{"id":3598,"date":"2019-07-11T14:56:41","date_gmt":"2019-07-11T14:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/?p=3598"},"modified":"2019-07-12T11:08:40","modified_gmt":"2019-07-12T11:08:40","slug":"just-imagine-if","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2019\/07\/11\/just-imagine-if\/","title":{"rendered":"just IMAGINE if…"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Imagine having the opportunity to bring a business idea to life which has the potential to change the world for the better.<\/span><\/p>\n

That is exactly what the University of Reading, in partnership with Paul Lindley OBE, and with the support of a host of business sponsors and volunteers, was able to offer via the \u2018just IMAGINE if\u2026<\/a>\u2019 competition earlier this year.<\/p>\n

Paul Lindley \u2013 entrepreneur, founder of Ella\u2019s Kitchen, and a Senior Ambassador for the University\u2019s IMAGINE fundraising and volunteering campaign \u2013 asked for our help to bring his idea for the \u2018just IMAGINE if\u2026\u2019 competition to life. It proved to be a fantastic collaborative project that the University was delighted to support.<\/p>\n

Sustainable business ideas from across the globe <\/strong><\/h4>\n

Launched in Autumn 2018, the competition was open to entrants anywhere in the world who had a business idea which addressed at least one of the United Nation\u2019s 17 Sustainable Development Goals<\/a>. The competition prize was up to \u00a375,000 of research and support to move the winner\u2019s idea forwards, enabled by sponsoring organisations and to be delivered by the University of Reading and Henley Business School.<\/p>\n

Entries were received from across the globe, showcasing an array of inspiring and innovative business ideas. Ten shortlisted finalists were invited to attend the competition\u2019s final event on 28 February 2019, hosted by the University of Reading, at which they would all pitch their ideas to an invited audience who would vote to choose the winner.
In advance of the big day, all the finalists were provided with mentoring support from a number of high-profile business people and entrepreneurs, including BBC Dragons\u2019 Den Piers Linney, and Tristram Stuart, founder of Toast Ale and campaigner on food waste.<\/p>\n

The winning pitch<\/strong><\/h4>\n

\"\"Following a hard-fought final, the winner of this inaugural \u2018just IMAGINE if\u2026\u2019 competition was Alexander Wankel, whose company, Kai Pacha Foods<\/a>, has developed a socially and environmentally responsible brand of plant-based milks from climate-smart Andean grains.<\/p>\n

Kai Pacha Foods works directly with organised conservationist farmer groups in Peru. The company aims to encourage the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, to conserve biodiversity and prevent land degradation; while providing a better income to impoverished rural communities.<\/p>\n

Alexander\u2019s winning pitch can be viewed here<\/a>. His winner\u2019s prize will allow him to obtain the research expertise it needs from the University to enable his company to scale to international markets. It will also provide vital research into quinoa diversity, allowing the organisation to focus on conservation of particularly climate resilient native varieties. The University is currently working with Alex to develop the scope of his research prize to best meet his needs.<\/p>\n

You can see highlights from the \u2018just IMAGINE if\u2026\u2019 competition final here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018just IMAGINE if\u2026\u2019 2020<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The success of \u2018just IMAGINE if\u2026\u2019 in this, its inaugural year, has provided a firm foundation for Paul Lindley to take the competition forwards as an annual event. Next year, \u2018just IMAGINE if\u2026\u2019 2020 will be hosted by Durham University. We wish the competition, and its future entrants and supporters, every success in the years to come.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, here at Reading, we look forward to following Alexander\u2019s progress and seeing his business develop as a consequence of his just IMAGINE if\u2026 research prize.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine having the opportunity to bring a business idea to life which has the potential to change the world for the better. That is exactly what the University of Reading, in partnership with Paul Lindley OBE, and with the support of a host of business sponsors and volunteers, was able to offer via the \u2018just […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":3600,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false},"categories":[6],"tags":[16,25,29,32,45],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\njust IMAGINE if... - Connected<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Imagine having the opportunity to bring a business idea to life which has the potential to change the world for the better.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sites.reading.ac.uk\/connected\/2019\/07\/11\/just-imagine-if\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"just IMAGINE if... - 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