Food System Kickstarter
Social innovation is the process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress. Faced with the complex issues within the food system, we know that new strategies are needed to positively affect change.
To support emerging ideas, 5 innovator teams developed and pitched a concept to improve the local food system in our first “Kickstarter” challenge, May 11th - 15th, to jump start local food action in St. John’s.
Teams recorded a 2 minute video to share online and presented their ideas to a panel of judges. Click below for a playlist of pitches from each team:
Supports for Kickstarter Teams
Each team received one-on-one virtual coaching to develop their pitch. Thank you to guest coaches, John Gushue, Senior Producer with CBC News and Heather French, Business Start-up Advisor with NLOWE for your advice and support. All participating teams will also receive a 1 year subscription to Small Business Solver, and ongoing connection to local and national networking with Community Innovation Hub.
Top prizes, including a first place award of $3000 and second place award of $1500 from Chevron Canada, as well as a Youth Social Innovator Award of $500 from Memorial University Centre for Social Enterprise, were awarded by a multi-sector panel of judges. including Mayor Danny Breen, City of St. John’s, Jacqueline Harris, Social Risk & Investment Advisor Chevron Canada , and Nicole Helwig, Manager Memorial University Centre for Social Enterprise. The People’s Choice Award, valued at $500, was chosen by online voting, drawing in over 1000 participants.
Congratulations
Thank you to all participating teams, prizes have been awarded as follows:
1st Place: Fish Market App - Mirella Leis
2nd Place: Afro Kitchen NL - Sunday and Christiana Emmanuel
Youth Social Innovator Award: NL Eats
People’s Choice Award: Afro Kitchen NL - Sunday and Christiana Emmanuel