Gewinnerinnen und Gewinner des greenhouse ruhr Programms auf der Bühne

An evening of recognition: awards for social innovations at the greenhouse.ruhr closing event

On Monday, 30.10.2023, the award ceremony for social innovations took place as part of the greenhouse.ruhr program. The event, which was supported by a large number of non-profit organizations and socially committed companies, recognized exciting projects and ideas that contribute to making a positive change in society and improving the quality of life for many people.

The domicil, known as a venue for jazz and contemporary music, was filled with an atmosphere of hope and courage that evening. The guests were impressed by the innovative ideas and the determination of the participants and founding teams to change the world around them for the better. After all seven teams had pitched, the expert jury deliberated. Meanwhile, entrepreneur, author and activist Milena Glimbovski gave an inspiring keynote speech for the founders.

An evening full of winners

Before the award ceremony began, the Dortmund Economic Development team announced that there would only be winners that evening. Even if they were not selected as one of the top 3, all participants received prize money of 2,000 euros.

The first award of the evening went to the “Cloud Room” project. In the cloud room, brine is atomized into fine particles by a brine nebulizer and releases them into the air like small clouds. These penetrate deep into the airways and cleanse them. The founder, Anna Dieckmann, has not only struck a chord with families with children who have respiratory diseases. But also many other people who want to breathe freely for 45 minutes in the cloud room or simply feel good.

The second award went to Vanessa Flieger, Dominik and László Lempner. In the “Flieger” project, they build species-appropriate, sustainable and high-quality nesting aids and bat boxes for species relevant to planning from durable larch wood. They also offer an all-in-one package that includes installation and maintenance. This means you can plan, build and install in the shortest possible time compared to other companies. By implementing sustainable nesting boxes, the Flieger team has made a special contribution to promoting biodiversity.

The highlight of the evening and the final award went to Christine Bartsch and Maren Willke for their project “Autism as a Spectrum“. The project is dedicated to the inclusion and education of people on the autism and ADHD spectrum. The two have since founded an association and made it their mission to break down barriers and create an inclusive society in which people on the neurodivergent spectrum can participate. They are currently working on a podcast, counseling services for people on and off the spectrum and workshops/seminars for professionals. In addition to the prize money of €5,000, the two winners will have the opportunity to report on their social innovation in an entire podcast episode on “Purpose Projects Podcast”.

 

Die beiden Gewinnerinnnen halten eine Urkunde in der Hand

After the final event, we asked Christina Bartsch and Maren Willke (from left) for more details:

How were the last five months in the greenhouse.ruhr program?

Incredibly productive, we achieved goals that we would never have achieved on our own and the coaching sessions and other input were priceless.

Did you have a special “aha” moment during this time?

For me (Christine) as a person with multiple disabilities, it was great to see that someone like me also belongs in a program like this. I sometimes have phases where I can’t work for days on end and that’s okay. We don’t all move at the same pace and even slow progress is progress. It was also great to have confirmation of how well we complement each other as a team with our individual backgrounds.

What is your message to all future founders who are dedicated to social and ecological business ideas and socially innovative project ideas?

You don’t have to have studied to have great ideas. Disabled people in particular have to develop many coping strategies for their everyday lives, which requires enormous creativity and willpower. The view that marginalized people have of the problems of our society is not covered in any degree course. So bring us into your team and/or support our ideas!

The closing event was not only a celebration of achievements, but also a reminder that the pursuit of social justice and advocacy for the common good must be promoted by us all. The winners honored this evening are a good example of how collective efforts and innovative solutions can have a significant and positive impact on the world around us.