Greenpreneurs 2019 Winners in Seoul + Next Steps
By Shakti Ramkumar
In September, we announced the three winning teams of the 2nd annual Greenpreneurs Business Pitch Competition: Isadbest (Philippines), Kimuli Fashionability (Uganda), and Rento-Rewa (India).
Read the announcement here.
To accept their small-scale seed funding award of $5000USD, the founders of each team joined representatives from Student Energy and Youth Climate Lab in Seoul, South Korea. Over the course of a week, the winners met with experts from the Global Green Growth Initiative, learned about the growing social innovation space in South Korea, and participated in cultural activities. The trip culminated with a final presentation of the teams’ business pitches to a panel of experts from the Global Green Growth Initiative.
- Isdabest, Philippines: Self-sustaining seafood hubs that use restorative ocean farming techniques to help empower coastal communities.
- Kimuli Fashionability, Uganda: An upcycling fashion label that addresses the plastic waste crisis in Uganda, Africa, while also creating employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.
- Rento-Rewa, India: An online platform that will be used to source treated wastewater in urban India, starting in Delhi, and organize the delivery of recycled water to users with non-potable water needs.
Next steps
Driven by the urgent need to address social and environmental challenges in their communities, the three teams grew their ideas to a viable social enterprise, with a strong business plan. Equipped with small-scale seed funding and ongoing support of the growing Greenpreneurs community, all participating teams will continue expanding their initiatives in their communities.
As we gear up to host the third cohort of Greenpreneurs starting in spring of 2020, we will continue to engage with our partners and Greenpreneurs alumni network to help improve the program, and act as mentors to the incoming cohort.