Building entrepreneurs’ capacity to solve community and global problems is hot. Three accelerators announced winners of their respective competitions.
- Unreasonable Group committed to its two-week bootcamp through 2030, and will choose future cohorts based on the U.N’s Sustainable Development Goals, which run through that year. This year’s winners include Uncommon Cacao, which is tackling SDG №8: Inclusive, economic growth by linking small cacao farmers to transparent, fair-pay markets (Listen to ImpactAlpha’s podcast with founder Emily Stone). EcoPost, is working towards SDG №11 (sustainable cities), by recycling plastic into building materials. See the full list of winners.
- Red Bull selected winners for its 10-day Amaphiko Academy. Many of the entrepreneurs are tackling local issues. Walker Marsh started The Flower Factory to grow sustainable flowers and herbs in a once-abandoned lot in Baltimore. Marisa Hamamato, who sees dance as a catalyst for inclusivity, launched Infinite Flow, a professional wheelchair ballroom dance company. Red Bull’s academy started in South Africa in 2015. The first U.S. program, in Baltimore, runs Aug. 11–20.
- The Nature Conservancy chose four U.S. projects for grants to spur investment in conservation. One of the projects is developing an “environmental impact bond” to protect coastal areas in Louisiana. Read about the other winners.
