Austin’s [Re]Verse Pitch Competition Finalists Will Pitch Live, Winners To Be Announced

At the competition’s opening event in January, entrepreneurs heard from local businesses who “pitched” byproduct materials generated from their primary business operations…

AUSTIN, TX – On March 7, the City of Austin’s [Re]Verse Pitch will hold its final competition and announce the winners after an eight-week sprint to repurpose discarded materials from local Austin businesses.

This impactful social innovation program propels the City towards its Zero Waste goal and economic development goals of job creation and small business growth.

At the competition’s opening event in January, entrepreneurs heard from local businesses who “pitched” byproduct materials generated from their primary business operations, including oyster shells, stillage from a whiskey distillery, wine bottles and fabric scraps.

Over the past few weeks, entrepreneurs have been collaborating, brainstorming and ideating around how to repurpose these materials into a profitable business for the betterment of the community.

[Re]Verse Pitch Final Competition

Wednesday, March 7
6:30-9 p.m.
Atlassian, 303 Colorado St #1600

FREE Admission
Open to the public- RSVPs requested
Validated Parking Available
Refreshments Served

RSVP to the final event at http://reversepitch.org/events/

Learn who will win the 2018 Prize Pool, which includes $20,000, a nine-month incubation package from TarmacTX, three-months of coworking memberships at Capital Factory (up to ten people), co-working space at WeWork Austin and free consulting and educational opportunities.

Two winners will be selected: one new business created in response to the competition (Seed Stage) and one existing business that is adjusting its operations to make use of one of the competition’s materials (Growth Stage).

The following eight finalists will pitch in front of a live audience and the judging panel:

GROWTH STAGE
4.0 GPA
Repurposing: Oyster Shells

Classic Childhood
Repurposing: Fabric scraps

Evo Conversion Systems
Repurposing: Stillage

Sunergie
Repurposing: Stillage & Oyster Shells

SEED STAGE
Eco-Solutions
Repurposing: Stillage

Re-Luminate
Repurposing: Wine bottles & Vinyl Records

Waste Free Grain Flour
Repurposing: Stillage

WineBlossom
Repurposing: Wine Bottles & Oyster Shells

The audience will vote for their favorite idea in each category to receive a “People’s Choice” Honorable Mention.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, and the UT Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship, Growth and Renewal, with additional support from a wide variety of community partners.

Two City of Austin departments, Austin Resource Recovery and the Economic Development Department, have teamed up to launch the Recycling Economic Development Program. The program’s mission is to attract, retain and grow Zero Waste businesses and entrepreneurs in order to create local jobs and foster a resilient Zero Waste ecosystem in Central Texas.

Austin Resource Recovery provides a wide range of services designed to transform waste into resources while keeping our community clean. Services include curbside collection of recycling, trash, yard trimmings and large brush and bulk items; street sweeping; dead animal collection; household hazardous waste disposal and recycling; and outreach and education.

Austin Resource Recovery offers free, voluntary and confidential consulting services to help Austin businesses reduce waste and comply with the City’s recycling ordinances.

In December 2011, the Austin City Council approved the Austin Resource Recovery Master Plan, which is the City’s road map to Zero Waste. The City of Austin is committed to reducing the amount of waste sent to area landfills by 90 percent by 2040. Learn more at austinrecycles.com.