Submissions open for sustainability challenge; WWU students were winners last year

Free to enter, the 2015 NW Washington Sustainability Challenge is a regional competition designed to stimulate innovation and provide support for entrepreneurs in Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island and San Juan counties.

Students from Western Washington University, who made a strong showing last year, are invited to compete. The top prize in the 2014 student category was claimed by WWU’s team NOVA Technologies, developers of the NOVA Solar Window, which combines the power-producing capabilities of a solar panel with the traditional utility of a window.

The NW Innovation Resource Center has created the competition as a means of cultivating a healthy entrepreneurial and economic environment in our area while supporting the growth of business that contributes to local and global sustainability. Teams will compete for cash awards and business support from the NWIRC. All finalist teams will benefit from a chance to share their ideas (not the secret sauce) with the public and a panel of distinguished judges from the sustainability and investment communities.

“I was surprised by parts of the challenge,” said James Kintzele, a WWU student member of last year's winning NOVA Team. “As students, we are always presenting in a large group situation. The more intimate conference room setting with a group of accomplished business leaders was somewhat intimidating at first, but became a valuable business experience.”

Kintzele and some of his team members went on to win a prestigious EPA grant for the People, Prosperity, and Planet Student Design Competition for Sustainability, in Washington, DC, in April.

“The knowledge we gained from the competition process brought terrific insights into what it would take to start a business,” he said.

Both students and independent innovators are welcome and encouraged to join the challenge. Registration for the 2015 NW Sustainability Challenge is a five-minute process. Those with an interest, but who have questions, don’t have a team or just want encouragement may call NWIRC at 360-255-7870.

For more about the Challenge and access to the online registration, please visit the website at nwsustainabilitychallenge.com.

The NWIRC is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating economic opportunity and jobs by supporting entrepreneurial innovation. We help inventors and entrepreneurs build a framework for success through expert advice, a collaborative network of resources and community support.