PERNOD RICARD NEW YORK, March 14, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, at the Skoll Centre at the world-renowned University of Oxford, 30 of the brightest startups from across the globe were unveiled as finalists of Chivas Regal's The Venture - a global search to discover and reward the world's most promising social entrepreneurs. Each finalist, including DayOne Response from San Francisco, CA, will travel to Los Angeles, CA, in July to compete for a share of $1 million to make their dream of creating a better future for the world a reality.
Now in its third year, The Venture has received almost 6,000 applications across six continents from startups that are striving to use innovation and enterprise to make the world a better place. The vision of the future imagined by this year's finalists is a place where protein bars are made from crickets and shoes made from garbage; where moss walls clean city air and drinkable water solutions for disaster relief victims can be created in 30 minutes.
One finalist will represent each of the 30 participating countries at the hotly-anticipated The Venture Final in Los Angeles, CA in July. There, they will brush shoulders with some of the biggest names in business and entertainment, and have just five minutes to impress the expert judging panel with their world-changing ideas and deliver the pitch of their lives.
In preparation for The Venture Final, the 30 finalists have traveled to Oxford to take part in a transformational Accelerator Week program created by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship embedded within the Said Business School at the University of Oxford. During an intensive five days of learning, the finalists have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, take part in practical workshops and be inspired by global experts on critical topics that affect social startups.
"In today's uncertain political and economic climate, social enterprise has never played a more important role in securing a better future for our society," said Andrea Warriner, Deputy Director of the Skoll Centre. "There's an incredible pool of entrepreneurs in the Final 30 of this year's The Venture competition, who we believe really have what it takes to make a difference. We have a great program lined up for this week, and we look forward to being inspired by our finalists, while giving them an unforgettable experience."
"We were blown away by the caliber of entries for this year's The Venture competition," said Richard Black, Chivas Regal Global Brand Director. "The businesses are a great example of the ingenuity and passion of entrepreneurs across the world who are committed to creating a better world for generations to come. The founders of Chivas Regal were entrepreneurs who gave back to their community, and by discovering and supporting startups who also give back to the wider global community, The Venture is continuing their legacy. At Chivas, we firmly believe that generosity and success go hand-in-hand - and when you share your success with others, business becomes truly rewarding."
From Monday, May 1(st) to Sunday, June 4(th), the public will be able to show their support for their favorite finalist by casting a live vote. Over the course of five weeks, the public's vote will determine how the first $250,000 in funding is split among the finalists. The winner(s) of the remaining $750,000 in funding will be decided on Thursday, July 13(th) at The Venture Final in Los Angeles, CA, after a high-stakes pitch in front of the judges and a live audience.
To learn more about DayOne Response and the other 30 global finalists of The Venture, visit www.chivas.com/the-venture.
The Venture Finalists
COUNTRY BUSINESS NAME FINALIST FINALIST BUSINESS OVERVIEW
NAME ROLE
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Xinca is making the ugly beautiful again by upcycling waste
materials into premium footwear. As well as helping the
environment, they provide job opportunities to those who are
marginalized from society. They collaborate with inmates
from the San Felipe prison in Mendoza to assemble their
sneakers, using old tires and textile waste rescued from
Argentina Xinca Alejandro Malgor Co-Founder landfill. Their shoes are garbage - and they're proud of it.
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Words with Heart cover their eco-friendly stationery with
empowering words, and use proceeds from sales to fund
education projects for women and girls in the developing
world. In partnership with charities, the company supports
primary and high school education, financial literacy and
small business training. Words with Heart use 100% recycled
Australia Words with Heart Lauren Shuttleworth CEO & Founder paper, vegetable based ink and solar electricity.
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BeeOdiversity uses bees to protect bees, food diversity and
the welfare of everyone. They analyze samples collected by
bees from billions of flowers, enabling them to monitor
biodiversity and pollution, and advise corporations and
local authorities on environmental actions. Examples include
replanting specific seeds and stopping pesticide use in the
Belgium BeeOdiversity Michael Van Cutsem Founder most affected areas.
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The Kit Livre ("Kit Free") transforms any simple wheelchair
into an electric tricycle. It enables users to ride in style
through the obstacles of urban life and even rougher
terrains. Created by twin brothers Julio and Lucio Oliveto,
Livre aims to increase the mobility and self-confidence of
Brazil Livre Julio Oliveto Alves Director of Innovation wheelchair users.
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Sea Harmony has developed mussel farms in the shape of
vertical reefs that can be placed in open sea areas. Their
aim is to restore marine ecosystems in coastal areas
affected by pollution and irresponsible fishing practices.
Mussels have the unique ability to enhance water quality for
other species to grow (shrimp, fish), and they are also a
Bulgaria Sea Harmony Kornelia Dimitrova Partner sustainable source of protein for human consumption.
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First Respond's mission is to establish "mutual aid" as a new
social norm in China. They provide high-quality first-aid
training to individuals in office building, schools and
residential areas, so that people know what to do, and are
not afraid to act in an emergency. They have already saved
China First Respond Robin Jun Lu COO lives in large sporting events, such as marathons.
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Bioestibas produces ecological stowage from flower waste that
would otherwise be polluting the environment. Their pallets
are created without cutting a single tree; instead they
collect hydrangea stems from flower growers, and turn them
into sustainable products that are optimized to also reduce
Colombia Bioestibas Alvaro Vasquez Manager and Owner storage and transportation costs.
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SENS Food teamed up with top chef Peter Ocknecht to create
protein bars made with cricket flour. By using crickets
instead of beef, SENS has saved 2 tons of feed, 700,000
liters of water and greenhouse gasses equivalent to a road
trip around the world. SENS is now planning to create a
Czech Republic SENS Food Daniel Vach Co-Founder whole new range of sustainable, next-gen food products.
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Dominican Clarke's Organics processes coconuts to produce their
Republic 'SoloCoco' organic product range, which includes coconut
oil, flour, water, soaps and lotions. Working with Fair
Trade, they train and employ mostly single mothers, to help
raise awareness of hiring this demographic, which is very
Clarke's Organics Daniel Dalet Co-Founder large and under-privileged in Latin America.
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Green City Solutions has created the "CityTree," which helps
combat air pollution in urban areas. CityTree combines moss
culture and Internet-of-Things technology to filter fine
dust, nitrogen oxides and CO2 from the air -having the same
Germany Green City Solutions Liang Wu Co-Founder & CIO effect as 275 urban trees, but using 99% less space.
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Laddroller is an eco-friendly and affordable standing
wheelchair, which allows people with disabilities to stand
up and move around. The wheelchair elevates the user by the
motion of the wheels, helping users to perform everyday
Greece Laddroller Marios-Ermis Petrotos CEO tasks, improving their health and quality of life.
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NOW Money is a mobile banking app for low-income migrant
workers, who are currently excluded from the financial
system. It provides them with a current account, as well as
a remittance marketplace, where users can compare rates and
Gulf NOW Money Katharine Budd Co-Founder & CEO send money back home directly from the app.
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B Y T is an up-cycled fashion brand launching in September
2017. Their clothes & accessories are made from surplus
luxury fabrics, ensuring a sustainable and socially
responsible supply chain. The designer of B Y T apparel,
Hong Kong B Y T Michelle Bang Founder & CEO Kevin Germanier, was the winner of The EcoChic Design Award.
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Now Technologies aims to deliver affordable solutions to
electric wheelchair users, enabling them to interact with
computers, thus providing them with the potential to
communicate, and even study or work. Their headset, for
example, serves the needs of tetraplegic wheelchair users by
capturing and processing head and eye movements, acting as a
Hungary Now Technologies Mark Istvan CEO head mouse.
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Intendu aids brain rehabilitation through the use of video
games, involving body movements in real-life scenarios, and
adapting in real time to the needs of its users. The
technology can be used at home or by therapists, training
people with cognitive impairments due to various brain
Israel Intendu Dr. Son Preminger Founder & CEO conditions.
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Factelier is an online fashion brand that sells clothes from
Japanese factories direct to consumers. By cutting out the
middleman, they are protecting healthy profit margins for
the manufacturers, who set their own prices. Factelier's
mission is to revive craftsmanship and economic activity in
Japan Factelier Toshio Yamada CEO & Founder rural Japan, through world-class fashion.
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Sanivation installs container-based toilets in people's
homes for free, and then charges a monthly fee to service
them. The Sanivation team treats waste as a resource, by
transforming it into a clean, burning alternative to
charcoal. Their sanitation services are improving health and
dignity in urban communities of East Africa, as well as
Kenya Sanivation Dickson Ochieng Director of Government Relations refugee camps.
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FOLO (Feed Our Loved Ones) is an urban farming community
aiming to change the way people view waste and how food is
grown. They recover 3 tons of daily food waste from hotels
and restaurants, and turn it into compost to grow healthy
Malaysia FOLO Farms Khi Sui (Will) Chua Co-Founder organic vegetables for a community of 100 families.
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WeaRobot is creating affordable exoskeleton technology to
assist those who suffer from mobility loss. Aside from being
46 times cheaper than existing solutions on the market, they
are also better tailored to individual needs, as they are
created in parts. WeaRobot also uses VR technology to enable
physical rehabilitation at home and connect patients to
Mexico WeaRobot Ernesto Rodriguez-Leal Founder & CEO doctors remotely.
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RecyclePoints helps consumers to create value from their
everyday waste. RecyclePoints uses an incentive based model,
collecting waste from registered members and rewards them
with points, which they can use to redeem or shop for cash
and household items at the iRecycle Store. RecyclePoints use
Electric Cargo Tricycles to collect the waste, ridden by
Nigeria RecyclePoints Chioma Ukonu Co-Founder & COO members of the team called 'WasteBusters.'
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African Clean Energy manufactures and distributes clean
energy products for Sub-Saharan Africa and beyond. Their
ACE 1 cookstove enables safe cooking without smoke
emissions, preventing the associated health hazards that
kill 4 million people annually around the world. The ACE
cookstove also provides solar energy for lighting and phone
charging, generating great savings for vulnerable
Netherlands African Clean Energy Judith Joan Walker COO households.
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NexBio uses biotechnology to detect crop diseases early, so
that more food, of better quality, using fewer pesticides
can be produced. Their DNA-based approach enables the rapid
identification and diagnosis of plant diseases, in a faster
and cheaper way than traditional methods. NexBio is also
currently developing a mobile 'Lab in a box' solution that
will enable farmers to conduct pathogen testing directly in
Poland NexBio Adam Kuzdrali ski CEO the field.
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Sun Concept develops affordable solar electric boats, which
are sustainable for the environment and for communities who
rely on them for their livelihood. With a fully eco-
efficient design, the Sun Concept boats are silent, don't
pollute, and enable fishermen to save on fuels, while
Portugal Sun Concept Nuno Gaspar de Oliveira Sustainability Director preserving the marine ecosystem that sustains them.
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SoWat is a portable water purification system that turns any
source of fresh water into clean drinking water, using a
mechanical process with no chemicals. It filters particles,
parasites and bacteria, while preserving all the minerals in
the water. One SoWat system can produce enough daily water
for 5,000 people, at a monthly cost of just EUR0.05 per
Romania SOWAT Khaled Al Mezayen Managing Partner person.
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SmartHead is a user-friendly online tool that enables
companies and individuals to create and promote their
socially-responsible activities. Companies can create a CSR
profile on the website. The platform showcases where
environmental and community projects are taking place, and
encourages people to sign up in their local area. SmartHead
aims to inspire everyone to get involved and contribute
Slovakia SmartHead Veronika Osvaldova Co-Founder & CEO towards a better society.
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iDrop Water aims to change the way water is consumed and sold
in Africa, through vending units which purify and dispense
water in store. The water is sold in refillable containers,
reducing plastic waste, while being 80% cheaper than bottled
water. iDrop splits profits equally with shop owners, so
they are boosting economic activity in communities with
South Africa iDrop Water James Steere Founder every dollar they make.
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Every pair of Sea2see eyewear contributes to 10m(2) of a
plastic-free ocean. Sea2see works with fishing communities
to collect 1 ton of plastic waste every 3 days, specifically
fishing nets which are often abandoned and entangle animals.
They transform this waste into designer glasses and
Spain Sea2see Francois van den Abeele sunglasses. Consumers can now save the ocean in style.
CEO
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Siam Organics has developed the Jasberry brand with the aim
of ending small-scale farmers' poverty, by giving them
access to the global organic market. Jasberry rice is a
purple variety of rice with three times the antioxidants of
blueberry. By providing farmers with rice seeds and training
them in organic farming methods, Siam Organics have already
Thailand Siam Organics "Neil" Peetachai Dejkraisak CEO enabled farmers to earn 14 times more profit.
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OLIO is a free app that connects neighbors with one other and
with local shops, so that surplus food can be shared, not
thrown away. This includes food nearing its use-by date
from shops or groceries from household fridges when people
go away. Users post a photo, add a description and provide
pick up details so that their food items can be collected by
UK Olio Tessa Cook Co-Founder & CEO those who need them.
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The DayOne Waterbag is a 10-liter water backpack enabling
the collection, treatment, transportation and storage of
water. The Waterbag purifies contaminated water into clean
drinking water in only 30 minutes. DayOne Response deploys
its solution to multiple international NGOs and government
organizations. Its compact and lightweight format allows
fast and cost-effective shipping, which is particularly
US DayOne Response Tricia Compas-Markman Founder & CEO useful for natural disaster relief victims.
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Please enjoy Chivas Regal responsibly. (C)2017 Imported by Chivas Bros. Import Co., Purchase, NY.
About Pernod Ricard USA(R)
Pernod Ricard USA is the premium spirits and wine company in the U.S., and the largest subsidiary of Paris, France-based Pernod Ricard SA, which employs a workforce of nearly 19,000 people worldwide and is listed on the NYSE Euronext exchange (Ticker: RI).
The company's leading spirits and wines include such prestigious brands as Absolut(R) Vodka, Chivas Regal(R) Scotch Whisky, The Glenlivet(R) Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Jameson(R) Irish Whiskey, Malibu(R), Kahlua(R) Liqueur, Beefeater(R) Gin, Plymouth(TM) Gin, Seagram's Extra Dry Gin(R), Martell(R) Cognac, Hiram Walker(R) Liqueurs, Pernod(R), Ricard(R) and Avion(TM) Tequila; such superior wines as Jacob's Creek(R), Kenwood(R) Vineyards and Brancott Estate(R); and such exquisite champagnes and sparkling wines as Perrier-Jouet(R) Champagne, G.H. Mumm(TM) Champagne and Mumm Napa(R) sparkling wines.
Pernod Ricard USA is based in New York, New York, and has roughly 850 employees across the country. Pernod Ricard USA urges all adults to consume its products responsibly and has an active campaign to promote responsible drinking. For more information on this, please visit: www.acceptresponsibility.org.
About The Venture
The Venture is a global search to find and support the next generation of start-ups that want to succeed while creating a better future for society. Since The Venture first launched in 2014, almost 6,000 social enterprises have applied for the chance to receive a share of the annual $1 million fund. This year, over 30 countries across 6 continents are taking part in The Venture.
Last year in New York, global judge Eva Longoria and host Trevor Noah announced the winners of the $1m fund. Social start-up Conceptos Plasticos from Colombia was awarded the largest share of the fund, receiving $300,000.
About Chivas Regal
Launched in 1909, Chivas Regal is the world's first luxury whisky and is considered to be a timeless classic, renowned for its benchmark quality and taste, style, substance and exclusivity. A truly global brand, Chivas Regal has been integral to the growth of the Scotch whisky category worldwide and today sells 4.5 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across the globe. With generosity, entrepreneurship and integrity at the heart of Chivas Regal, the brand launched its successful Win the Right Way campaign in 2014, which aims to inspire a new generation whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others. The Chivas Regal range includes: Chivas 12, Chivas Extra, Chivas 18, Chivas 25, ultra-prestige blend and pinnacle of the range Chivas Regal The Icon, and the Global Travel Retail exclusive Chivas Brothers Blend. Launched in October 2016, Chivas Regal Ultis is the first blended malt Scotch whisky from the House of Chivas and represents the true essence of Chivas Regal. www.chivas.com
About the Skoll Centre & Said Business School
Embedded within the world-renowned Said Business School at the University of Oxford, the Skoll Centre is dedicated to accelerating the impact of entrepreneurial activity that aims to transform unjust or unsatisfactory systems and practices. The Skoll Centre was launched in 2003 at Said Business School, University of Oxford to promote the advancement of social entrepreneurship worldwide. The first Skoll Skollars were welcomed in the fall of 2004, and the first Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship (an annual meeting of nearly 1,000 distinguished delegates from the social, finance, private and public sectors) quickly followed that same year.
The Said Business School is a world-class business school community, embedded within a world-class university, tackling world-scale problems. As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, The University of Oxford is a unique and historic institution. The University is formed of 38 colleges, some dating back to the 1200s. Each of these colleges attracts talented students from around the world.
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SOURCE Chivas Regal
