Climate Change and the Future of Food Programming
From September 18th to September 22nd, students participated in programming that encouraged them to think about viable business solutions to challenges within the intersections of climate change and the food system.
Revelation, awe, epiphany, the a-ha moment. TEDxPenn2016 is bringing to you the eureka moments that pioneer our society.
We are pleased to a
Revelation, awe, epiphany, the a-ha moment. TEDxPenn2016 is bringing to you the eureka moments that pioneer our society.
We are pleased to a
Revelation, awe, epiphany, the a-ha moment. TEDxPenn2016 is bringing to you the eureka moments that pioneer our society.
We are pleased to a
Venture Lab's Food Innovation Lab in Tangen Hall is a new test kitchen facility for Penn student entrepreneurs to experiment and create ventures focused on food innovation.
Venture Lab's Food Innovation Lab in Tangen Hall is a new test kitchen facility for Penn student entrepreneurs to experiment and create ventures focused on food innovation.
The Penn I-Corps Program teaches entrepreneurs how to test and validate their startup ideas by performing customer interviews; participants walk away with feedback from at least 20 potential customers. As such, it helps you develop a product/market fit strategy for your ideas
I-Corps is free to participants, and accepted teams receive grants of up to $2,000 for their startup. This short course meets five times over six weeks, starting on October 15.
The program is only for Penn-affiliated students, staff, researchers, or faculty with Penn-generated ideas and technologies originating in academic research.
Why Participate in I-Corps:
• Penn I-Corps can qualify you for participation in National NSF I-Corps ($50k), which in turn entitles you to apply for an NSF PFI-TT (Partnerships for Innovation- Technology Translation) grant ($250k) and correlates with a high ratio of success in SBIR grant applications (~$1M)
• Participants do not need to have a full team upon signing up. We can help pair those with startup ideas with those who want to join a team, so you are not going through the process alone.
• By de-risking your idea, Penn I-Corps improves your chances for selection to the Penn Health-Tech Medical Devices and Health Technology Development programs.
Apply Now
Penn I-Corps evaluates teams on a first-come-first-serve basis. Applications are rolling, and we are currently accepting them. The final application deadline is September 28.
If you are interested in learning more about I-Corps, come to one of our upcoming information sessions.
I-Corps is free to participants, and accepted teams receive grants of up to $2,000 for their startup. This short course meets five times over six weeks, starting on October 15.
The program is only for Penn-affiliated students, staff, researchers, or faculty with Penn-generated ideas and technologies originating in academic research.
Why Participate in I-Corps:
• Penn I-Corps can qualify you for participation in National NSF I-Corps ($50k), which in turn entitles you to apply for an NSF PFI-TT (Partnerships for Innovation- Technology Translation) grant ($250k) and correlates with a high ratio of success in SBIR grant applications (~$1M)
• Participants do not need to have a full team upon signing up. We can help pair those with startup ideas with those who want to join a team, so you are not going through the process alone.
• By de-risking your idea, Penn I-Corps improves your chances for selection to the Penn Health-Tech Medical Devices and Health Technology Development programs.
Apply Now
Penn I-Corps evaluates teams on a first-come-first-serve basis. Applications are rolling, and we are currently accepting them. The final application deadline is September 28.
If you are interested in learning more about I-Corps, come to one of our upcoming information sessions.
VIP Fellows are students interested in working at an early-stage venture.
Paul Sethi, W'01
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, 2048 Ventures
OpenPaul Sethi is Founding Partner at 2048 Ventures, investing in Seed (and Pre-Seed) tech-differentiated companies. For the 7 years prior to 2048 Ventures, Paul was CEO of Redbooks, leading sales data and intelligence platform for the marketing industry (acq. 2018). He also co-founded Robuzz, an advanced ML/NLP practice focused on real-time news intelligence - and spent the early 2000s focused on tech investments in the public markets.
Co-Founder & Managing Partner, 2048 Ventures
OpenPaul Sethi is Founding Partner at 2048 Ventures, investing in Seed (and Pre-Seed) tech-differentiated companies. For the 7 years prior to 2048 Ventures, Paul was CEO of Redbooks, leading sales data and intelligence platform for the marketing industry (acq. 2018). He also co-founded Robuzz, an advanced ML/NLP practice focused on real-time news intelligence - and spent the early 2000s focused on tech investments in the public markets.
Gary Swidler, W'92
COO & CFO, Match Group
Gary Swidler is Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Match Group, a company that provides dating products worldwide. It operates a portfolio of brands, including Tinder, Match, PlentyOfFish, Meetic, OkCupid, OurTime, Pairs, and Hinge, as well as other brands.
COO & CFO, Match Group
Gary Swidler is Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Match Group, a company that provides dating products worldwide. It operates a portfolio of brands, including Tinder, Match, PlentyOfFish, Meetic, OkCupid, OurTime, Pairs, and Hinge, as well as other brands.
The Ongoing Challenge:
You have the power to drive innovation and implement solutions that can transform the future of food, making it more sustainable, equitable, and resilient in the face of climate change. By acting collectively and embracing innovation, you can lead the way toward a brighter, more sustainable future for food, the global economy, and the workforce.
Biodiversity Loss
Climate change poses a dire threat to biodiversity. The ramifications are substantial, as biodiversity loss disrupts essential ecological services like pollination and soil health maintenance. In turn, this loss leaves our food supply highly susceptible to the increased risks of pests and diseases.
Diverse Employment
The food system encompasses a broad spectrum of jobs, ranging from agricultural production to food processing, transportation, retailing, restaurants, and various related services. As per capita incomes rise, the share of employment in farming tends to decline, while the share in food manufacturing and services increases. Climate change can exacerbate these challenges by increasing the frequency and severity of weather-related risks.
Water Scarcity
Climate change plays a substantial role in driving water scarcity. This scarcity has a profound impact on critical aspects of our food systems, including crop irrigation and the availability of freshwater sources for drinking. Notably, water-intensive agriculture faces heightened vulnerability in this context, emphasizing the urgency of addressing these issues for the sustainability of our food supply.
Supply Chain Disruptions
The impact of extreme weather events on food supply chains cannot be underestimated. These disruptions have led to staggering statistics – global food prices remain 25% higher than pre-Covid-19 levels since early 2020, as reported by the United Nations Food Price Index. These price increases have rippling effects, causing food wastage, shortages, and mounting pressure on consumers' wallets.
Global Food Insecurity
According to the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World report, nearly 750 million people experienced severe food insecurity in 2019. Rising global temperatures are altering weather patterns, leading to more frequent heatwaves, heavy rainfall, and droughts. These events, coupled with other factors such as rising food commodity prices, pushed approximately 30 million additional people in low-income countries toward food insecurity in 2021.
Agricultural Production
Rising temperatures, erratic weather patterns, and extreme events like droughts and floods are affecting agricultural productivity. Crops are failing, and livestock are struggling to thrive, leading to food shortages and increased prices.
