The City of Chattanooga approached CO.LAB about doing a “reverse pitch” during Startup Week 2021. Chattanooga understood that traditional recycling methods were antiquated and wanted to solicit ideas from citizens.

As the Director of Programs and a startup veteran, I am familiar with the limitations and lack of follow through that usually comes from pitch competitions.

In a reverse pitch competition, a problem is presented, and ideas are solicited from the community. Entrepreneurs pitch — essentially a public speaking competition — to see who the winner is. Often, the solutions are never implemented.

I told the city that CO.LAB was excited to do the project, but we wanted to make sure that entrepreneurs had the opportunity to test their ideas — so we could see what actually worked in Chattanooga. This would require the city to award the project a budget, which CO.LAB could then disperse.

To align with the city’s strict budgeting rules, I designed a $22,500 project budget. This stayed under the $23,000 threshold to avoid lengthy City Council approval. The budget covered event production and four small grants ($3,000–$7,000) for innovative recycling projects. I prepared a comprehensive project proposal that showcased CO.LAB’s unique qualifications and my extensive experience coaching entrepreneurs. This secured sole-sourcing for the project.

I developed and managed the grant application process. A panel of city sustainability leaders selected four high-potential ideas: composting, recycling glass into sand, updating recycling signage, and the Hefty ReNew program. I personally coached each entrepreneur to ensure their ideas were ready for the public event.

Under my leadership, the program diverted 12 tons of waste from landfills and generated over $50,000 in additional revenue for Chattanooga businesses. By combining entrepreneurial support with measured outcomes, I transformed a traditional pitch competition into a community-driven, results-oriented initiative.