2018 Outcomes

Blueprint 2018 Recap

Missed the event? Miss the event? Check out this video for an accelerated view at Blueprint 2018: Nature + Progress.

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First Place Winners

Team Algenie

About

Algenie is a sustainable model for farming algae and seaweed off the coast of the US. Our goal is to design a farm that is modular and allows for quick and efficient production of seaweed. This will serve, along with red algae, as feed for cows to reduce methane emissions. In addition, it can serve as bases for superfoods that cultivate community awareness and promote consumer adoption.

Prize

As first place winners, each team member took home a GoPro and other prizes. Team Algenie also received a cash prize from Conservation X Labs to help continue their project.

2018 Keynotes

Presentations from the keynotes on Friday, February 2, 2018, and the the award ceremony on Saturday, February 3, hosted at Duke University. Check out our YouTube page for more footage!

Scott Loarie 15:10

Co-director at iNaturalist.org

Eric Berkenpas 14:31

Senior Director of Exploration Technology at the National Geographic Society

Jason Somarelli 11:59

Medical Instructor and Director of Research of the Duke Comparative Oncology Group

Meaghan Parker 18:59

Science Officer of the Forest Legality Initiative at the World Resources Institute

Shah Selbe 19:39

Engineer, Conservation Technologist, and Founder of Conservify

Will Travers 21:04

President of the Born Free Foundation

2018 Workshops

On Saturday, February 3, participants visited the following workshops:

How to Pitch 11:00

Kasper Kubica – Co-founder at Carpe Note: Highlight video above. Full recording here.

Designing for Irresistibility and Sustainability TBD

Frantz Beznik – R&D Director at P&G, Global Head of Sustainable Innovation

Design Thinking for Scale TBD

Tom Quigley, Alex Dehgan, and Cassie Hoffman – Conservation X Labs

Insights for Innovation TBD

Kimberley Marchant – Senior Director, Strategic Engagement at the World Wildlife Fund

“

Through mentoring 5 teams, I learned as much from the students as they learned from me. Tag-teaming with other mentors, we shared our experiences and insights with the students as they honed their designs. The enthusiasm was catching, and I found myself longing to stay with each team a few minutes more to flush out ideas.
Kellie Laity, MentorE.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation’s Communications and Development Coordinator

“

My group’s invention placed second overall and won $700 in funding from one of the conferences sponsors....I highly recommend students to apply for and to attend this conference in the future. I met so many great people across many schools, in different disciplines, all trying to achieve a common goal of helping the planet. If the event is occurring next year, I will definitely try to attend.
Competition ParticipantStudent at Skidmore University

“

Overall, I was completely amazed by how well this conference was organized, mostly by undergraduate students who are also in the middle of taking classes and tests and, yet, were on top of logistics and other details needed to successfully pull off an event of this size. And most of all, I was very impressed by the innovative ideas that students came up with to address issues relevant to us.
Nilanga Jayasinghe, MentorWWF Expert on Human-Wildlife Conflict

“

The amount of energy, the amount of creativity and the ideas people have at Blueprint are incredible.
Alex Dehgan, MentorCEO of ConservationXLabs

“

What's absolutely fascinating about Blueprint is that it brings together likeminded people who come from different backgrounds. Blueprint literally puts together people who share same interests but different knowledge and asks them to join forces for 24 hours to come up with a creative idea - and there is not such thing as bad and good ideas, all ideas and accepted and valued. That's the real power of Blueprint: it believes in diversity but at the same time unity and team work!
Competition ParticipantStudent at Elon University

Thank you.

The projects and excitement that came out of Blueprint were amazing to see. It makes all the work we put into developing Blueprint feel worthwhile, and special. Thank you to the participants, volunteers, mentors, and sponsors who helped make it possible.

– The Blueprint Team