Kickstarting for Good Program Seeks Impact Entrepreneurs to Help Make Our Food System Sustainable – vegconomist

ProVeg International is searching for mission-driven entrepreneurs to join its Kickstarting for Good accelerator program, which aims to launch and grow nonprofits and impact initiatives working on transforming the food system.

Said to be the first accelerator of its kind, Kickstarting for Good is the not-for-profit program of the ProVeg Incubator, which has worked with over 100 food tech startups over the past five years. It consists of an expert-led ten-week program featuring mentoring and networking opportunities.

Participants will spend an intensive two weeks in Berlin (a grant is available to cover travel and accommodation costs) and will be teamed up with like-minded co-founders. The program will culminate in a Pitch Day.

Idea areas

Applicants — which may include individuals, founder teams, or existing organizations — are invited to explore one of eleven idea areas:

• Policy change – Advocating for policy changes that incentivize novel protein sources.
• Meta-fundraising – Identifying new income streams and attracting new funders for farmed animal and food system charities.
• Artificial Intelligence – Exploring the use of AI to improve advocacy.
• Social media – Helping plant-forward social media content creators be more professional, persuasive, effective, and self-sustaining.
• Corporate engagement – Using the power and influence of corporations to create better food systems.
• University outreach – Finding more effective ways to conduct strategic outreach to students.
• Public relations – Improving the animal advocacy movement’s use of public relations, media, and communications.
• Culinary engagement – Helping culinary professionals be more successful and working to improve the quality and availability of plant-based foods worldwide.
• Faith-based advocacy – Working with religious groups to use their influence in creating a more compassionate food system.
• Farming transition – Launching initiatives that help farmers transition away from animal agriculture.
• Food waste – Addressing animal product waste among consumers and throughout the supply chain.

Applicants who already have a validated idea for a new idea or organisation are also invited to apply.

“Tailored to the needs of impact entrepreneurs”

Kickstarting for Good took place for the first time last year, with the first cohort featuring projects such as Open Paws (an open-source AI for the animal rights movement) and Freedom Food Alliance (a platform by Robbie Lockie that equips consumers with science-backed information about the food system).

“Startups are crucial to make our food system more sustainable. However, the for-profit approach alone cannot tackle the mission of taking animals out of the food equation. We also need high-impact food system advocacy organizations and interventions,” said Sebastian Joy, president of ProVeg International. “Kickstarting for Good is a dedicated program for such ventures. It is tailored to the needs of impact entrepreneurs worldwide.”

Those interested in the program should apply by April 30 to take part in the first round of projects. Applicants will receive a response by May 15.