WHAT IS CULTIVATE TOMORROW?
What We Stand For
Cultivate Tomorrow is the first US hackathon focused solely on cellular agriculture and cell cultured food. This hackathon will work to lower the barrier to enter the cell cultured food industry for STEM and non-STEM individuals. We will create a large network and community of diverse individuals with different backgrounds, skills, and interests. Together we will brainstorm, innovate, and re-imagine the future of food.
This event is open to all undergraduate and graduate students across the US who are interested in becoming more immersed in this field. We believe that only through cross-collaboration will this industry succeed in redefining the food system and allocation of our planet's natural resources.
ABOUT OUR CAUSE
Vision and Mission Statement
Vision
We will provide engaging, educational, and fun competitions that reach young adults across the nation and foster creativity, problem-solving, and out-of-the box thinking that will aid the understanding, development and integration of cell-based products.
Mission
To introduce and engage undergraduate and graduate students across the US with a diverse set of backgrounds, interests, and skills in the rising field of cellular agriculture.
To foster collaboration and conversation between educational institutions and industry leaders that will generate innovative ideas and unique perspectives on the advancement of the field.
To lower the barrier for newcomers and help them recognize their unique value to help spread awareness of the initiative that aims to tackle many of the UN sustainability goals.
To provide companies with new insight and broad perspectives on perception of the industry, its products, and its goals
To host a fun, exciting, and educational event that creates a community across states, schools, companies, and people across the US all working towards the same goal of saving our planet.
EVENT DETAILS
WHAT
Undergraduate and graduate students will form teams of three - five and compete in one of three tracks. 2022 - 2023 tracks tbd.
2021 - 2022 Tracks:
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Create an advertising strategy proposal for a novel cultivated food product and target consumer demographic (selected by mentor)
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Create a scientific communication platform that demystifies some of the misunderstood aspects of the cultivated food industry
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Research proposal for an underutilized resource that could improve or impact a specific part of cell cultured production and devise a proposal for its application
WHEN
2022 - 2023 schedule tbd
Schedule for 2021 - 2022
09/13/21 - Application opens
11/01/21 - Application closes
11/10/21 - Form teams
12/01/21 - Official problem statement released
12/03/21 - Mentor + team matching
02/01/22 - Submit final proposal
02/02/22 - Proposal evaluation begins
02/12/22 - Virtual hackathon event
02/12/22 - Announce winners of event
WHERE?
Cultivate Tomorrow 2022 will be 100% virtual, held on Hopin conferencing platform.
WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?
Any student in undergraduate or graduate studies is eligible to apply. We encourage students from all backgrounds, majors, and diversities to apply. Our goal is to help students of all facets to become immersed in the cellular and acellular agriculture industry.
We have invited the most innovative and advanced companies that are working to revolutionize the food industry with cellular agriculture. These companies have offered their time and expertise to mentor some of the teams. Industry mentors will be able to provide insight on the specifics of the problem statement, challenges being faced, and a closer look at business and technology operations. Mentorship is selective and may require signed NDAs. To learn more about our mentors, check out this page.
JUDGES
Each track will have a separate judging panel, which will evaluate based on a set of criteria. The judges will be selected from non-profit organizations, investors, advisors, and other industry stakeholders.