PRESS RELEASES

Winners Announced for Annual Competition Aimed at Reducing Waste

Winners of the [RE]verse Pitch Competition will join an accelerator program to kickstart their reuse business ventures

April 1, 2021

Austin, TX – The City of Austin, in partnership with Austin Young Chamber and the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, announced the winners of the annual [RE]verse Pitch Competition, a program aimed at reducing waste in Austin through innovation and design. This year’s winners, known as Innovation Fellows, developed business ideas using another businesses’ ‘waste’. The Innovation Fellows will receive prizes valued up to $8,500, and participate in a four-month accelerator program to develop their ideas.

This year’s Innovation Fellows are:

Plant Baxter by Jordan Smith, Coleman Counihan and Daniel Barrios
Plant Baxter plans to create container gardens using unwanted large plastic sacks from Austin Eastciders and reclaimed wood from the construction industry.

DV Designs by Vincent Marsella and Deepak Chandra
DV Designs plans to create beverage coasters using spent grain from Fierce Whiskers Distillery.

Biochar Filter Socks by Petey Peterson and Seth Nyer
Locoal, an existing Austin-area company, plans to create ‘wattle socks,’ which help prevent soil erosion and capture toxins from storm-water runoff, using spent grain from Fierce Whiskers Distillery and used wooden pallets.

Lolas Classic Babies by Lolita Rodriguez and Lucero Valle Archuleta
Lolas Classic Babies, a woman-owned baby brand in Austin, plans to create bow ties using unwanted fabric decorator samples from Austin Creative Reuse.

During the virtual accelerator program, each team will receive mentorship, training, and community support while they further develop their circular business idea. The accelerator will culminate in the teams presenting these ideas to a cohort of investors as part of the City’s inaugural Circular Austin showcase on July 28, 2021.

This year’s [RE]verse Pitch Competition started on Feb. 2 at the virtual opening pitch event. Over the course of several weeks, competitors attended virtual workshops and worked with program mentors before submitting their business ideas to the competition. All submissions were reviewed by a panel of judges and selected based on equal scoring criteria.

The [RE]verse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, Austin Young Chamber of Commerce, and the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development with additional support from a wide variety of community partners.

##

Winners of City’s Local Entrepreneurship Competition Announced, Awarded $20,000

April 28, 2020

Austin, TX – This Monday, April 27, winners of the annual Reverse Pitch competition were announced after pitching new business ideas to a panel of judges at the virtual closing event.  Samantha Panger and Destin Douglas of LoFi Recycling Systems, and Aadhikesh Boopalam, Seniru Kottegoda and Collin McCloskey of Terra Helmets will be awarded $10,000 to develop and expand their pitched business ideas.

LoFi Recycling Systems will repurpose vinyl record scraps made of PVC (polyvinyl chloride) from Gold Rush Vinyl, a local company, into indoor pots and planters. “PVC is difficult to recycle and can be hazardous to aquatic ecosystems down the road,” says Samantha Panger of LoFi Recycling Systems. “We will be able to use and shape this material into pots and planters; it's a new and exciting way to recycle plastic waste. We want to keep PVC from ever ending up in a landfill, and turn it into something useful."

Terra Helmets will repurpose a variety of materials including decorator fabric samples from Austin Creative Reuse and International Interior Designers Association (IIDA), vinyl record scraps from Gold Rush Vinyl, and plastic sandals from Travis County into shareable helmets. “With the local and national rise in use of electric scooters, and an increase in reported head injuries, we created Terra Helmets as a way to help our community,” Collin McCloskey of Terra Helmets stated. “Using byproduct materials from local businesses and turning them into helmets allows us to keep ‘waste’ out of the landfill, and foster a safe community. We’re protecting the earth while protecting your head."

Reverse Pitch launched on February 10 at the opening pitch event, where five businesses and non-profits pitched their surplus materials to eligible competitors. Leading up to the finalist pitch event on April 27, competitors attended virtual workshops and created business ideas using the pitched materials. Four finalists were selected to present at the finalist pitch event, with two chosen as winners of the $20,000 grand prize.

The Reverse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, Austin Young Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, UT McCombs School of Business, and the Social Entrepreneurship Learning Lab with additional support from a wide variety of community partners. Learn more at ReversePitch.org.

##

[Re]Verse Pitch Competition awards $20,000

POLYMart and re:3D will each receive $10,000

May 2, 2019

The fourth annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition wrapped up on Tuesday night with the two $10,000 innovation prizes going to social entrepreneurs Anjali Sridharan and Mike Strong.   Sridharan’s winning pitch was to repurpose polycarbonate plastic dye-cut sheets from HID Global to make affordable eyewear with a new company, POLYMart. Strong’s team, re:3D, will be adding to their 3D printer business to launch “Design by re:3D” using the same plastic waste to make specialty furniture, art and other unique items.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a one-of-a-kind social innovation program to turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste into the foundation of new social enterprises.

On April 30, four finalists pitched their repurposing business ideas to recycle or reuse byproduct materials from five participating Austin businesses and non-profits: the Austin Winery, HID Global, JOSCO Products, Texas Oncology and Travis County. Entrepreneurs were inspired to look at these business’ waste streams as potential profitable ventures—creating jobs and revenue for the Austin economy while reducing waste and helping the environment.

The POLYMart team plans to use the winnings to seed their new social enterprise, beginning with purchasing equipment, expanding their R&D and setting up an e-commerce platform to start making and selling their first all-plastic eyewear designs. The company hopes to expand into lens manufacturing by 2022. POLYMart’s pitch was also the audience’s favorite, overwhelmingly winning the People’s Choice Award honorable mention by audience vote.

“When I saw the material pitched by HID Global, I knew this was an opportunity to disrupt the eyewear market and make glasses significantly more affordable,” said founder Anjali Sridharan. “POLYMart will be able to both upcycle waste and help more Texans get access to the glasses they need,” she said.

The other $10,000 prize was awarded to existing business re:3D. The company plans to install one of their own Gigabot X printers in Austin, purchase a grinder, and begin producing designer 3D printed items, such as tables and vases, using the would-be-landfilled plastic waste with the printer.

“With this win, we’re excited to move from feasibility testing into implementation for our ‘Design by re:3D’ line of upcycled 3D printed home goods,” said Mike Strong, Chief of Staff of re:3D.

Judging was based on business viability, sustainability impact, economic impact and social impact, along with effectiveness of pitch delivery.

###

City Announces [Re]Verse Pitch Finalists: Public Invited to Vote at Final [Re]Verse Pitch Competition

Public Invited to Vote at Final [Re]Verse Pitch Competition

April 18, 2019

$20,000 Prize for Innovative Businesses to Repurpose Waste

January 10, 2019

AUSTIN, TEXAS – Austin’s fourth annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition will award two innovation prizes totaling $20,000 to local entrepreneurs April 30.  To get the award, business leaders must create products or services using a unique selection of discarded materials from existing companies.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition, a social innovation program, helps turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste, into the foundation for new social enterprises.

The 2019 competition is designed to inspire profitable ventures and support a more circular local economy, an economy where all materials and products are kept in productive use and waste is designed out. Co-hosted by the Austin Young Chamber of Commerce and the City of Austin, [Re]Verse Pitch Competition hopes to continue to generate economic opportunities and provide environmental and societal benefits while supporting Austin’s Zero Waste goal.

The competition begins at the opening event February 26 where five [Re]Verse Material Suppliers,  entities that are consistently generating or collecting by-product, surplus, or other underutilized materials in Austin, will give presentations about their would-be waste to entrepreneurs. These material pitches, plus a meet ‘n’ greet with the material suppliers and their byproduct samples will happen from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m. at Capital Factory. This year’s material suppliers—and the resources they’re offering—include:

• The Austin Winery: White and red wine grape skins

• HID Global: Poly-carbonate dye-cut plastic sheets

• JOSCO Products: Polyester napkins

• Texas Oncology: Styrofoam coolers and freeze packs

• Travis County: Office chairs

Potential competitors, after attending the materials demonstrations, will then have five weeks to determine how previously wasted item(s) might now become the foundation for a sustainable Austin enterprise. Entrepreneur competitors, future material suppliers and anyone interested in the competition are encouraged to RSVP to the opening pitch event at ReversePitch.org/events.

Contestants will receive guidance from mentors and technical advisors and have the opportunity to attend specialized workshop sessions as they formulate a business plan and test their concepts for viability. In addition, Austin Technology Incubator’s Circular Economy Incubator is offering a free short course on Entrepreneurship & the Circular Economy for four weeks leading up to the [Re]Verse Pitch Competition kick-off. Interested entrepreneurs are invited to register for this free course at https://ati.utexas.edu/ce-course/.

Finalists will pitch for the chance to win one of the two Innovation Prizes—$10,000 to the best new business idea and $10,000 to an existing business that is able to make use of one of above byproducts—at the closing event on April 30, 2019 at UT’s Rowling Hall. More information about each of the materials is available online at ReversePitch.org.

###

[Re]Verse Pitch Competition Seeks Businesses with Scraps & Surplus to Apply for Fourth Annual Event

November 14, 2018

AUSTIN, TX- The City of Austin is accepting applications from businesses and institutions interested in pitching scrap and by-product materials for the fourth annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition (February-April 2019).

Many organizations have waste products that have more economic potential than being sent to the landfill. Meanwhile, entrepreneurs across Austin are looking for new business opportunities with a positive social impact. 

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition brings these two groups together so that unwanted materials from local businesses, nonprofits or institutions can turn into the foundation of new social enterprises. Austin, Texas entities that consistently generate or collect by-product, surplus or otherwise underutilized materials are invited to submit an application by December 7, 2018 to become [Re]Verse Material Suppliers and pitch at the opening event.

By participating, these organizations will get the chance to have creative entrepreneurial minds focus on finding higher and better uses for local business’ unwanted materials.

All competing entrepreneurs receive guidance throughout the competition as they formulate a business plan and test their concepts for viability. Details on the prize will be announced in the coming months. The application can be found here.

Past [Re]Verse Material Suppliers have saved hundreds of thousands of dollars in disposal costs, found new potential customers through the competition’s publicity and found creative new ideas for waste reduction.

In addition to [Re]Verse Material Suppliers, the competition is also seeking volunteer mentors and advisors. More information about opportunities to participate in the competition can be found here.

Social Enterprises Ready to Start Up, Expand After Winning [Re]Verse Pitch 2018

March 9, 2018

AUSTIN, TX – Waste Free Grain Flour (Seed Stage) and Evo Conversion Systems (Growth Stage) were announced top Innovation Prize winners at Austin's third annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition, a social innovation program to help turn valuable raw, waste materials into new social enterprises. Both plan to repurpose stillage, a byproduct of the distilling process from Still Austin Whiskey Co.

Waste Free Grain Flour, which also received the People’s Choice vote in its category, will separate the stillage into grain to become baking flour and water that will be used to grow produce. Evo Conversion Systems will use the material to establish an Austin operation for creating PopWorms!, dried black soldier fly larvae used as a nutrient for animals.

Classic Childhood, a European-style children’s online clothing store planning to use scrap fabric to create children’s accessories, was the audience favorite in the Growth Stage category and received the People’s Choice award.

In January, local entrepreneurs heard pitches from businesses on their waste products and in a short sprint over the last seven weeks, they worked closely with mentors and advisors to develop and refine a social enterprise business idea. Wednesday night, March 7, eight finalists pitched their new business ideas to compete for the top innovation prizes to help them get their new ventures started.

Waste Free Grain Flour was awarded $9,500, a nine-month incubation package from TarmacTX, free classes from the City of Austin Small Business Program, a hot desk at WeWork, coaching from Assemble and American Bank and a promotional package from BuildASign.

“This win will help me put my passion for sustainable food systems into practice,” said Jessica Brown, founder of Waste Free Grain Flour. “With the prize, I’ll be able to prototype my idea and start turning an organic byproduct into healthy food for people.”

Evo Conversion Systems was awarded $10,500, a spot in the FastForward business accelerator, co-working memberships at Capital Factory and coaching from Assemble and American Bank.

“Distiller’s waste is ideal for breeding black soldier fly larvae,” said Monica de la Rosa, CEO of Evo Conversion Systems. “We’ve been working from a lab at Texas A&M and now we’ll be able to set up an Austin home for our repurposing technology.”

With the 2018 competition complete, the City of Austin’s Recycling Economic Development Program now looks towards 2019 and the impact of the competition for the wider community.

“We hope that [Re]Verse Pitch inspires all businesses to look at their waste streams with new eyes and to see the economic potential that it represents for our community,” said Natalie Betts, the City’s Recycling Economic Development Program Manager. “And we hope that all entrepreneurs are asking themselves whether the raw materials they need for their business could be sourced from local material that would otherwise go to waste.”

[Re]Verse Pitch Competition Finalists Will Pitch Live March 7

Winners announced at final competition event

February 27, 2018

AUSTIN, TX - On March 7, the City of Austin's [Re]Verse Pitch Competition 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, ideating around how to repurpose these materials into a profitable business for the betterment of the community. At the March 7 event, entrepreneurs will gather at the Atlassian office to pitch their business ideas to a judging panel. Winners of the top prizes will be selected.
Join us:

[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 worth 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 8 finalists with pitch in front of a live audiance and the judging panel:

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

GROWTH STAGE
4.0 GPA
Repurposing: Oyster Shells
Classic Childhood
Repurposing: Fabric scraps
Evo Conversion Systems
Repurposing: Stillage
Sunergie
Repurposing: Stillage & Oyster Shells

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

Austins’s 2018 [RE]Verse Pitch Competition Doubles Award to $20,000

Social Entrepreneurs compete to help City reach Zero Waste

January 16, 2018

AUSTIN, TX – Austin first launched the [Re]Verse Pitch competition in 2015 with the goal to develop a viable, impactful social innovation program.  Winning entrepreneurs would drive social enterprises, support surplus product management for local businesses and propel the City towards its Zero Waste goal.

Going into its third effort in 2018, [Re]Verse Pitch has not only received the Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award from the International Economic Development Council (IEDC), but is fast becoming an effective platform for Austin sustainability with its measurable impact.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a social innovation program to help turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste into the foundation of new social enterprises. Local entrepreneurs hear pitches from the businesses with these materials, then work with mentors and advisors over eight weeks to develop and refine business ideas for repurposing. At the closing event, finalists pitch their new business ideas to compete for the top Innovation Prizes that help them kick start their new ventures.

The 2018 Prize Pool includes $20,000, a nine month incubation package from TarmacTX,  three months of co-working memberships at Capital Factory (up to 10 people) and free consulting and educational opportunities. All finalists will also be able to receive co-working passes to WeWork.

”A more circular economy means more economic value stays local through sharing, repairing, repurposing and redesigning existing materials,” said Natalie Betts, Recycling Economic Development Program Manager. “2018 is a big year for us, we’ve gained momentum to start taking on more work for greater impact.”

Wednesday night, Jan. 17, entrepreneurs will hear presentations from various material suppliers about their waste products. Discarded materials up for grabs include everything from oyster shells and fabric scraps to wine bottles. Beginning Thursday, Jan. 18, they’ll begin their sprint towards a final business idea, plan and solution using the former discards in their new venture. Expert judges will hear final presentations at the [Re]Verse Pitch finale on March. 7, 2018.

Stephen M. Roberts, Global Sustainability Marketing Manager at Dell and keynote speaker at November’s [Re]Verse Pitch Kick Off event shared, “Per the United Nations, 20-50 million metric tons of e-waste are discarded each year...with them go viable materials that could be reused or recycled...innovative approaches represent the future and that’s where [Re]Verse Pitch, an event that sparks imagination, kicks in.”

Join us:
Opening Pitch Event
Wednesday, January 17
6:30-8:30 PM
Atlassian, 303 Colorado St #1600
Free Parking
RSVP at http://reversepitch.org/events/

Also, mark your calendar for the closing event on March. 7, 2018, 6:30 p.m. at Atlassian when competitors will share their creative business plans and test their concepts for viability in hopes of winning one of the innovation prizes.

The City of Austin’s Recycling Economic Development Program works to attract, retain, and grow businesses and entrepreneurs in order to create local jobs and foster a resilient Zero Waste ecosystem in Central Texas. The program is a joint partnership between the Economic Development Department and Austin Resource Recovery.

Manufacturers, Restaurants, Construction Company and The University of Texas Challenge Entrepreneurs

City’s [Re]Verse Pitch awards $20,000 for best initiatives using waste materials to create and grow businesses

December 12, 2017

AUSTIN, TEXAS – Austin’s third annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition will award two innovation prizes totaling $20,000 to local entrepreneurs. What’s the catch? They must create products or services using discarded materials from existing Austin businesses. The competition is designed to inspire profitable ventures while supporting a more circular local economy.
Eight businesses and non-profits will pitch their surplus materials to competing entrepreneurs at the opening event January 17, 2018, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m, at Atlassian’s downtown Austin office at 303 Colorado St #1600. This year’s material suppliers—and the items they’re offering for reuse—include:

• Balfour Beatty US: Concrete anchor straps

• Gold Rush Vinyl: Vinyl record defects & trimmings

• JOSCO Products: Tops from recycled denim and cotton pants

• Quality Seafood Market: Oyster shells

• Still Austin Whiskey Co.: Spent grain leftover from the distillation process

• Stitch Texas: Fabric scraps

• Texas Reds & Whites Tasting Room: Wine bottles

• University of Texas Resource Recovery: Pressboard office furniture

More information about each of the materials is available online at ReversePitch.org. 
This year’s Innovation Prize pool has doubled from $10,000 to $20,000 and new award categories have been added. The competition will now award one prize to the best new business idea and one prize to an existing business that is able to make use of one of above byproducts. Innovation Prize winners will also receive free consulting services from Assemble and educational opportunities from the City of Austin Small Business Program. The Seed Stage winner will join TarmacTX’s 9-month incubation program.

Prospective entrepreneurs, the public and anyone interested in the competition may RSVP to the opening pitch event at ReversePitch.org/events. Competitors will receive guidance from mentors and technical advisors and have the opportunity to attend specialized workshop sessions as they formulate a business plan and test their concepts for viability. Finalists will pitch in hopes of winning one of the innovation prizes at the closing event on March 7, 2018.

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.

City Kicks Off Annual ReVerse Pitch Competition

Circular Economy Experts to Speak

October 31, 2017

Interested applicants, potential competitors and the public are invited to Circular Economy Night, a free networking and educational event that kicks off the Reverse Pitch Competition. Keynote speakers include TEDx alumni, Dan Phillips, a reuse entrepreneur and CEO of The Phoenix Commotion and Stephen M. Roberts, of the sustainability team at Dell. The event will be held from 6 – 8 p.m. on Nov. 7, 2017 at Atlassian.

”A more circular economy means more economic value stays local through sharing, repairing, repurposing and redesigning existing materials,” said Natalie Betts, Recycling Economic Development Program Manager. “This event will share how the concept of the circular economy matters to us all, whether you are resident, a small business or a large corporation.”

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition helps turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste into the foundation of new enterprises. Companies that are consistently generating or collecting by-product, surplus or otherwise underutilized materials in Austin, are invited to apply to become [Re]Verse Material Suppliers. Prospective social entrepreneurs are invited to attend the presentations about the free materials (on Jan. 17, 2018) and come up with ways they might put the materials to higher and better use via new innovative businesses.

By participating, organizations will get the chance to have the creative, entrepreneurial minds of the Austin community focus on solving their waste challenges. The best social enterprise ideas created will receive innovation prizes. Competing entrepreneurs receive guidance as they formulate a business plan and test their concepts for viability. Details on the prize will be announced in the coming months and the application can be found at ReversePitch.org.
Anyone interested in getting involved with [Re]Verse Pitch is encouraged to attend the kick off to learn about the competition, meet past participants and get inspired by circular economy talks.

##

All competition events are free and open to the public:

[Re]Verse Pitch Presents: Circular Economy Night
Nov. 7, 2017   |    6 p.m. - 8 p.m., Atlassian, 303 Colorado St. #1600, Austin TX, 78701
RSVP

Get inspired, connected, and ready for the third annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition at this kick-off event, featuring:

• [Re]Verse Pitch 101: An Introduction to the Competition

• Speed Networking Icebreaker

• Q&A Table with [Re]Verse Pitch Staff

• Joint Keynote Address on the Circular Economy

• An Update from 2016 Winner GrubTubs

Save the Date:

Opening Pitch Event: January 17, 2018
[Re]Verse Material Suppliers will pitch their byproduct materials to entrepreneurs as business opportunities. 

Final Competition: March 7, 2018

[Re]Verse Pitch finalists will compete for the Innovation Prize.

The Competition is seeking: [Re]Verse material suppliers, social entrepreneurs, volunteer mentors and advisors. More information about all the opportunities to participate in the competition can be found here.
The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development and the Herb Kelleher Center for Entrepreneurship, Growth and Renewal, with additional support from a wide variety of community partners.  City of Austin supporting departments include Austin Resource Recovery, the Innovation Office, the Economic Development Department (Small Business Program and Global Business Expansion Division), and the Office of Sustainability.

What is the circular economy? 
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation defines it as an economy that is restorative and regenerative by design, and aims to keep products, components and materials at their highest utility and value at all times. Learn more.

GrubTubs wins $10,000 at the 2016 [Re]Verse Pitch Competition!

$10,000 innovation prize given for innovative livestock feed idea

December 9, 2016

The second annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition wrapped up on Tuesday night with the $10,000 innovation prize going to social entrepreneur team GrubTubs. Their winning pitch was to use inedible canned goods from Central Texas Food Bank to make affordable, high protein livestock feed.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a one-of-a-kind social innovation program to turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste into the foundation of new social enterprises.

On Dec. 6, eight finalists pitched their repurposing business ideas to recycle or reuse byproduct materials from six participating Austin businesses and non-profits. Austin Creative Reuse, Central Texas Food Bank, In N Out Burger, Half Price Books, LIVESTRONG Foundation and the City of Austin Transportation Department pitched various types of materials currently being discarded as waste at the competition’s opening event in October during SXSW Eco. Entrepreneurs were inspired to look at these waste streams as potential profitable ventures—creating jobs and revenue for the Austin economy while reducing waste and helping the environment.

The GrubTubs team plans to use the winnings to seed their new social enterprise, beginning with purchasing the equipment needed to shred inedible canned goods so they can get to the food. The company then plans to feed the contents of the canned goods to grubs (larvae from the Black Soldier Fly). These grubs can eat anything and chickens love to eat grubs. By upcycling expired food into animal feed, GrubTubs offers Austin businesses affected by the Universal Recycling Ordinance an innovative way to recover nutrients in conjunction with a growing compost industry.

“As Farm to Table has become vital for local farmers, GrubTubs goes Table to Farm by reducing feed costs for local farms. This could be a game changer, all because these hungry grubs can use excess nutrients that are no longer fit for human consumption. Now your donations to the food bank will benefit our local chicken farmers as well,” said GrubTubs team member Robert Olivier.

The second place winning team, GRUB, also presented a business plan for repurposing expired canned goods. This team, led by Melissa Meyer was awarded a combination of business education prizes valued at $750.

Austin Cubed, presented by Cory Skuldt of the Bard Sustainability MBA Team, proposed to turn vinyl street banners and mesh plastic bags into seating cubes. The colorful cube-shaped seats received the People’s Choice honorable mention award.

Judging was based on business viability, sustainability impact, economic impact and social impact, along with effectiveness of pitch delivery.

The remaining five finalists also made impressive pitches for a variety of business concepts:

• Charles Bradbury- Pulp Fashion | Repurposing: Vinyl street banners, mesh plastic bags, & fabric samples

• Gabriel Rocha- ACL Survival Bags | Repurposing: Vinyl street banners

• Re:3D- 3D Printing from Post-Consumer Waste | Repurposing: Mesh Plastic Bags

• Rowan Rodriguez- [RE]Charge | Repurposing: Vinyl street banners

• Team E- Recover Austin | Repurposing: Vinyl street banners

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, Impact Hub Austin and the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service with additional support from a wide variety of community partners. Learn more at www.ReversePitch.org.

City Announces 2016 [Re]Verse Pitch Finalists

Public Invited to Vote at Final [Re]Verse Pitch Competition

November 28, 2016

Austin, TX- The City of Austin announces eight finalists for the 2016 [Re]Verse Pitch Competition. Competing social entrepreneurs are in the running to receive a $10,000 Innovation Prize for the top idea for using discarded materials from existing businesses to create new products or services. The competition is designed to inspire profitable new ventures while keeping valuable discards out of landfills.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition helps turn castoffs from local businesses, nonprofits and institutions into the foundation of new social enterprises. Using byproducts as material for a new business creates jobs, improves the local economy and helps the City achieve its goal of reaching Zero Waste by 2040.
 
The second annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition launched Oct. 11 when 150 social entrepreneurs and members of the public gathered during SXSW Eco to hear pitches from Austin businesses and nonprofits with raw materials up for grabs.

Austin Creative Reuse, Central Texas Food Bank, In N Out Burger, Half Price Books, LIVESTRONG Foundation and the City of Austin Transportation Department pitched their byproducts at the event. A video recording of the first event is available online. 

Since Oct 11, entrepreneurs have been working with mentors and advisors to craft and refine their business ideas for byproduct repurposing. Finalists were selected by a panel of judges and additional points were awarded for the uniqueness of material(s) selected.

To win, entrepreneurs will need to effectively deliver their pitch at the Dec. 6. finale. Details include:

• Final Competition: Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016, 6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at Atlassian, 303 Colorado St. #1600, Austin, TX 78701.

• FREE: Event is open to the public

• RSVP here.

On Dec. 6, finalists’ pitches will be scored by the panel of judges who will consider the business venture’s viability, sustainability, economic and social impact, and how effectively the entrepreneurs deliver their pitch.

Audience members at the final event will also have a chance to vote for their favorite idea. The public is invited to view the finalist’s ideas in advance by visiting http://reversepitch.org.

Three awards will be given out at the finale:

• A grand prize of $10,000 and free co-working days at WeWork will be presented to the judges’ top pick

• A second place prize of a spot in the 2017 FastForward entrepreneur training program and 2017 Small Business Festival pass from the City of Austin Small Business Program

• An honorable mention “People’s Choice Award” presented to the audience’s top pick at the final event.

Finalists are:

• Bard Sustainability MBA Team, Austin Cubed-Street Banner Line - Repurposing: Vinyl street banners and mesh plastic bags

• Charles Bradbury, Pulp Fashion - Repurposing: Vinyl street banners, mesh plastic bags and fabric samples

• Gabriel Rocha, ACL Survival Bags - Repurposing: Vinyl street banners

• Melissa Meyer, GRUB - Repurposing: Inedible Canned Goods

• Quinault Childs, GrubTubs: Table to Farm - Repurposing: Inedible canned goods

• Re:3D, 3D Printing from Post-Consumer Waste - Repurposing: Mesh Plastic Bags

• Rowan Rodriguez, [RE]Charge - Repurposing: Vinyl street banners

• Team E, Austin’s Local Tarps - Repurposing: Vinyl street banners

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

Austin’s [Re]Verse Pitch Awarded Excellence in Economic Development

Honors are from the International Economic Development Council

October 5, 2016

AUSTIN, TX – The City of Austin, TX, received a Gold Excellence in Economic Development Award for its 2015 [Re]Verse Pitch Competitionfrom the International Economic Development Council (IEDC).

The honor was presented at an awards ceremony on Tuesday, Sept. 27, during the IEDC Annual Conference, which was held Sept. 25-28, in Cleveland, OH.

“On behalf of the IEDC board of directors and Excellence in Economic Development Awards Advisory Committee, congratulations to the City of Austin. Not only did they work to provide a necessary service to their community; but also, their participation in the awards program sheds light on their stellar projects which other communities can now use as a benchmark.”  - Barry Matherly, CEcD, FM, IEDC 2016 Board Chair, President & CEO of the Greater Richmond Partnership.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a social innovation program to help turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste into the foundation of new social enterprises. Local entrepreneurs hear pitches from the businesses with these materials, then work with mentors and advisors over several weeks to develop and refine repurposing business ideas. At the closing event, finalists pitch their new business ideas to compete for the top Innovation Prizes that help them start these new ventures. The 2015 competition led to the founding of Brewnola, a start-up that will repurpose spent brewery grain into granola snacks.

The 2016 competition is about to get underway. Six businesses and non-profits will pitch their byproduct materials to competing entrepreneurs at the opening event in Austin on October 11, 2016, 6 – 8 p.m. Prospective entrepreneurs, the public and anyone interested in the competition may RSVP to the opening pitch event at ReversePitch.org. Competitors will receive guidance from mentors and technical advisors as they formulate a business plan and test their concepts for viability. Finalists will pitch in hopes of winning one of the innovation prizes at the closing event on December 6, 2016.

The City of Austin’s Recycling Economic Development Program works 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. The program is a joint partnership between the Economic Development Department and Austin Resource Recovery.

IEDC's Excellence in Economic Development Awards recognize the world’s best economic development programs and partnerships, marketing materials and the year’s most influential leaders. These awards honor organizations and individuals for their efforts in creating positive change in urban, suburban and rural communities.

National Businesses, City Department and Local Non-profits Challenge Austin Entrepreneurs

City’s [Re]Verse Pitch awards $10,000 for best initiatives using waste materials to create new businesses

September 20, 2016

AUSTIN, TEXAS – Austin’s second annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition will award a $10,000 innovation prize to an entrepreneur with the best new business idea. What’s the catch? The new venture must create products or services using discarded materials from existing Austin businesses. The competition is designed to inspire viable new ventures while keeping valuable discards out of landfills.

Six businesses and non-profits will pitch their byproduct materials to competing entrepreneurs at the opening event October 11, 2016, 6 – 8 p.m, at Atlassian’s downtown Austin office at 303 Colorado St #1600. This year’s material suppliers and the items in need of reuse solutions include:

• In-N-Out Burgers: Mesh plastic bags

• Austin Creative Reuse: Fabric sample books

• LIVESTRONG Foundation: Yellow wristbands in out-of-date packaging

• Central Texas Food Bank: Inedible canned goods

• Half Price Books: Books, records and other media

• City of Austin Transportation Department: Vinyl street banners

In addition to $10,000 for the top initiative, a second place winner will receive a free spot in the 2017 FastForward business accelerator and training program and a pass to the 2017 Small Business Festival.

“[Re]Verse Pitch is the type of collaboration between the public, private and non-profit sectors needed to reach Zero Waste as a community!  It’s exciting to see businesses in our community team up to work with Austin’s entrepreneurs to solve tough waste challenges through this innovative competition," said Austin Resource Recovery Director Bob Gedert.

Prospective entrepreneurs, the public and anyone interested in the competition may RSVP to the opening pitch event at ReversePitch.org. Competitors will receive guidance from mentors and technical advisors as they formulate a business plan and test their concepts for viability. Finalists will pitch in hopes of winning one of the innovation prizes at the closing event on December 6, 2016. The Competition is looking for volunteer mentors and advisors, and in-kind sponsors. Anyone interested in these opportunities can visit reversepitch.org/get-involved. 

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

Second Annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition Accepting Applications

Opening event will be presented in partnership with SXSW Eco

The City of Austin has opened applications for businesses and institutions interested in pitching at the second annual [Re]Verse Pitch Competition.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition, a social innovation program, helps turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste into the foundation for new social enterprises. Entities that are consistently generating or collecting by-product, surplus, or other underutilized materials in Austin, Texas are invited to apply by August 31, 2016, to become [Re]Verse Material Suppliers. The application can be found here.

The opening event will include pitches to entrepreneurs from local businesses and nonprofits about the waste materials they generate but don’t use. Entrepreneurs get to hear the pitch and determine which materials they could put to higher and better use in a new business.

By participating, these organizations will get the chance to have the creative, entrepreneurial minds of the Austin community focus on solving their waste challenges. The best social enterprise ideas created by competing entrepreneurs will receive innovation prizes. Details on the prize will be announced in the coming months.

[Re]Verse Pitch launches Oct. 11 as part of SXSW Eco 2016, with an open call for social entrepreneurs to hear pitches from local businesses and nonprofits that have raw materials up for grabs.

The main events are free and open to the public:

Opening Pitch: Oct. 11, 6- 8 pm, 303 Colorado St.#1600
[Re]Verse Material Suppliers to pitch their byproduct materials to entrepreneurs as potential business opportunities.

Final Competition: Dec. 6. Location to be announced
[Re]Verse Pitch finalists to compete for the Innovation Prize.

The public and anyone interested in competing for the Innovation Prizes should RSVP here. Competing entrepreneurs will receive guidance as they formulate a business plan and test their concepts for viability.

Winners will be selected in December. Judging will be based on the business venture’s viability, sustainability impact, economic impact and social impact, along with how effectively the entrepreneurs delivered their pitch.

In addition to [Re]Verse Material Suppliers, the Competition is also seeking volunteer mentors and advisors. More information about all the opportunities to participate in the competition can be found here.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development and Impact Hub Austin with additional support from a wide variety of community partners.

$10,000 Innovation Prize Awarded to [Re]verse Pitch Competition Winner

The first-ever [Re]Verse Pitch Competition awarded a $10,000 innovation prize to Austin resident Brandon Ward for his idea of turning spent grain, a byproduct from the brewing process, into “Brewnola” granola bars.

Ward is one of eight finalists who presented ideas on how to repurpose byproducts at the final competition Dec. 9 at the LBJ School of Public Affairs. He presented alongside two team members, Matt Miller and Ceschino Brooks de Vita, who are his classmates at the UT McCombs School of Business.

The winning pitch proposes to create a company that would pay employees $24 per hour, locally source ingredients for the granola bars, use compostable packaging, and donate a portion of proceeds to Austin-area homeless shelters.

“I'm not sure that we ever would have become aware of the environmental impact of spent beer grain if not for the Reverse Pitch competition,” Ward said. “The competition helped open our eyes to this problem and gave us the opportunity to solve it.  Hence, with help from the City of Austin, Brewnola has been born.”

Ward plans to use the prize funds to prototype the product and conduct market research before launching larger scale production and distribution.

In addition to inspiring entrepreneurs to look at waste as a profitable venture, this competition also served as a prototype for challenge prizes at the City of Austin. The City’s Office of Innovation is exploring how challenge prizes might be utilized as a tool for other public challenges in the future.

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a one-of-a-kind social innovation program to turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste into the foundation of new social enterprises. The competition started in November when five local companies and institutions pitched byproduct materials to social entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs created business ideas using these byproducts.

The judging panel included Ray Brimble of Lynxs Group, Scott Collier of Pasadera Capital, Bob Gedert of Austin Resource Recovery, Zoe Schlag of Unltd USA, and Rosa Rios Valdez of Business and Community Lenders of Texas.

In addition to points from public voting, judging was based on business viability, sustainability impact, economic impact and social impact, along with effectiveness of pitch delivery.

Each of the seven finalists made impressive pitches for a variety of business concepts:

• Sue Sende Cole, Working with Wicker (repurposing wicker baskets)

• Santiago Diaz, Austin Building Materials Depository and Working Space (repurposing books, spent grain, vinyl banners, water proof clogs, canvas, and decorative glassware)

• Joe Diffie, The Table to Bacon Feed Company (repurposing spent grain)

• Aaron Pierron, Fine Glass Recycling (repurposing decorative glassware)

• Melissa Rothrock, Calling All Seamstresses (repurposing vinyl banners)

• Cory Skuldt, Clover's Brewery Bites (repurposing spent grain)

• Renata Sturdivant, Safe Innovative High Heels (repurposing vinyl banners and waterproof clogs)

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, Impact Hub Austin and the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service with additional support from a wide variety of community partners. Learn more at www.ReversePitch.org.

Voting Open: City Announces [Re]verse Pitch Finalists Competing for $10,000 Innovation Prize

Voting is open now until 5 p.m. December 9.

Austin, Texas, December 2, 2015: Eight Austin entrepreneurs will compete for a $10,000 innovation prize Dec. 9 and Austinites get to weigh in on who wins.
 
The finalists are competing to present the best idea – and business concept – that repurposes a byproduct from a local organization into a viable business with social benefit.
 
Online voting is open now until 5 p.m. Dec. 9 as the finalists gear up to make their pitch to a panel of expert judges.
 
The [Re]Verse Pitch Final Competition will be from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 9 in the Bass Lecture Hall at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, 2300 Red River St. The event is free and open to the public. RSVPs requested.
 
Austinites may vote for their favorite idea by signing up for a free account or through a handful of social media platforms, including Facebook and Twitter.
 
The top five vote-getters will earn “People’s Choice” points added on top of the judges’ scoring.

“We are thrilled to see so many [Re]Verse Pitch concepts that solve for real needs in the community and reduce waste at the same time,” said Bob Gedert, Director of Austin Resource Recovery. “We encourage Austinites to check out the ideas and vote.”
 
Ideas range from re-purposing waterproof clog shoes into safer slip-resistant high heels and using leftover vinyl for new products like backpacks.
 
Proposals for spent grains, a brewery byproduct, include “brewnola” granola bars and “brew biscuits” for dogs. And what could possibly be done with a room-full of wicker baskets? Find out by browsing the proposals.

[RE]Verse Finalists

Eight finalists will pitch their ideas at the final competition Dec. 9:

• Sue Sende Cole, Working with Wicker (repurposing wicker baskets)

• Santiago Diaz, Austin Building Materials Depository and Working Space (repurposing books, spent grain, vinyl banners, water proof clogs, canvas, and decorative glassware)

• Joe Diffie, The Table to Bacon Feed Company (repurposing spent grain)

• Aaron Pierron, Non-container Glass Recycling (repurposing decorative glassware)

• Melissa Rothrock, Calling All Seamstresses (repurposing vinyl banners)

• Cory Skuldt, Brew Biscuits Expansion (repurposing spent grain)

• Renata Sturdival, Safe Innovative Heels (repurposing vinyl banners and waterproof clogs)

• Brandon Ward, Brewnola Bars (repurposing spent grain)

Judging will be based on business viability, sustainability impact, economic impact and social impact, along with effectiveness of pitch delivery.

Background

The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a one-of-a-kind social innovation program to turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits and institutions as waste into the foundation of new social enterprises.
 
The first-ever “reverse pitch” Nov. 3 drew more than 85 social entrepreneurs and Austinites at Vuka to hear pitches from local businesses and nonprofits that have materials up for grabs.
 
The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, Impact Hub Austin and the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service with additional support from a wide variety of community partners. Learn more at www.ReversePitch.org.

City to Offer Innovation Prize for Reuse Endeavors

First “reverse pitch” of its kind focused on pitching to entrepreneurs

Austin, Texas, October 19, 2015:

The City of Austin will award $10,000 to a social entrepreneur this year who can turn raw materials into a viable enterprise.
 
The first-ever “reverse pitch” launches Nov. 3 with an open call for social entrepreneurs to hear pitches from local businesses and nonprofits that have raw materials up for grabs.
 
The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition, a new social innovation program, helps turn valuable raw materials that are currently leaving local businesses, nonprofits, and institutions as waste into the foundation of new social enterprises.
 
“Entrepreneurs are accustomed to pitching their business idea to investors, partners and anyone they might share an elevator ride with. In this competition, the tables will turn. The entrepreneurs will get to hear the pitch and determine what they want to tackle,” said Natalie Betts, the mastermind behind the “reverse pitch” concept, who holds a hybrid position with the City working for both Austin Resource Recovery and the Economic Development Department.
 
Unique positions held by Betts are part of the City’s strategy to rethink how we deliver government services and support zero waste businesses and entrepreneurs.
 
“Today, we cannot effectively repurpose reusable materials in a silo. We also want to consider economic feasibility, creating jobs and many other factors,” said Austin City Manager Marc Ott. “The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition brings together great minds and opportunities to get real about turning trash into treasure, in collaboration with our most valuable resource – our citizens.”

The main events are free and open to the public. RSVPs requested:

• Opening Pitch: Nov. 3, 2015, 6-8 p.m. at Vuka, 411 W. Monroe St. Organizations pitching by product materials to entrepreneurs as business opportunities include Goodwill Industries of Central Texas, Recycled Reads, Travis County and BuildASign. Watch their videos describing what each has to offer.

• Final Competition: Dec. 9, 2015, 6-8:30 p.m. at Bass Lecture Hall, Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, 2300 Red River St. [Re]Verse Pitch finalists to compete for the Innovation Prize.

The public and anyone interested in participating in the competition should RSVP here.
 
Winners will be selected in December by a panel of judges and with participation from the Austin community. Judging will be based on the business venture’s viability, sustainability impact, economic impact, and social impact, along with how effective the entrepreneurs delivered their pitch.
 
The entrepreneurs will receive guidance as they formulate a business plan and test their concepts for viability.
 
“A challenge prize is something new for Austin. We’ve seen their use by various governments across the country as a way to leverage limited resources, collective intelligence and draw awareness to a specific issue. So, I’m excited to see how our community responds and we’ll take away valuable lessons learned from the Reverse Pitch for future challenge prize opportunities," said Austin Chief Innovation Officer Kerry O’Connor.
 
The [Re]Verse Pitch Competition is a collaboration between the City of Austin, U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development, Impact Hub Austin, and the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service with additional support from a wide variety of community partners. 
 
“Challenging and enabling entrepreneurs to work with hard-to-recycle materials is a key step in the evolution to a circular economy in Austin – one where locally generated waste becomes the new engine for creating value,” said Daniel Kietzer with the U.S. Business Council for Sustainable Development..

PRESS

KVUE: Reverse Pitch finalists highlight waste, re-use of plastic

Austin Business Journal: Austin businesses find win-win partnerships through [Re]Verse Pitch Competition (sponsored)

Austin American-Statesman: Another person's trash could become entrepreneurs' treasure

Waste360: Austin Looks to [Re]Verse Its Waste Intake

Austin Business Journal: Trash to treasure: Austin pitch contest seeks moneymaking ideas for business waste

KXAN: Austin entrepreneurs compete to re-purpose products into business ideas (interviews with finalists!)

AustinInno: [Re]verse -- A Backwards Pitch Competition to Reuse Other Companies' Byproducts

KXAN: Competition calls on Austin entrepreneurs to innovate landfill space

VIDEO

TWEETS

Find us at #ReversePitchATX