8 March 2018
The Water Challenge presented by the Greater New Orleans Foundation will kick off New Orleans Entrepreneur Week for the 8th year running. Propeller announced today the 10 entrepreneurs will compete for $15,000 in total startup funding.
These semi-finalists bring ideas to manage urban flooding, mitigate coastal erosion, and strengthen the growing local water economy. Their shared focus: narrowing disparities caused by natural disasters and increasing representation in the water industry, where white employees outnumber people of color six to one.
Andy Kopplin, President of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, will offer opening remarks, followed by a keynote address by Mayor-elect Latoya Cantrell.
The event will take place on opening night of New Orleans Entrepreneur Week, Wednesday, March 21st, 6:30–8:30pm at Propeller. Tickets are free, but seating is limited. To ensure seating, guests should RSVP via Eventbrite.
Semi-finalists for the Water Challenge presented by the Greater New Orleans Foundation:
New Orleans Stormwater Training grows jobs in residential stormwater management by combining the expertise and resources of three established entities: Louisiana Green Corps, a job training provider for opportunity youth, Home by Hand, a nonprofit housing developer working to build storm-resistant homes for and with low- to moderate-income families, and Greenman Dan, a landscaping company specializing in managing rainfall beautifully.
ILSI Engineering is a 100% woman-owned, minority-owned New Orleans-based civil engineering, project program management, and construction management firm with a strong record of performance on multi-year multi-million-dollar projects completed in the federal, state and municipal sectors.
HubLink is a mobile app streamlines asset management workflows and helps users communicate rapidly during emergencies.
Native Roots Nursery is a project of the Woodlands Conservancy that will produce native seedlings to utilize in future restoration projects and engage students in service-learning programs through hands-on restoration activities.
Integrated Shoreline Solutions develops innovative and cost-effective solutions to shoreline protection and land accretion concerns, with the goal to create designs that increase the sustainability of fisheries while reducing long-term maintenance costs.
Team Happy Foundation inspires the next generation of first responders and wetlands champions through award-winning children's books and educational programs on humanitarian relief and environmental sustainability.
The New Orleans Museum of Art plans to expand the Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden to incorporate sustainable water management into its existing lagoons, while serving as an opportunity to educate this and future generations about these efforts in a creative environment.
5/2/5 Systems, LLC helps small communities, businesses, hospitals, and schools with affordable solutions to comply with sanitary wastewater system standards by offering modular additions to their current systems.
Water Block is an education and advocacy tool by Design Jones, LLC in partnership with Atianna Cordova and Kristen Lonon that allows community members to determine where the best location for stormwater management practices can be implemented in their neighborhood.
Runoff Awareness Project is an initiative of Limitless Vistas, Inc. that raises awareness of the impact that impervious surfaces have on stormwater runoff, watershed recharge, saltwater intrusion, subsidence and potential localized flooding, while increasing awareness of stormwater mitigation techniques.