Water Challenge 2016 Lineup Announced, Includes Pitch Competition

The full lineup for the upcoming Water Challenge, a longstanding tradition at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW), has been announced. The Water Challenge is a collaborative initiative between the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF), Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation, and the Idea Village focused on solving critical regional water issues through entrepreneurship in Louisiana.

Grasshopper Mendoza and Steve Picou receive Water Champion Award in 2015.

Grasshopper Mendoza and Steve Picou receive Water Champion Award in 2015.

In 2015, Propeller revealed the Water Challenge was expanding with a $170,360 grant from GNOF.

The Water Challenge will take place on Monday, March 14 at the heart of NOEW on Fulton Street in downtown New Orleans. The full-day event includes roundtable discussions with industry experts, a keynote by Dean Amhaus, CEO and President of The Water Council, and will culminate in the Water Challenge $15,000 business pitch competition highlighting ideas to tackle water quality, land loss, and stormwater management.

Water Challenge finalists include:

Martin Ecosystems (Nicole Waguespack)

Martin Ecosystems provides environmental solutions through the use of innovative technologies to improve water quality and reduce shoreline erosion.

Caminada Bay Premium Oysters (Marcos Guerrero)

Providing a bottomless oyster growing technology to increase resiliency with changes in river diversions.

Hanging Gardens (Colleen Butler & Anthony Mayer)

Providing new and innovative green infrastructure solutions for stormwater management in New Orleans through green roofs.

Judges for the pitch competition include: Steve Tullos, Manager of Corporate Environmental Initiatives, Entergy Corporation; Cedric Grant, Executive Director, The New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board; Dean Amhaus, CEO and President, The Water Council; and Ella Delio, director of Environmental and Regional Initiatives, Greater New Orleans Foundation.

The Water Challenge is free and open to the public. Registration is required via www.NOEW.org. For more information on this year’s Water Challenge, visit GNOF.org.

This coverage is brought to you by Callais Capital Management and Susco.

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