United Ventures’ Post

Being mentioned as a Startup To Watch in Disruption Magazine's #CelebratingImpact edition is the cherry on top of a great year! Check out the latest issue where our founder, Janelle von Kleist-Bernard, is mentioned alongside other innovators and trailblazers shaping the future. #Disruption #Startups #StartupEcosystem #Impact

Issue 25, #CelebratingImpact is now live! In this issue of Disruption Magazine, we’re celebrating impact across industries, spotlighting individuals, organizations, and initiatives that are shaping the world in profound ways. Dive into this issue with Wendy Cukier’s insightful perspective on how businesses can harness AI technologies not just to keep pace but to lead. Wendy is the  director of the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (WEKH) at Toronto Metropolitan University’s Diversity Institute. Read about how Protein Industries Canada is helping to redefine what’s possible in food innovation while driving sustainability and economic growth by investing in groundbreaking enterprises. Explore how Calgary Economic Development's The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund (OCIF), with its support of Plug and Play Tech Center, is fueling the city’s vibrant startup ecosystem. We’re excited to share inspiring stories like Sunny Schwartz and Mona Sabet, whose impressive careers stand as a testament to the impact of determination, vision, and leadership. Another interesting story profiles the winners of the annual Mitacs Innovation Awards. These innovators span industries, embodying the spirit of ingenuity and showcasing the transformative power of their work. Their stories inspire us to consider the ripple effects of impactful innovation in every sector. Check out our latest #StartupsToWatch feature that showcases: Maman Biomedical (Latchmi Raghunanan, Ph.D.), AmpHealth (Mandy Woodland), GiveRise (Janelle von Kleist-Bernard), Elle, MD Biotechnologies (Jennifer Johnston, MD), Ethical Digital (Katrina German), GEM Food Systems (Jennifer Look-Hong), Scooly (Kemi Bolatito), Conquer Experience Inc. (Angela Robert), Ethnomet (Garnette Weber), UpRow (Kelise Williams MSc) and One37 ID (Fadwa Mohanna). Finally, we dive into the world of EdTech, exploring how emerging technologies are reshaping education. From personalized learning experiences to tools that bridge gaps in accessibility, these startups are harnessing the potential of innovation to empower the next generation. Jory Des Jardins brings us home with our #LastWord, challenging entrepreneurs to envision sustainable growth, clear strategy, and patience over rushed scaling. Dive in, and let’s explore how we can celebrate Impact! Read Here: https://lnkd.in/gBuYh-WK Publisher: Connection Silicon Valley #Disruption #Startups #StartupEcosystem #Impact

Our investments are helping drive innovation across Canada's ingredient, food and bioproducts sector. Learn more about the impact of collaborative investment in this article with Fei Luo, PhD (Liven Proteins), Heidi Dutton (Lovingly Made) and our CFO Kassandra Quayle from Disruption Magazine. Read the article: https://lnkd.in/gvNkCYn5

🤗This was one of the highlights of the year. Not only did I get to travel deep in the heart of the extraordinary Galápagos Islands 🐢and see other-worldly flora and fauna environs, but I got to meet the amazing Premios Verdes team and their annual convening event. 🤝I met so many amazingly talented people from different cultures and backgrounds who are all working on solving some of the world’s most vexing environmental challenges. Our common connections brought us together: 1. We’re all human ( sure we have different lived experiences, but they’re all tied to the planet’s well being) 2. We have a deep appreciation and passion for our communities and the ecosystems that make life possible 3: We’re optimists that see past the FUD and pessimism that drains the collective and we build each other up as we persist in our curious systems thinking problem solving mindset. 👏🏼This convening and network of entrepreneurs who are laser focused on doing well by doing good just proves to me that when people get together to solve even the largest most intractable problems- we are unstoppable! Looking forward to seeing how these start ups progress on their journeys. 🙏🏼Gracias Bianca & Jose for including me! Let’s go! 🫡 🌎🌍🌏🚀 #sustainability #startups #impactinvesting #regeneration #generativeai

Now just sharing some beauty of this weekend in Tallinn 🇪🇪 to you all. Warming up from a far point I'm announcing sharing some particular insides across a year of my PhD research in Estonian Business School. As some of you know I'm exploring voluntary and market-driven stakeholders engagement as a leverage in scaling massive sustainability impact projects (and startups). With much more tougher and competitive markets, community support looks crucial for continuity and performance of a business or a nonprofit initiative. This goes towards "organic" benefits which are associated with sustainability impact put into a business model "by design". So, going beyond, it's time to get ready to thinking together ahead on how this leverage could contribute to overall resilience and wellbeing of society in Europe (and beyond) through facilitating sustainability based businesses (going beyond just the CleanTech term) as the emerging layer of the private sector. How to recognise real potential behind a particular project? What makes it drive? What makes it get stuck? What for and where to look seeking the answer? To be continued... #tallinn #estonia #noblessner #sea #sailing #tallshipsraces #sustainability #impact #cleantech #venturecapital #vc #startups #businessschool #phd #mba #startupgrowth #yachting

🌟 Excited to announce some of our amazing speakers for the #EthicalAssembly2024! 🌟 ✨ Francesco Rocca from Impact Hub Lisbon: Impact Hub is the largest network of social entrepreneurs globally present in more than 110 cities and with over 16,000 members. The Lisbon Hub has a clear focus on Impact Entrepreneurship, #CircularEconomy, Sustainability and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, and its mission is to accelerate the transition to a new economy where people and planet thrive. Over the past 7 years, Francesco has provided strategic leadership, overseen the expansion of physical spaces and managed relationships with the local community and stakeholders globally. ✨ Marina Schmidt 🍎🍏 from Red to Green: Marina Schmidt is an acclaimed climate educator and founder of the impact media outlet R2G Media, an in-depth content studio specializing in #Agriculture and food sustainability. Her flagship podcast, Red To Green, is ranked in the top 5% globally and has a loyal listenership in over 160 countries. It is obligatory onboarding material for new hires at several VCs and startups and is deemed 'excellent' by MIT. ✨ Alice Segre from maze impact: Alice represents MAZE, an #ImpactInvestment firm that offers a toolbox to everyone committed to delivering positive social and environmental outcomes. With close to 30M successfully invested to date, MAZE distinguishes itself as a leading early-stage funding program for impact-driven startups. Join us and learn how MAZE is supporting new teams dedicated to making a positive difference in the world through innovative solutions and sustainable practices. Grab a ticket and roll up your sleeves! We’ve got work to do #climateaction. 🚀🌍 #SustainableFuture #Innovation #CommunityBuilding #Inspiration #ImpactHub #RedToGreen #MazeX

Exciting News from RESPOND Accelerator! 🚀 Check out the 10 trailblazing companies selected to RESPOND's latest Cohort ⬇ These start-ups are at the forefront of fostering regenerative business practices and exemplifying responsible leadership. RESPOND, an impact-driven start-up accelerator program by BMW Foundation Herbert Quandt, is dedicated to catalyzing the transformation of our economic system into one that is more equitable, resilient, and sustainable. We're proud to be part of operating the program within UnternehmerTUM and supporting these amazing teams in the upcoming months! 🚀🤝♻ #sustainablebusiness #SDG #sustainableinnovation #circulareconomy #greentech #climatech

𝗪𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁? In March, the German Startupverband published its new "Green Startup Monitor" revealing both promising and challenging developments in the landscape of sustainable startups in Germany. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀: 👩💼 Green startups have a higher proportion of female founders, with 24% compared to only 17% in traditional companies. 🌱 Almost one-third of all startups in Germany are now successfully focusing on sustainability. 📊 There has been a notable improvement in how these companies measure their sustainability impact. Currently, 39% of green startups can substantiate their environmental impact with concrete data, up from 27% in the previous year. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄𝘀: 📉 Despite the positive trends, the proportion of green startups in Germany has slightly declined. This decrease points to underlying challenges in the market and financing environment that these startups face. 💰 There is a pressing need for improved funding and financing conditions for #Greentech startups. More private investment, especially from institutional investors, is required to bolster Germany's innovation strength. 🔬 The report also highlights the necessity for better conditions to maximize the economic and ecological benefits derived from research. The report is definitely sobering and shows that there is still a lot of work ahead to sustainably transform our companies and economy. With POHA House, we are already on the right path, but one company alone is not enough; we all need to pull together. What is your company doing in terms of #sustainability? 🤔 #transformation #femaleleadership #climatetech

🌱 Calling all entrepreneurial souls and minds! 🌱 Do you want to create research-based start-ups, that are shaping the future? Are you passionate about sustainability and ready to turn your innovative ideas into impactful startups? Then the great news are here: The applications are now open for the first cohort of the Deep Green Innovators program. The theme of this cohort is circular economy, and you can read more about the program here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dp7VAhPa The program is designed to bridge the gap between groundbreaking research and real-world entrepreneurial solutions. If you are chosen to participate, you will join the program as an entrepreneur aiming to start a new business together with your teammates, based on some of the newest research within circular economy 🚀 Join us and be part of a community dedicated to driving the green transition, if you see yourself in one of the descriptions below: 💡 An entrepreneur looking for your next start-up adventure? 🎓A student deeply committed to green tech, sustainability or entrepreneurship? 🌿A green tech or sustainability professional who wants to dive into entrepreneurship and commercialize innovative research? 🧩A professional looking for your next career path and curious about sustainability and green tech? Apply before Sunday, October 6, 2024, right here 👉 https://lnkd.in/d69vYjz7 Don’t hesitate to reach out to me here or on my e-mail djl.cse@cbs.dk, if you are curious to learn more.   Deep Green Innovators is a collaboration between Aarhus Universitet Aalborg Universitet and Copenhagen Business School. The program is funded by Industriens Fond.   #Sustainability #GreenInnovation #CircularEconomy #Entrepreneurship #DeepGreenInnovators

🚀 #ThrowbackFriday to the 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗮 𝗦𝗕𝗘 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀, 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿!   Looking back, we're reminded of the power of collaboration and innovation. This program was all about walking the talk of an ecosystem approach for innovation, bringing together students, early-stage entrepreneurs, researchers, startups, and SMEs to create a dynamic space for bold ideas and visionary action. Today, we take this moment to send a huge thank you to our amazing partners who played a crucial role in making this possible: Banco Primus Câmara Municipal de Cascais GRUPO ACA Grupo Brisa LTPlabs Morais Leitão Pingo Doce/Jerónimo Martins Schréder Hyperion SIBS ZEISS Group Together, we converged the worlds of Smart Cities, Green Economy, Sustainable Service Providing, and more. By leveraging the power of applied research, knowledge transfer, and diverse perspectives, we created a space for future-forward innovation that explored both citizen and customer journeys. This initiative was a prime example of how collaboration between academic institutions and businesses can foster systemic change. It’s not just about incremental progress—it’s about reimagining the future, and these partners were at the heart of it all.   Check out the video below to learn more about our amazing partners!   🌱 Here's to driving impactful change, supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs, and creating a more sustainable and inclusive future for cities and communities. #InnovationEcosystem #FutureCitiesFutureCommunities #OpenInnovation #SmartCities #Sustainability