SB Innovation Open 2011 Recap - Building a bridge to better brands

Building a bridge to better brands: An Open call for change and innovation.

"Will Rosenzwig, Physic Ventures"

The mantra of Sustainable Life Media is to inspire, engage and equip companies to drive business and brand value by innovating with sustainability in mind. These three pillars resonated throughout the entire Sustainable Brands conference this month in Monterey with an exhilarating program that not only enlightened but also delighted audiences. There were drum circles, soccer games, scavenger hunts, and a line up of speakers that brought a level of tangibility to the concepts being discussed.

"Skip to renew"

One particular element of the program that truly embodied the mission to inspire, engage and equip was the Sustainable Brands Innovation Open (SBIO). Now in its third year, the SBIO is a business plan competition for highly innovative, socially, and environmentally conscious entrepreneurs and their products, ideas and solutions. The 2011 contest – generously sponsored by Resonate Networks – saw twelve entrepreneurial teams come to Monterey to share their stories and provide the Sustainable Brands attendees with a new perspective on some of our most pressing global challenges.

"Who gives a crap"

Inspiration, was watching twelve extraordinary individuals share their passion and hear how their dreams are having an impact on our world. Whether it be the building of toilets in the developing world with the profits from selling recycled toilet paper by Who Gives a Crap (who took home the People’s Choice Award); changing the way we think about bio-based lubricants with Skip to Renew (the First Runner Up); or kicking around a soccer ball that simply will not deflate and has the potential to give children in the developing world a chance to play courtesy of One World Futbol(Grand Prize Winner).

"One World Futbol"

Engagement, happened on a number of levels - one of which being the sense of camaraderie that existed between the teams themselves. Even though this was a competition, the support and encouragement that each team expressed for innovative ideas (even if it wasn’t their own) was amazing to see. The audience of the competition was also engaged on an interactive level by having the opportunity to, after seeing the final five competitors present, text in their votes of who they thought should take home the People’s Choice Award.

Equipping, came in the form of new connections, feedback, and insights from the esteemed panel of judges, four days of conversations with industry leaders and influencers and, in the more literal sense, munificent contributions from HP, Mindful Investors, Saatchi & Saatchi, IDEO and ActionCOACH – all of whom will be providing the tools and expertise to help the winning teams take their ventures to the next level.

At its core, the Sustainable Brands Innovation Open seeks to ensure the entrepreneurial perspective has a seat at the boardroom table, to provide a fresh viewpoint and foster collaboration; and this year was no exception. The competition may be over but it is only the beginning for these twelve teams and we look forward to seeing what the next chapter holds for these innovators. Play On!