The Green Startup Challenge

Team up, tackle real challenges in urban agriculture and our local food system, and turn your idea into a business in just a weekend. The Green Business Challenge is a weekend-long entrepreneurship experience built around one question: Can you turn a real challenge in urban agriculture and our local food system into a business opportunity? From November 13–15, participants will come together to explore challenges, develop ideas, build teams, and create businesses designed to solve real problems in our community. Throughout the weekend, teams will have access to mentors, industry experts, and business leaders who can help them strengthen their ideas and prepare for the final pitch. You don’t need an existing business. You don’t need a team. You don’t even need an idea. No experience required. Just come ready to create. The Challenge is designed for people from all backgrounds. College students. High school students. Entrepreneurs. Creatives. Professionals. Community members. People who know the industry and people who simply have a great idea. The Four Challenge Prompts Your ideas should be aimed at following one of the four challenge prompts. 1. Growing, Gardening & Greening the City What business could you create to make urban farming, gardening, tree planting, and local production more productive, efficient, or easier to grow? Think about: urban farming, community and home gardens, tree planting, technology, water use, vacant or underused land, growing methods, and local production. 2. Getting Locally Grown Products to People What business could you create to make it easier for locally grown to reach the people and businesses that need them? Think about: transportation, delivery, grocery access, local markets, distribution, and connecting producers with customers. 3. Reducing Waste & Reusing Resources What business could you create that reduces waste from food and urban agriculture or turns that waste into something useful or valuable? Think about: food waste, composting, farm waste, reuse, new products, and turning waste into resources. 4. Helping Urban Agriculture Businesses & People Thrive What business could you create to help people learn about urban agriculture or help urban farms, producers, and related businesses make more money, lower costs, find funding, or grow? Think about: education, job training, youth programs, farming skills, financing, finding customers, lowering costs, technology, shared services, and new ways for businesses to make money.