From September 11th to 16th, 2023, UNITE 2030, in collaboration with esteemed partners, orchestrated Camp 2030. The 6-day innovation lab, spearheaded by UNITE 2030, gathered 130 young changemakers from over 50 countries who co-created 27 transformative new business solutions focusing on the Sustainable Development Goals. The program culminated in a pitch competition, which was held at The Solutions Hub in NYC as part of Global Goals Week, in alignment with the UN General Assembly, where the top three winning solutions were announced.
First Place: “United Waste” (SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption & Production)
Connecting food waste from grocery stores and consumers to local bioplastic producers and fostering sustainable relationships between companies. The team members included Aislynn Fait (USA), Anna Woodley (Australia), Edith Vianey Rodriguez Sanchez (Mexico), Lexie McCoy (USA), and Simran Heer (USA).
Second Place: “Fishfert” (SDG 2 – Zero Hunger)
Transforming fish waste from landfills and water bodies into high-value bioproducts. The project creators are Anagha Kumar (India/Canada), Basil Habiballah (Saudi Arabia), Boaz Burnet (USA), Josh Buss (USA), and Shaan Madjhavi (Belgium/Switzerland).
Third Place: “Vibravolt” (SDG 7 – Affordable & Clean Energy)
Harnessing wasted vibrational energy from appliances and converting it into usable electrical power. The innovators behind this initiative are Jack Budge (Australia/New Zealand), Emily Roberts (Australia), and Zainab Alyosha (Saudi Arabia/USA).
The panel of esteemed judges included Rochelle Atizado, Senior Advisor at the United Nations Foundation; Philip Teverow, Co-founder and CEO of Yolele; Dr. Maliha Khan, Executive Director of Women Deliver; Jillian Cristobal, Dashboard Lab Coordinator at Hawaii Local2030 Hub; and Olajobi Makinwa, Team Leader of the Global Africa Business Initiative. Their deep insights and extensive knowledge were pivotal in discerning the most innovative and impactful solutions.
In addition to the team awards, individual brilliance was also recognized through seven distinctive awards. Jude Alaama earned the SolSearch Emerging Leader in Clean Energy Award, showcasing a true commitment to energy transition and receiving five hours of career mentorship from the SolSearch team, and a full scholarship to UNITE 2030’s Youth Delegate Program.
Furthermore, the UNITE 2030 Board of Directors conferred six awards, each aligning with a core value of UNITE 2030, and the recipients each received a full scholarship to participate in the Youth Delegate Program and mentorship from board members. Cordelia Lyons (Canada) was acknowledged for her Bravery. Allison Hahn (USA) was awarded for her commitment to Leadership. Leonardo Mesquita da Silva (Brazil) was awarded for his Generosity, The award for Innovation went to Lauwinda Cherilus (Haiti). Iggy Vong (China/Portugal) received the Unity Award. Lastly, the Action award was merited to Trevor Jones (USA).
“Camp 2030 is both an innovation hackathon and a celebration of youth-led solutions to the world’s biggest challenges. Each year, I am reminded of the power of our global youth community and our ability to create change together. Now is just the start.” says Alyssa Chassman, Founder and Executive Director of UNITE 2030.
The seamless execution and success of Camp 2030 was enabled by our esteemed partners, including SaskPolytechnic, King Abdullah University of Science & Technology, Youth 71Five Ministries, Kyndryl, Johnson C Smith, Portage College, Rowan College @ Burlington County, Kentucky Science & Technology Corporation, Pangaia, Siponey, Optimist Botanicals, Goodlight, SolSearch Energy, Lokai, Paperage, Flow Water, Clif Bar, Waterdrop, Avocaderia, June Shine, and Corkcicle. Their continuous support played a crucial role in cultivating an environment conducive to learning and innovation, thereby enabling the development of transformative solutions for a sustainable future.
Camp 2030 marked a significant milestone in the journey towards sustainable development and has ignited a spark among a community of young changemakers ready to lead the transformation towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
About UNITE 2030:
UNITE 2030 is a US-based global community aiming to eradicate poverty, inequality, and injustice by 2030 by empowering youth to develop and implement solutions addressing the SDGs.
For additional information and inquiries, please visit UNITE 2030.
High resolution images can be found below:
[The winning team for their solution to Food Waste Aislynn Fait (USA), Anna Woodley (Australia), Edith Vianey Rodriguez Sanchez (Mexico), Lexie McCoy (USA), and Simran Heer (USA).] – [URL Link 1]
[Campers prepare to learn about the Innovation Process on Day 2 of Camp 2030] – [URL Link 2]
[Camp Counselors support the UNITE 2030 Innovation Process and help Campers build their solutions throughout the week.] – [URL Link 3]
Company Name: UNITE 2030
Website: www.unite2030.com
