Chivas Venture Unveils the 30 Finalists in the One Million Dollar Global Social Enterprise Competition – RecyclePoints to Represent Nigeria

Today, at the Skoll Centre at the world-renowned University of Oxford, 30 of the brightest startups from across the globe were unveiled as finalists of the Chivas Venture – a global search to discover and reward the world’s most promising social entrepreneurs. Each finalist, including RecylePoints from Nigeria, will travel to Los Angeles in July to compete for a share of $1 million to make their dream of creating a better future for the world a reality.

Now in its third year, the Chivas Venture has to date received almost 6,000 applications across six continents from startups that are striving to use innovation and enterprise to make the world a better place. The vision of the future as imagined by this year’s finalists is a place where protein bars are made from crickets and shoes made from garbage; where walls of moss clean city air and consumers create value from everyday waste.

One finalist will represent each of the 30 participating countries at the hotly-anticipated Chivas Venture Final in Los Angeles in July. There they will brush shoulders with some of the biggest names in business and entertainment and have just five minutes to impress the expert judging panel with their world-changing ideas and deliver the pitch of their lives.

In preparation for the Chivas Venture Final, the 30 finalists have travelled to Oxford to take part in a transformational Accelerator Week programme created by the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship embedded within the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford. During an intensive five days of learning, the finalists have the opportunity to develop leadership skills, take part in practical workshops and be inspired by global experts on critical topics that affect social startups.

Andrea Warriner, Deputy Director of the Skoll Centre, commented:

“In today’s uncertain political and economic climate, social enterprise has never played a more important role in securing a better future for our society. There’s an incredible pool of entrepreneurs in the Final 30 of this year’s Chivas Venture competition, who we believe really have what it takes to make a difference. We’ve got a great programme lined up for this week, and we look forward to being inspired by our finalists, while giving them an unforgettable experience.”

Richard Black, Chivas Regal Global Brand Director, added:

“We were blown away by the calibre of entries for this year’s Chivas Venture competition. The businesses are a great example of the ingenuity and passion of entrepreneurs across the world who are committed to creating a better world for generations to come. The founders of Chivas Regal were entrepreneurs who gave back to their community, and by discovering and supporting startups who too give back to the wider global community, the Chivas Venture is continuing their legacy. At Chivas we firmly believe that generosity and success go hand-in-hand – and when you share your success with others, business becomes truly rewarding.”

From Monday, May 1st to Sunday, June 4th, 2017, the public will be able to show their support for their favourite finalist through a live vote. Over the course of five weeks, the public’s vote will determine how the first $250,000 in funding is split among the finalists. The winner(s) of the remaining $750,000 in funding will be decided on Thursday, July 13th, 2017, at the Chivas Venture Final in Los Angeles, after a high-stakes pitch in front of the judges and a live audience.

To learn more about RecylePoints and the other 29 global finalists of the Chivas Venture, visit their pages at www.chivas.com/the-venture.

For more information please contact Ronke Bamisedun on [email protected]

About The Chivas Venture

The Chivas Venture is a global search to find and support the next generation of startups that want to succeed while creating a better future for society. Since the Chivas Venture first launched in 2014, almost 6,000 social enterprises have applied for the chance to receive a share of the annual $1 million fund. This year, over 30 countries across 6 continents are taking part in the Chivas Venture.

Last year in New York, global judge Eva Longoria and host Trevor Noah announced the winners of the $1m fund. Social startup Conceptos Plasticos from Colombia was awarded the largest share of the fund, receiving $300,000.

About Chivas Regal                                                                                 

Launched in 1909, Chivas Regal is the world’s first luxury whisky and is considered to be a timeless classic, renowned for its benchmark quality and taste, style, substance and exclusivity. A truly global brand, Chivas Regal has been integral to the growth of the Scotch whisky category worldwide and today sells 4.5 million 9L cases annually in more than 150 countries across the globe. With generosity, entrepreneurship and integrity at the heart of Chivas Regal, the brand launched its successful Win the Right Way campaign in 2014, which aims to inspire a new generation whilst making a positive impact on the lives of others. The Chivas Regal range includes: Chivas 12, Chivas Extra, Chivas 18, Chivas 25, ultra-prestige blend and pinnacle of the range Chivas Regal The Icon, and the Global Travel Retail exclusive Chivas Brothers Blend. Launched in October 2016, Chivas Regal Ultis is the first blended malt Scotch whisky from the House of Chivas and represents the true essence of Chivas Regal.

Visit www.chivas.com for more information.

About the Skoll Centre & Saïd Business School

Embedded within the world-renowned Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford, the Skoll Centre is dedicated to accelerating the impact of entrepreneurial activity that aims to transform unjust or unsatisfactory systems and practices. The Skoll Centre was launched in 2003 at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford to promote the advancement of social entrepreneurship worldwide. The first Skoll Skollars were welcomed in the fall of 2004, and the first Skoll World Forum on Social Entrepreneurship (an annual meeting of nearly 1,000 distinguished delegates from the social, finance, private and public sectors) quickly followed that same year.

The Saïd Business School is a world-class business school community, embedded within a world-class university, tackling world-scale problems. As the oldest university in the English-speaking world, The University of Oxford is a unique and historic institution. The University is formed of 38 colleges, some dating back to the 1200s. Each of these colleges attracts talented students from around the world.

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