBI) and Mekong Tourism Coordinating Office (MTCO) have announced the 18 tourism startups from Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos who will participate in the upcoming Mekong Innovative Startup Tourism (MIST) startup accelerator program. Assessed by US-based Travel Startups Incubator, applications were weighed against criteria such as potential for investment, business plan quality and strength, sustainability and other socio-economic criteria.
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Just weeks after the launch of McDonough Innovation’s Fashion for Good innovation and practical action lab in Amsterdam, the 12 startups selected to participate in the Plug and Play — Fashion for Good accelerator have been announced.
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At the Global Entrepreneurship Congress in Cape Town, South Africa, Johnson & Johnson revealed the winners of its first Africa Innovation Challenge, an initiative designed to drive innovative and sustainable health solutions that will benefit African communities. The Challenge is part of the company’s comprehensive approach to collaborate with and support Africa’s vibrant innovation, education and health systems institutions.
PRESS RELEASE -
SAN FRANCISCO, March 9, 2017 – Sustainable Brands® recently opened submissions for its internationally recognized startup business competition Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO). Co-sponsored by Whirlpool, and judging platform YouNoodle, the competition will culminate at SB’17 Detroit, May 22-25, with venture finalists presenting their early operational plans to business leaders and investors in the Sustainable Brands community.