Overview

Schedule

Friday, October 7

5:00pm

Doors Open + Dinner

5:30pm

Dinner + Networking

6:00pm

Friday night begins! We'll cover everything you need to know, let you pitch, vote on top ideas & form teams for the weekend

9:00pm

Finalize teams, register, + start your plan for validation

10:00pm

Wrap for the day!

Saturday, October 8

8:00am

Doors Open

9:00am

Breakfast + Pour-overs + exclusive GBH mugs ($)

10:00am

Community Huddle - Validation

11:00am-1:00pm

Morning Mentors

12:00pm

Lunch

2:00pm

Community Huddle - Prototyping

3:00pm- 5:00pm

Afternoon Mentors

5:00pm

Dinner arrives

6:30pm

Final huddle - Final pitches

9:00pm

Wrap for the day!

Sunday, October 9

8:00am

Doors Open + Breakfast

12:00pm-2:00pm

Pitch Practice

2:30pm

Final decks are due

1:00pm

Lunch

3:00pm

Final Pitches!

6:00pm

Wrap!

Judges

Lindsay Karas Stencel

Partner, Thompson Hine LLP

Lindsay Karas Stencel has been in venture capital for nearly 16 years. She is a Partner at Thompson Hine LLP running the New Ventures group in Columbus, OH where she focuses on growing venture capital, and increasing capital access generally, for entrepreneurs throughout the Midwest, representing venture firms and startups from NYC to Palo Alto. She is also the chair of the firm’s Fund Formation ... Read More » practice group, where she oversees venture, private equity, hedge, real estate, and other fund formation and well as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Chair for the Columbus Office. As a licensed attorney in multiple states, Lindsay began her venture career on the pure deal side working in big law in in New York. After she obtained her MBA from THE Ohio State University, she shifted to a true venture role in 2008 when she joined NCT Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm based out of Columbus, OH. There she worked her way up the ranks from associate and in-house counsel, to become one of the managing partners and chief legal counsel, making her one of the first female venture capital partners in the State of Ohio. There she has worked with the firm to structure 100s of transactions and proudly assisted the firm in being the top performing venture firm in the Midwest for its vintage years (2008 and 2013, respectively), according to PitchBook. Then, in 2016, Lindsay, who is born and raised in Buffalo, NY, became engaged with Launch New York, Inc., a Buffalo-based 501(c)(3) venture development organization that works to provide mentorship and funding to seed stage businesses, industry agnostic, in the 27 westernmost counties of the State of New York. During Lindsay’s tenure with Launch NY, the firm has become the most active seed fund in the State of New York (and one of the most active in the nation), with over 90 transactions in less than three years, which resulted in Lindsay being awarded the Early Stage Dealmaker of the Year by the Upstate Capital Association of New York for 2018, the Upstate Venture Connect Community Catalyst Award for 2019, and the 2019 Investor of the Year Award from Upstate Capital Association. Lindsay was nominated for the 2020 NVCA American Spirit Award and named to the Columbus Business First 40 Under 40 and ColumbusCEO Future50. She has also twice been named to the Best Lawyers list for Business Organizations and Structuring in 2020, 2021 and 2022. Today, in addition to her above-mentioned roles, she is a co-founder of The W Fund, a women- led, women-focused investment group acutely focused on investing in women-founded and women-led businesses across the country. She is also the founder of BOLDER INC., a non-profit organization providing wellness resources to founders and teams across the country. Lastly, Lindsay is an Adjunct Professor at The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, teaching students about venture capital, deal structuring and client development. Lindsay also is an active speaker internationally in the U.S., Canada and Europe, advocating for diversity and inclusion of women and minorities in finance, as well as instructing licensed attorneys and business professionals across the country on the establishment of venture firms and deal structuring.

Emily Savors

Director of Grants Management, The Columbus Foundation

Since 1991, Emily has assisted the Foundation in carrying out its services to donors and supporting organizations, nonprofit organizations, and the community at-large. She has served as a catalyst in addressing community needs by researching, reviewing, and spearheading projects for funding consideration, and developing funding partnerships for special initiatives. Prior to joining the Foundation, ... Read More » Emily was director of housing and community services for South Middlesex Opportunity Council. Emily has a bachelor of arts in Economics from Kenyon College and masters’ degrees in public policy and theological studies from Harvard University.

Arnab Nandi

Entrepreneur & Associate Professor, Computer Science and Engineering at The Ohio State University

Arnab works on human-in-the-loop data infrastructure, with the goal of empowering humans to effectively interact with data. This involves solving problems that span the areas of data management, visualization, human-computer interaction, and information retrieval. At Ohio State, Arnab has co-founded initiatives such as The STEAM Factory, a collaborative interdisciplinary research and public outreach ... Read More » network, and the OHI/O Informal Learning in Tech Hackathon Program. Arnab was also the founder of Mobikit, a connected vehicle data infrastructure startup which was acquired by Azuga Inc. (now a Bridgestone company). Personal homepage: http://arnab.org

Mentors

Alan Gilbert

Principal, Swiftcurrent Partners

Alan has spent his 40-year career building products, teams, and companies that solve problems and improve people’s lives. He has worked in a wide range of environments ranging from small startups to corporate giants but his passion and specialty is in scaling high-growth, early-stage companies. He has led teams in hardware, software, product and project management, manufacturing, construction, field ... Read More » service, analytics, recruiting, and talent management. He has brought over a dozen healthcare products to market in over 100 countries and holds six medical device patents. The common thread throughout his career has been working on important missions from healthcare to city infrastructure to immigration. Alan most recently worked as VP of Engineering at Boundless Immigration, building the engineering team, rebuilding their family immigration platform for future scale, and managing the technical integration of an acquired platform and team. As the VP of Engineering and Senior VP of Talent at CoverMyMeds, Alan was instrumental in helping the company scale 30 times over, while being listed in the Inc. 5000 for three years running, winning numerous “best place to work” awards including Glassdoor’s Top 50 Best Places to Work, and executing the largest-ever Ohio tech company acquisition by McKesson, Inc. Prior to that, Alan spent 16 years at Codonics, serving as an Engineer, Product Manager, and VP of Engineering. His teams developed and deployed FDA-approved solutions for radiology and surgical image management and operating-room drug labeling. He also served as a project manager and engineer at IBM and DuPont. Alan currently invests in and advises tech startups, mentors rising stars, and is training to ride his bike across the United States.

Amanda Greenwood

Founder, Petals That Inspire

Amanda Greenwood is the "Flower Lady" and founder of Petals That Inspire, LLC. Petals is a social enterprise with the mission to empower the community through the art of floral design. Amanda firmly believes in the power of a creative atmosphere and is dedicated to providing a space for members of our community with barriers to employment to grow into sustainable futures. Through Petals, Amanda has ... Read More » developed a transitional workforce development program for young adults transitioning from homelessness where they work on developing the soft skills needed for employment. Amanda is a very proud Alumni of GiveBackHack 2019 and is thrilled to be back as a mentor during this inspiring weekend! 

LoLo

Co-founder and VP of Equity and Inclusion of the Urban Business Development Center

LoLo is a social entrepreneur who cares about creating effective solutions around equity gaps for entrepreneurs of color along with incorporating true cultural competence in programming and curriculum development to bring about positive impact. Professionally, she is the Co-founder and VP of Equity and Inclusion of the Urban Business Development Center, also known as The U. The U is an Urban Entrepreneur ... Read More » Support Organization that originally serves as the front door of access to education, resources and funding for urban entrepreneurs. Since opening, The U has expanded its reach to provide culturally competent curriculum, education and impactful experiences throughout the Columbus region. She has received awards such as Columbus’s Reese Neader Memorial Award for Entrepreneurship and Social Change as well as being recognized as one of the  top Black Innovative Females on the Rise in the Midwest. Lo, originally from Dayton, OH, has made Columbus her home and launch pad to her overall mission of bringing equity, collaboration and culture to the landscape of the entrepreneurial ecosystem nationwide.

Arianna Gianakopoulos

Principal Consultant, AG Innovation Consulting

Arianna has built her career at the intersection of user research, product design and sustainability. She currently leads product management and go-to-market strategy for Uplight’s electric vehicle solutions. Arianna works across Uplight’s product portfolio applying human-centered design practices to create a seamless end-to-end journey for electric vehicle adopters. Her responsibilities include ... Read More » integrating Uplight’s software capabilities with hardware partners to accelerate the clean energy transition.   Prior to joining Uplight, Arianna led product development at cleantech startup Mammoth Water, where she launched a water management solution for farmers in drought-prone states. She also worked with incubators Techstars and Launch Factory to develop concepts and business cases and assess viability for launch. Additionally, Arianna spent 5 years leading user research and design consulting for Fortune 500 companies in the automotive, healthcare, and financial services sectors to drive innovation strategy and execution.

Jenny Lane

CEO Ohio Impact Fund

Jenny is the CEO of the Ohio Impact Fund, a $5M venture fund that uplifts and empowers entrepreneurs creating scalable tech solutions to address social, economic, and environmental problems. The fund provides its investors not just ROI, but also a measurable improvement to the community of Ohio and beyond. Prior to OIF, Jenny was a champion of Regulation A/CF equity crowdfunding, an alternative investment ... Read More » allowing non-accredited investors access to private companies and startups. She managed multiple equity raises totaling $5M and ran shareholder engagement for a community of 18,000. Before moving into the for-profit world, Jenny spent 8 years as a major gifts fundraiser, raising over $20M for The Kennedy Center, the National Symphony Orchestra, and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Kristen Brown

Founder, Rela Art

Kristen Brown is a Columbus arts advocate passionate about building systems to prioritize equity, accessibility, and connection. Kristen is excited to learn about new initiatives and help them define goals, develop strategy, consider brand/user experience, and measure social impact. Kristen is the founder of Rela, a platform and distribution model for local art, making any space an art gallery through ... Read More » low cost, low commitment subscription plans, creating a recurring revenue stream for artists.

Alina Boyte

Founder and CEO, Changemaker Institute

Alina is a social impact educator and intellectual property strategist. Her background is in law - graduating Stanford Law with a PhD in copyright law and history, as well as the Universities of Cambridge and London for her Masters and Bachelors of Law. Her career path took her to the Multimedia Development Corporation as a Senior Executive advising the Malaysian government on cyberlaw and intellectual ... Read More » property matters. She's worked as a research assistant at Stanford Law and is now a tenured law professor at Mississippi College Law. Today, established businesses and entrepreneurs hire her to reveal the hidden impact in their business and help them bridge the gap between profit goals and a social impact mission. In her free time, she loves making authentic Malaysian cuisine, to the extent possible in the U.S. for her family, and cherishes the time she spends with her daughter, the inspiration behind the Changemaker Institute.

Vicki Muscarella

VP Engineering, AndHealth

Vicki Muscarella is a seasoned technology leader with over 30 years experience building technology products in a number of industries. Currently, Vicki leads the product and engineering team at AndHealth, a digital health startup focused on helping patients reverse chronic disease. She's spent the last 8 years in the healthcare industry and is strongly motivated to find new ways to help patients live ... Read More » the healthiest lives possible. Vicki took a non-traditional road to software engineering and product development, holding both  bachelor's and master's degrees in music performance. She feels that her generalist vs. specialist mindset has been an asset when faced with the challenge of solving complex problems. Vicki was recognized as Outstanding Woman in Technology at the ComSpark 2019 Central Ohio Tech Power Player awards. When not working hard to make the healthcare ecosystem a better place, Vicki enjoys hiking with her partner, gardening, and generally spoiling her three rescue pups.

Julia Fletcher

Director of Finance, Aware

Julia is a financial leader with a speciality in innovative, venture-backed firms. She has worked with different stage startups to scale their finance and accounting teams and has raised a cumulative $100M+ in funding. Julia is passionate about making the complex world of finance just a bit simpler and empowering founders & CEOs to become honorary members of their own finance team. Currently, ... Read More » Julia is the Director of Finance at Aware, a Columbus based enterprise SaaS start-up. She has recently completed her Master of Accounting at UNC Chapel Hill to accompany her BSBA from The Ohio State University.

Manny Larcher

Deal Flow Associate

Manny Larcher joined JumpStart Ventures in 2022 as a Deal Flow Associate, where he connects early-stage technology companies with Pre-Seed, Seed, and Series A funding, as well as nourishing relationships with entrepreneurial resources around Ohio. Before joining JumpStart Ventures, Manny had several years of experience in business development roles at for-profit and nonprofit companies. In 2017, ... Read More » he co-founded Stopwatch Creative, assisting startups, artists, professional athletes, universities, and businesses of all sizes with various marketing and technology development services. When the pandemic created unforeseen complications for entrepreneurs, Manny created Collaborate and Elevate, helping others around the country connect to resources and opportunities. A lifelong learner who enjoys digging deep into new technologies and nourishing ideas, Manny understands the ups and downs of building a successful business. He is a first-generation St. Lucian American born in Columbus, Ohio, who studied Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing at Bowling Green State University. Manny serves on the Board of Black Men Talk Tech as well as the Impact & Inclusion Advisory Board of the Columbus Young Professionals.

Rachyl Kershaw

Founder, Greater Columbus Consulting

Rachyl founded @greatercolumbusconsulting from her passion for helping small local businesses succeed. Rachyl is a lifelong Buckeye, with a degree from The Ohio State University, and 20 years of business experience in central Ohio. She has assisted executive teams in securing over $65M in funding, as well as helping businesses of all sizes create strategic goals that are realistic based on their past ... Read More » performance.  Rachyl's skills include assessing the feasibility of new products, forecasting future performance of existing products, finding gaps in your data collection which may be holding you back from understanding your business, and helping you avoid spending your limited time & money going down unrewarding paths. Rachyl loves travel, photography, and reading. She also enjoys both viewing and creating all kinds of art in her free time!

Harley Blakeman

Founder and CEO of Honest Jobs

Harley Blakeman is the Founder and CEO of Honest Jobs - an employment platform helping people impacted by the criminal justice system find better jobs faster. As a for-profit social enterprise, Honest Jobs has raised $3M in venture capital and created a sustainable business model that's driving both scalable revenue and positive social impact. Harley also enjoys advising founders and organizations ... Read More » in the Future of Work and Justice Tech categories.

Asegedech Kumnegere

Director of engagement and impact, Social Ventures

Asegedech Kumnegere has Extensive background in Eastern Philosophy, centered on the highest approaches to manifesting/ mindfulness. Asegedech guides in mediation by teaching an effortless technique for recharging your mind and body to help create a positive state of mind.  Asegedech is the co-founder of a social Enterprise, Fit to Navigate (FTN). Fit to Navigate provides wellness education to cultivate ... Read More » well-being for women in and out of the prison system while creating a path to entrepreneurship, sustainable wages, and reduced recidivism for all communities in Ohio. Asegedech has over ten years of experience in corporate finance and HR. Fit to Navigate got invited to Global Enterprise Summit (GES 2019), where Asegedech pitched and expanded the FTN story on a global stage. Asegedech shares her love of storytelling to support Maroon Arts Group Pitch Black cohorts. Asegedech is Social Ventures (SV) director of engagement and impact. She is passionate about using her position at SV to diversify the social enterprise ecosystem by creating access for underrepresented communities.

Speakers

Elio Harmon

Founder, 614Startups

As Director of Provider Relations for National Church Residences, Elio helps primary care practices implement pre-acute intervention programs and address social determinants of health that negatively impact their senior populations in order to help reduce hospitalizations, promote aging at home, and improve quality of life. As Host of 614Startups Podcast, Elio interviews Columbus, Ohio top startup ... Read More » founders, investors, and executives. 614Startups is the go-to source for startup news and information in the Midwest.

Event Sponsors

Lead Sustaining Sponsor

IGS is driven by a set of core beliefs that moves us toward an energy-independent United States, powered by domestically-produced, environmentally-responsible resources. And just as IGS seeks disruptive innovations in the energy space, they take a similar approach to their community investments. For this reason, the company has made social enterprise a primary focus of their philanthropy. IGS is proud to partner with GiveBackHack to invest in entrepreneurial solutions to complex social issues – improving lives by harnessing market forces to get innovations to the people who benefit the most.

Key Sustainability Partners

Community Leaders

Community Advocates

Media Partners

In-Kind Partners

Facilitators

Emily Stuhldreher

Program Manager, GiveBackHack

 

Emily is a Design Thinking practitioner by day and a Social Innovation enthusiast by night. She spends her time building the social impact launchpad at GiveBackHack, coaching social entrepreneurs, and empowering communities through Design Thinking facilitation. She is passionate about leveraging systems thinking to build sustainable social solutions, creating true social impact in our communities. Previously ... Read More » she has spent time in nonprofit fellowships with The Columbus Foundation and The Suddes Group. As a coach, mentor, and facilitator Emily empowers others to understand that they already have everything they need to be successful. As a result of this skill, Emily was selected to facilitate the international GiveBackHack Thailand program as a part of the Rustic Pathways Critical Issues Summit in Udon Thani, Thailand. Through her work, changemakers from 20+ countries were brought together to vet 12 initiatives pressing for collaborative, international change.

Organizers

Adam Morris

Host of the People Helping People Podcast

 

Adam is a co-founder of Wild Tiger Tees, a budding social enterprise work program for youth experiencing homelessness. (Which started as a GiveBackHack project in 2018!) He is passionate about inspiring others to get involved, and hosts the People Helping People Podcast to inspire greater social change in the world. By day, he utilizes his technology background as the CTO for Asset Strategy Group, where ... Read More » he manages a cloud-based technology platform for retail real estate.

Bennett Coltman

GiveBackHack Organizer, Operations Manager at Peerro, & 2019 Venture For America Fellow

 

Emily Stuhldreher

Program Manager, GiveBackHack

 

Emily is a Design Thinking practitioner by day and a Social Innovation enthusiast by night. She spends her time building the social impact launchpad at GiveBackHack, coaching social entrepreneurs, and empowering communities through Design Thinking facilitation. She is passionate about leveraging systems thinking to build sustainable social solutions, creating true social impact in our communities. Previously ... Read More » she has spent time in nonprofit fellowships with The Columbus Foundation and The Suddes Group. As a coach, mentor, and facilitator Emily empowers others to understand that they already have everything they need to be successful. As a result of this skill, Emily was selected to facilitate the international GiveBackHack Thailand program as a part of the Rustic Pathways Critical Issues Summit in Udon Thani, Thailand. Through her work, changemakers from 20+ countries were brought together to vet 12 initiatives pressing for collaborative, international change.

Max Buck

Software Engineer at Tandem

 

Max is a Software Engineer living in Columbus. He is thrilled by watching people drive to make great ideas a reality, especially when they are focused around compassion and community. He loves the outdoors and music.

Rachyl Kershaw

Founder, Greater Columbus Consulting

 

Rachyl founded @greatercolumbusconsulting from her passion for helping small local businesses succeed. Rachyl is a lifelong Buckeye, with a degree from The Ohio State University, and 20 years of business experience in central Ohio. She has assisted executive teams in securing over $65M in funding, as well as helping businesses of all sizes create strategic goals that are realistic based on their past ... Read More » performance.  Rachyl's skills include assessing the feasibility of new products, forecasting future performance of existing products, finding gaps in your data collection which may be holding you back from understanding your business, and helping you avoid spending your limited time & money going down unrewarding paths. Rachyl loves travel, photography, and reading. She also enjoys both viewing and creating all kinds of art in her free time!

Suzy Bureau

Founder, GiveBackHack

The ebullient Suzy Bureau (as she was referred to in TechCrunch) is dedicated to building impactful communities & products. Suzy is the Founder of GiveBackHack, an organization that helps bridge the gap between tech & social impact communities through the integration of Lean Startup/Design Thinking. GiveBackHack comes to life via a volunteer-based team of 50+ and has helped vet over 100 social ... Read More » impact concepts into prototyped products and provided over $150,000 in initial funding to take them to next steps. She honed her technology & startup chops via Product Ownership as an early employee at CoverMyMeds, a US-based HIT startup that grew from 40 people to $ 1.3 billion "Unicorn" acquisition over her time there. In addition to GiveBackHack, Suzy is a Group Product Manager for Thirty Madison, a fast-growing unicorn health tech startup. Suzy has been honored as the first “Create Columbus Visionary” award recipient via resolution by Columbus City Council and the Create Columbus Commission, and was recently honored with the VentureOhio Catalyst of the Year award and the YWCA “Woman on the Rise” distinction.

Regan Nagel

Content & Digital Marketing Manager, Prescribe FIT

 

Regan is an impactful and eloquent community leader with a gift for communication. By day, she is a Content & Digital Marketing Manager for Prescribe FIT and by evening/weekend, she helps GiveBackHack spread the word of impactful entrepreneurs via our social media and website – writing blog posts, social media posts, press releases, and more.

Grant Payne

Software Engineer at AndHealth

 

Grant loves applying his skills to create a positive impact in the Columbus community. He is inspired by the ideas brought forth at GiveBackHack, and hopes he can help bring them to fruition!  In his spare time, he enjoys music, watches sports (especially Ohio State football), goes bike riding, and plays soccer.

Clayton Nelson

IT Specialist, Office of the Ohio Attorney General

 

Clayton is a versatile professional with a background spanning hospitality, tech, real estate, and finance. His career journey began in hospitality, where he honed his customer-centric approach, and he transitioned into the tech startup ecosystem, igniting his passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. In real estate and finance, Clayton excelled in strategic thinking and risk management. However, ... Read More » his true calling lies at the intersection of business and social impact. In the startup industry, he co-founded ventures that pursued profitability and positive change, championing community empowerment and volunteering with non-profits. Clayton believes in the transformative power of business for good, and he's dedicated to forging new paths to make a lasting impact on the world.

Lydia Stutzman

Art Director & Designer, Lydiary Design

 

Lydia is the senior graphic designer at AndHealth and has over 10 years of experience working with nonprofits, social enterprises, and startups. She is on the boards for the Columbus Center for Architecture and Design (CFAD) and Columbus Society of Communicating Arts (CSCA).

Annie Tran

YSEALI fellow/ Founder of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Fellowship

 

Ms. Tran Dieu Anh “Annie” is deeply entrenched in the social innovation ecosystem in her community, having founded several social enterprises focused on creating sustainable lifestyles. She is also the founder of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Fellowship, which is an initiative designed to help pre-incubating social innovators and young potential social entrepreneurs in Vietnam. She is focused on ... Read More » inspiring young people to be a part of the social innovation movement in Vietnam and has been a global facilitator and coach for the social innovation program “Asia Tomorrow Together” since 2019. Annie is exchange fellow at GiveBackHack for 1 month from Young South East Asia Leadership Initiatives Professional fellow program in 2022

Zachary Thayer

the owner of Relentless Productions in Columbus Ohio

 

Zachary Thayer is a digital media specialist. From photo and video creation to social media management he is passionate about it all. He is the owner of Relentless Productions in Columbus Ohio. He is inspired to create visual and audio content to get people more involved!

Terry Tatum

Founder of Philosophical Entrepreneurship

 

Terry is Founder of Philosophical Entrepreneurship, an upcoming social enterprise development organization contributing to declassify the blueprints of generational wealth & financial freedom for at risk youth / future entrepreneurs. He is also a proud co-founder of Youth in Entrepreneurship and Sustainability, a Columbus-based hackathon that enables today's youth/early adults to make their own ... Read More » solutions to solving problems related to sustainability. (Which started in GiveBackHack in 2021)! He has a passion for supporting local businesses, helping people & connecting with new people looking to make the world a better place. He makes a living doing residential and commercial painting services in Columbus, OH.

Bob Fornal

Senior Solutions Developer

 

Bob Fornal is Senior Solutions Developer (Front-End) with a passion for learning, testing, mentoring, speaking and personal growth. He is a blessed husband and proud father of two as well

Ryani Sisca

Program Director, SIAP

 

Ryani is an ecosystem collaborator and social innovation promoter that believes in building community to nurture social innovation and scale social enterprise. She serves as Program Director at Jakarta-based social innovation launchpad, working with aspiring and emerging social enterprises to create long-term sustainable impact at Social Innovation Acceleration Program (SIAP). She is passionate about ... Read More » convening entrepreneurship ecosystem actors to enable a support system where entrepreneurs can be a catalyst for social change and impact creations. She has managed to designed, developed, and delivered more than 50 entrepreneurship programs serving around 5.000 aspiring entrepreneurs in 31 provinces of Indonesia. This works has allow her to expand her outreach in South East Asia region through her facilitating role in Malaysia and India, and served as Steering Committee for Impact Measurement Principles for Entrepreneurship Support funded by DFAT for ESO (Enterpreneur Support Organizations).

Pre-submitted Ideas

Submit your Idea 

• 1. Climate Impact Interactive Dashboard submitted by Brian Nutwell

  Climate Impact Interactive DashboardSubmitted by Brian Nutwell

  
  

  What is the problem are you solving?

  Climate change is a huge and complex problem which will require a myriad of solution trials and collaborative work from all parts of society -- including both innovators and citizens. The specific problem this proposal will solve is "how can I personally help, and how much impact could I have?"

  
  

  How will this idea solve the problem?

  Leveraging John Doerr's book Speed and Scale, which frames the climate challenge in distinct categories with numerical targets, we will make that information more accessible and interactive -- to drive ideation and personal decision-making.

  
  

  Is this idea brand new or has it been partially-vetted?

  Brand New

  
  

  Why are YOU uniquely positioned to solve the problem? What other people do you need to help?

  I have experience in data analysis and visualization, interactive dashboards, both physical and software product development, and innovation. I'm currently a Masters degree student in Data Analytics. And I'd like to do something useful.

• 2. Kappagee submitted by Charvis Wah

  KappageeSubmitted by Charvis Wah

  
  

  What is the problem are you solving?

  In 2020, it cost sub-Sahara African immigrants US$3.44 Billion in transaction fees alone to send US$42 Billion to support their families which is about 8% of the amount sent. Local businesses in sub-Sahara Africa rely almost solely on cash as a method of payment. Costing businesses 9 percent loss of revenue.
  

  
  

  How will this idea solve the problem?

  A mobile app and web portal that gets rid of transaction fees thereby allowing users to send more money back home to support their families. Allow businesses to easily accept cashless payments and track their transactions. 

  
  

  Is this idea brand new or has it been partially-vetted?

  Brand New

  
  

  Why are YOU uniquely positioned to solve the problem? What other people do you need to help?

  We have done extensive market research and have the right team.

• 3. Alternate Scholarships submitted by Jamie KP

  Alternate ScholarshipsSubmitted by Jamie KP

  
  

  What is the problem are you solving?

  The problem is people not having enough funds to fix their credit and still remain current on everyday living bills.

  
  

  How will this idea solve the problem?

  This idea will be provide a certain amount of funds that will pay off a specific debt that will assist with fixing credit reports furthering better credit and financial opportunities. This will help people focus on the detailed process of credit repair giving them the opportunity to housing, credit and financial products.

  
  

  Is this idea brand new or has it been partially-vetted?

  Partially-vetted

  
  

  How you have vetted your idea and the success or difficulties you have seen thus far?

  I selected partially vetted because this particular idea is new but I am already a business owner. I currently have a business called The Alternative Bureau we help people of color get started with fixing their credit using alternative resources and tools and then create an alternative credit portfolio within our bureau. The difficulty I've seen so far with credit repair is clients having trouble with paying off accrued debt causing discouragement and continued block from further opportunities such as housing, credit and further financial products such as refinancing. My idea is to create an scholarship company that helps people pay off a certain amount of debt. For example: The current grants and scholarship available pays for schooling to give people an opportunity to better education. A scholarship created to pay off debt would give people a better opportunity at lowering their income to debt ratio and fixing their credit. This scholarship would be similar to your typical school curriculum Participants would be required to take a course, show understanding of finances and credit and received a scholarship (payment) to pay off a certain amount of debt that will further their financial opportunities. I've pretty much just vetted this idea by asking current clients questions like "What's holding you back?" I've researched where the funds from other scholarships come from and the requirements from participants.

  
  

  Why are YOU uniquely positioned to solve the problem? What other people do you need to help?

  I'm a credit specialist and Compliance officer. But I don't believe I need to be either titles for this idea. I'm extremely empathetic I know first hand the frustration of not having the funds to get to the next spot in life or not getting second chances with credit. I know about all the opportunities you'll be locked out of if you have poor credit and how it feels to really want to fix things but still stay afloat. I have previous life experience regarding this problem.

• 4. Girl Code submitted by Chanel Jack

  Girl CodeSubmitted by Chanel Jack

  
  

  What is the problem are you solving?

  Problems within our girl culture:
  
  1. The encouragement of girl fighting, drama, and violence being displayed for tv ratings as entertainment.
  2. The Lack of Leadership and accountability. (There were people who recorded Ma'Khia Bryant during her fight instead of stopping it)
  3. Friendship cliques which can promote cruel behavior to the ones that are excluded from the group.
  4. Bullying.
  5. Lack of Self love

  
  

  How will this idea solve the problem?

  This program will help girls in:
  
  1. Developing confidence in their leadership potential and their own sense of identity.
  2. Improving self-esteem in themselves and others.
  2. Enhancing their communication skills (nonverbal, listening, written and oral communication) in sharing, reflecting, and discussing.
  3. Understanding the importance of diversity and improving their ability to relate to others.
  4. Learning effective decision-making methods and experiencing problem-solving situations.
  5. Practicing managing different types of resources.
  6. Learning group social skills.

  
  

  Is this idea brand new or has it been partially-vetted?

  Partially-vetted

  
  

  How you have vetted your idea and the success or difficulties you have seen thus far?

  This idea has been "partially vetted" because I created the "Girl Code" reference book a year before I had the idea to make it a curriculum. With little to no marketing this book has been purchased by several women, entrepreneurs, and mentorship programs. Unlike most books that take 5 days to read to get the main lesson, my book gives over 400 lessons at the fraction at the time. I think this book is ultimately a good guide to life that instills morals, and values that are not being taught anymore.
  
  Because of the great feedback on the book, I educated myself to expand on it and to create effective programming in hopes to also create more leadership opportunities with the women in the community.

  
  

  Why are YOU uniquely positioned to solve the problem? What other people do you need to help?

  I absolutely love this question! I have worked with the youth as a career for 14 years, so I have experience and understanding with this age group. I also think I am qualified to do this because I still live in the community that I am trying to reach, which has led to my role as a leader since high school because representation matters.
  
  Not only do I look like the girls I am aiming to service but I know what they face because I lived it which makes me credible. I know that defining your social status and creditability in high school means more than actually getting the education. However, I loved being popular, and different. I shared my morals, and beliefs in God OUT LOUD and that made people really drawn to me and my light. I graduated high school a proud virgin, and never lost my social status, I wanted to show girls how much power we possess and what leadership looked like up close. I STILL get messages from people I went to high school with saying how much I still inspire them to become more, no matter what barriers they have because they watched me walk with a cup half full even though success was never promised to me. If I would have conformed to all the peer pressures around me, I wouldn't have made a huge impact on my community the way I have.
  
  Although I exuded confidence in being different, I had close friends that I loved that did not make the best choices, that always fought, or got pregnant early. However, I noticed these girls did not have loving, or available parents, or role models that taught them self-love, how to be a lady, how to deal with temptation, cruelty, morals, etc. My heart went to them, and the girls like them when I wrote this book and curriculum.
  
  I could have become my environment, but I chose at an early age to change it and God continued to gift me influence in those environments on and offline. I created a community online and know the power and gifts I have to bring change and to come up with innovate creative ideas to support my initiative. However, as a black woman, I need the support/help of others, and access to resources to see the change that I know can be achieved.

• 5. Carry A Mood LLC submitted by Tahlayah Morrow

  Carry A Mood LLCSubmitted by Tahlayah Morrow

  
  

  What is the problem are you solving?

  Carry A Mood is a streetwear clothing brand with a primary focus on mental
  health and self expression. C.A.M is about redefining confidence and self
  expression one day at a time. There is psychology behind art and the world
  needs to know that. There needs to change in the way we view self
  expression, that could even mean the language we use towards ourselves
  and the understanding of mental health wether it's our own or someone
  else's. 1 in every 25 American suffer from serious mental health illnesses. A
  lot of conversation sparks after something tragic happens to someone but
  these conversation needs to start before that point. Mental health is seen as a
  cliche especially. It is our job to make mental
  health a normal conversation. Talking about how to practice healthy mental
  health habits, seeking help, the list goes on. These are things that need to be
  talked about now and constantly not once someone is about to be put 6 feet
  under. In teenagers, 92% of parents have stated how they believe social
  media has a negative impact on their child's life. Mental health has no gender
  it constantly impacts us and the world around us daily. 13.4% of American
  identifies as black or African American, of those more than 16% reported of
  having a mental illness in the past year, that is over 7 million people. 16.4% of
  black and Hispanic men ages 18 to 44 who experienced some sort of daily
  feelings of anxiety or depression were likely to have used mental health
  services compared to the 45.4% of their counterparts who experience those
  same feelings. Mental health is a daily struggle it will not just go away over
  night because you want it to. It's something you have to constantly work and
  fight for everyday even when it seems hard you can't give up.

  
  

  How will this idea solve the problem?

  Encouraging teens or even adults to
  be themselves unapologetically allows so much growth and freedom of
  expression you are able to witness what someone is truly capable of. We can't
  let the new generations current and to come suffer the same things we do
  because we didn't want to get help. It may be a tough pill to swallow but when
  it comes down to it POC communities we have to fight with one another for one another to ever see any
  kind of progress. This is just the beginning to making greater change.
  Through my clothing as well as any in person events, pop up shops,
  community events, and social media presence we can begin to make that
  change because it's more than the clothes those are just a minor piece to a
  greater puzzle. Leading by example starts from within.

  
  

  Is this idea brand new or has it been partially-vetted?

  Partially-vetted

  
  

  How you have vetted your idea and the success or difficulties you have seen thus far?

  I’ve been working on Carry A Mood since March, I’ve been through an accelerator to receive help on how to start up a business. Carry A Mood LLC has a current social media pretense with conversations centered around mental health and fashion. Samples for the clothes are in production at this moment as well as ambassadors for the brand have been chosen. Finding funding is one of the biggest difficulties so far because the idea is very fresh it does not meet a lot of the requirements for funding. Coming up with the proper schedule for the idea is also a struggle since this is my first time starting a business.

  
  

  Why are YOU uniquely positioned to solve the problem? What other people do you need to help?

  As someone who experiences mental health illnesses and sometimes self
  expression /confidencel can relate. I've even lost loved ones t this battlefield
  we call life. I see people. I understand them, I am them. Things like this start at
  a young age and manifest into adulthood. Allowing people to be themselves
  means so much mor than what you may believe. One of the first things you
  notice about a person is how they look. I also currently study both psychology and fashion at The Ohio State. Not only do I speak from experience but this is also something I immerse myself into daily because I want to make a difference in this world that has positive impact.

• 6. Community Recruiters, LLC submitted by Chance Shannan

  Community Recruiters, LLCSubmitted by Chance Shannan

  
  

  What is the problem are you solving?

  There continues to be a labor shortage in Columbus. And companies are struggling to build diverse talent pipelines to fill underrepresented roles despite their best DEI efforts.
  How do you increase labor participation and build a DEI talent pipeline at the same time?
  Find the people who have barriers to work and help them get the tools they need to succeed.
  Right now, our nonprofits take on this heavy lift every day of helping people overcome barriers for free. And they continue to be strapped for resources. At the same time businesses are reaching out to nonprofits desperate for people because they are a source of diverse talent, but the problem remains. Nonprofits are not equipped to operate like staffing agencies.
  

  
  

  How will this idea solve the problem?

  Create the Uber of talent recruiting. This will be a matchmaking platform between company demand for talent and talent supply from nonprofits.
  This app will provide a place where companies share their open roles, nonprofits make candidate referrals and the company pays a commission for the new hire. This will allow companies to enlist the recruiting efforts of potentially hundreds of organizations in Central Ohio. The commissions will also be reinvested by nonprofits to continue to expand on the good they already do every day.
  

  
  

  Is this idea brand new or has it been partially-vetted?

  Partially-vetted

  
  

  How you have vetted your idea and the success or difficulties you have seen thus far?

  The idea won a pitch competition with Can't Stop Columbus. People are generally excited about the concept, but nothing has been developed and a low fidelity test has not yet been conducted. There have been a couple consultation meetings, but not much has happened since then.

  
  

  Why are YOU uniquely positioned to solve the problem? What other people do you need to help?

  I am currently the COO of the Workforce Development Board of Central Ohio and see the issues for businesses and nonprofits first hand. I was also on the Business team and see the need for better ways of recruiting diverse talent. I have also been an entrepreneur in the past and have a background in business and management.