Alumni in the News

BALANCE Edutainment Launches The First Children’s Book That Springs to Life Through Augmented Reality

BALANCE Edutainment, a leading Extended Reality EdTech firm, launched Pacha’s Pajamas, the first-of-its-kind augmented reality (AR) children’s book that gets kids to fall in love reading again. Children learn about living in harmony with nature through an engaging and interactive experience.
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/balance-edutainment-launches-pachas-pajamas—the-first-childrens-book-that-springs-to-life-through-augmented-reality-300552663.html

Alumni in the News

Yumbutter is nuts for change

Imagine it’s 10 years into the future. Food corporations are still concerned with making a profit, but it is no longer the only concern. Companies are blazing trails for better environmental standards, practicing ethical sourcing and engaging with the community in a positive way. Employees are valued and love showing up to work. Consumers enjoy trips to the supermarket because they know what they’re throwing into the cart isn’t causing harm. And best of all, food is more than just a product: It’s healthy, fun and meaningful.
https://www.channel3000.com/madison-magazine/dining-and-drink/yumbutter-is-nuts-for-change/646813603

Alumni in the News

Toilets for People – normalising toilets where families have never used them

Toilets for People (TfP) grew out of a need for a toilet solution where other solutions don’t work. The company works with NGOs in international development and disaster relief that are in need of a toilet solution for locations where the pit latrines, flush toilets and chemical port-a-potties fail.
https://www.aid-expo.com/blog/128-toilets-for-people-normalising-toilets-where-families-have-never-used-them

Alumni in the News

‘Sanergy’ Creates Sustainable Solutions for Sanitation in Kenya

NAIROBI — Despite constitutional acknowledgment of safe water, sanitation and hygiene as a human right, the problem of basic sanitation in Kenya is still severe. In urban slums, which house 8 million Kenyans in densely packed and unstable conditions, the issue is especially concerning — an estimated 80 percent of people lack access to basic sanitation.
https://www.borgenmagazine.com/sanitation-in-kenya/

Alumni in the News

The solar-powered cart that can charge 80 cell phones at once

Born to refugee parents from Rwanda, he grew up in Burundi until civil war again forced the family to move on. Relocating to the US, Nyakarundi studied computer science at Georgia State University and by 19 had founded his first start up.
https://edition.cnn.com/2016/08/09/africa/ared-solar-charging-kiosk-henri-nyakarundi/index.html

Alumni in the News

What Does Entrepreneurship Mean in Other Cultures? I Found Out

In the hot plains of Chinandega, Nicaragua, Julio MonteAlegre and his workers are planting moringa. A superfood that is well known in Nicaragua but still growing in popularity in the United States. The crop is driving Julio’s company, Esentium, to create more impact for his local community of El Viejo.
https://real-leaders.com/entrepreneurship-mean-cultures-found/

Alumni in the News

Meet Moringa, The Most Nutrient-dense Plant on The Planet

Kuli Kuli’s founder, Lisa Curtis, got her first taste of moringa as a Peace Corps volunteer in a small village in Niger. As a vegetarian, she was eating mostly rice and millet — a diet that left her feeling sluggish. When she mentioned her fatigue to women at the community health center, they suggested she try moringa. After buying the leaves from a neighbor’s tree, she mixed them with a popular peanut snack, called kuli-kuli, and noticed her health improve.
https://real-leaders.com/meet-moringa-the-most-nutrient-dense-plant-on-the-planet/

Alumni in the News

Chef lands in Puerto Rico, ready to help

Luminaid makes blow-up solar-powered lanterns that could help residents until Puerto Rico’s power grid is rebuilt.
http://www.jhnewsandguide.com/jackson_hole_daily/local/chef-lands-in-puerto-rico-ready-to-help/article_6da1c754-e67a-59b5-b754-1f35330e94bb.html

Alumni in the News

Wonder Women: Don’t Ask for Permission to Make Big Moves

Motivated to find a scalable way to make a social and environmental impact on the world through business, Patricia Chin-Sweeney, COO at I-DEV International, left a lucrative career in investment banking to get an MBA at NYU. While still in graduate school, she co-founded I-DEV to drive innovation in the international-development and impact-investing industry while building an alternative pipeline for investors.
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/302355#

Alumni in the News

A Startup Backed By Kellogg’s VC Arm, Kuli Kuli, Introduces Americans To A New Superfood, Moringa

When Lisa Curtis was a Peace Corps volunteer in Niger, she discovered moringa, a green with high nutritional content that’s popular in Africa and elsewhere. When she returned to the United States, she decided to start a company that would introduce it to U.S. consumers – and provide better incomes to farmers in Africa.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestreptalks/2017/10/05/a-startup-backed-by-kelloggs-vc-arm-kuli-kuli-introduces-americans-to-a-new-superfood-moringa/#37110f64e06d

Alumni in the News

Philly Faces: Morgan Berman

“It’s like a Fitbit for doing good,” she said. They work with some Fortune 500 companies within their wide range of clients.

http://jewishexponent.com/2017/10/04/philly-faces-morgan-berman/

Alumni in the News

BEMOSS®-Plus Demo at the Global City Teams Challenge (GCTC)

The Global City Teams Challenge (GCTC) program is a collaborative platform for the development of smart cities and communities, led by National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). BEM Controls is partnered with Arlington County Government and the City of Alexandria to demonstrate its groundbreaking Open-Architecture Platform for Internet of Things (IoT) Devices Monitoring and Control within the city and community environment.
https://www.bemcontrols.com/single-post/2016/08/01/Designers-Embrace

Alumni in the News

Fall Fest Celebration at Genesee Community College

Last weekend our team visited Genesee Community College, celebrated Homecoming and enjoyed participating in their 50th Anniversary Fall Fest celebrations. We talked about carbon fiber technology, renewable energy, and of course the newly installed Firefly wind turbine on the roof of the Conable Technology Building!
http://www.fireflypower.com/fall-fest-celebration-genesee-community-college

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MCN Updates

MCN Update: 21 September 2017

Please help us find some mission-driven entrepreneurs to support.We’re looking for amazing individuals who are starting or growing companies to solve some of the world’s hardest challenges. Challenges like providing clean …

Alumni in the News

Re-Nuble Targets USDA Over ‘Organic’ Certifications

Concerns over chemical fertilization, the poor nutritional choices available in Harlem – where she taught an SAT-prep class – and the massive waste of the nation’s “leftover” food put Pina on a scientifically entrepreneurial path. Her research led quickly to anaerobic digesters, biological processes that break down biodegradable materials with a number of beneficial side-effects.
http://www.innovateli.com/re-nuble-targets-usda-organic-certifications/

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MCN Updates

MCN Update: 12 September 2017

I’ve just returned from two weeks in the desert, watching amazing artists create acres of sculptures and interactive experiences. (Do an image search for “Black Rock City Art” if you’re …

Alumni in the News

This D.C. juicing startup is now eyeing food

D.C.-based Misfit Juicery, an anti-food waste company that uses misshapen or bruised produce to make bottled juices, has rebranded as the business grows its profile in the food space and lands deals with high-profile retailers. The move also positions the startup to expand beyond juice.
https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/news/2017/09/12/this-d-c-juicing-startup-is-now-eyeing-food.html

Alumni in the News

THIS SUPER GREEN IS A STRONGER ANTI-INFLAMMATORY THAN TURMERIC

Grown on trees in regions of Africa, South America, and India, the super green is typically ground up and used in powder form, and it’s becoming an increasingly popular ingredient in bottled juices and bars. “Interest has been growing around greens in general, such as with smoothies or kale, and I think moringa is becoming a trending ingredient because people are looking for ways to get the most nutrient-dense [green] they can,” says Lisa Curtis, founder of Kuli Kuli, America’s leading moringa supplier.
https://www.wellandgood.com/good-food/health-benefits-of-moringa/

Alumni in the News

Hospitality Ventures Management Group Enrolls 25 Hotels in Skywalk

Hospitality Ventures Management Group (HVMG) enrolled 25 managed hotels in SOL VISTA’s Skywalk® energy management platform in August. Skywalk will provide HVMG with actionable intelligence through ongoing building monitoring and reporting; benchmarking compliance in any jurisdictions where it is required; assistance with energy efficiency projects; and the identification of more advantageous energy procurement methods.

https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/17/09/p10037162/hospitality-ventures-management-group-enrolls-25-hotels-in-skywalk

Alumni in the News

Three Organic, Fair-Trade Alternatives to Coffee

Kuli Kuli sources its moringa from Ghana, Haiti, and Nicaragua. In many nations, those included, the green-leafed plant is considered a weed, only eaten by those occupying the poorest societal rung.
https://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/green-life/three-organic-fair-trade-alternatives-coffee

Alumni in the News

Refugees share stories about finding home through play

One World Play Project believes everyone should have access to play—no matter who they are, where they come from or where they live. They know that play helps us recover from trauma, cope with challenging situations and encourages physical, psychological and social health.
https://www.sportanddev.org/en/article/news/refugees-share-stories-about-finding-home-through-play

Alumni in the News

New blockchain for agriculture and food businesses

Discussing the launch of the currency, Mark Meytin, who is a co-founder and partner in the new venture, said: “1000EcoFarms.com is a marketing and customer management platform while FoodCoin is focused on payment and contract-processing services based on the Ethereum blockchain.” Blockchain is a suitable process for farming; it allows farmers to transfer value, or assets, between each other without the need for a trusted intermediary.
http://www.digitaljournal.com/business/new-blockchain-for-agriculture-and-food-businesses/article/501623

Back To the Roots
Alumni in the News

‘Bachelor’ Star Sean Lowe Partners with Fellow ‘Bachelorette’ Contestant Alejandro Velez to Donate 125,000 Meals Supporting Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts

“Bachelor” & “Bachelorette” star Sean Lowe has partnered with fellow ‘Bachelorette’ contestant Alejandro Velez to donate 125,000 breakfast cereal meals in support of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. The organic cereal is from Back to the Roots, a company Velez co-founded in Oakland, CA.
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2017/09/prweb14657882.htm

Alumni in the News

Why agtech grows in Brooklyn

Digging beds on rooftops and harvesting baby radishes under the summer sun is rather 2010. This year, Blue Planet Consulting will reveal its +farm — a build-it-yourself, modular hydroponic farm unit for the home. Agrilyst is refining its workflow and data management software for indoor farms to automate aspects of the industry. Re-Nuble brought its fertilizer for hydroponic and soil applications derived from wholesale food waste to market in late 2016.
https://technical.ly/brooklyn/2017/08/30/brooklyn-loves-agtech/

Alumni in the News

LuminAID – What Happened After $200k Mark Cuban Shark Tank Deal

Two architecture students from Chicago, Andrea Sreshta and Anna Stork, are the inventors of LuminAID, a solar-powered inflatable light originally designed for natural disasters. The fully-charged light which can provide up to 16 hours of LED light can also be used for recreational purposes like camping. Sreshta and Stork pitched their business on Shark Tank in 2015. When billionaire Mark Cuban offered them $200,000 in exchange for 15 percent equity, they accepted.
http://2paragraphs.com/2017/08/luminaid-what-happened-after-200k-mark-cuban-shark-tank-deal/

Back To the Roots
Alumni in the News

Back To The Roots And Taking The Friction Out Of Natural Foods

The team at Back to the Roots can’t help with all the levels of fish madness that go into fish tank ownership. They can’t make your fish like each other, and they have not invented technology that will make you more able to tell if your fish is truly happy or just pacing in its bowl awaiting death. What they can do, however, is offer a fish tank that requires a lot less maintenance.
http://www.pymnts.com/news/retail/2017/back-to-the-roots-natural-foods-ecommerce-innovation/

Back To the Roots
Alumni in the News

Why Biodynamic Breakfast Cereal Is The Go To Choice in 2017

Biodynamic food is trending in 2017. It is extending beyond organic farming, reducing the need for outside fertilisers. Moreover, it is creating a balanced farm ecosystem. This is achieved through rotational crops, a variety of plants and animals as well as on-site composting. We know there are hundreds of cereal products on the market, but very few of them can call themselves biodynamic! Back-the-roots is where health is heading.
http://www.longevitylive.com/nutrition-body/healthy-eating/biodynamic-breakfast-cereal/

Alumni in the News

Youth Engagement, Racial Equity and Green Tech Intersect in Boston

“People tend to write you off a bit when you look young,” Jeremy reflected. “Likewise, the investment community is generally averse to risk… When you are younger, a more limited track record can be a bit of a handicap. Also, it’s a cliche but building a great company requires having a great network… When you are just starting out, you haven’t forged many of these relationships yet and that makes everything much tougher.”
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/youth-engagement-racial-equity-and-green-tech-intersect_us_5996ebdfe4b033e0fbdec32c

Alumni in the News

Making wealth from recycling

Sometimes she gets truckloads of plastics from collectors. The next step is to get them sorted, packaged and ready to go into the marketplace. This is because there are many companies looking for them. For her, local landfill waste collection is only the beginning of a recycling cycle.
http://thenationonlineng.net/making-wealth-recycling

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MCN Updates

MCN Update: 15 August 2017

Thoughts for the Mentor Capital Network Community: A friend of mine is in the Intensive Care Unit today, because a few days ago a Nazi hit him with a torch …