Event Details for Techtown SOUP this Friday at 5:30 p.m.

[Brandon Knight]

As mentioned earlier - Rhiza Food Co., the urban agriculture division of Distributed Power is a finalist in the start-up Techtown business incubator event being held tomorrow.

If you can make it tomorrow, try to be there as close to 5:30 as possible as the run of show for this is pretty tight tomorrow and voting will be happening for businesses early in the evening.  We are a bit concerned it will sell out, so that is another reason we are trying to get folks to the event early.

Rhiza Food Co. is a start-up urban farm co-operative based in north Highland Park near Woodward and McNichols.  We currently have converted one vacant lot into agriculture use with a hoop-house and outdoor crops. Our current lot also serves as a training center for urban agriculture through our partner program the Green Economy Leadership Training.  We are now seeking to expand and start employing people from the neighborhood.  We recently acquired 10 vacant lots surrounding our current farm which we are cultivating into an growers co-operative. We seek to build a legitimate business model around urban agriculture in Detroit that is rooted in community & social equity.  We aim to grow jobs through Rhiza for local residents, while at the same time increasing access to fresh local organic food in SE Michigan

Event details

Run of show

Doors open: 5:30 p.m.

Welcome by Leslie Smith, TechTown: 6:15 p.m.

Introduction of sponsors: Huntington Bank and Hennessy Capital

Introduction of host: Amy Kaherl, Detroit Soup

Presentations hosted by Amy Kaherl, Detroit Soup: 6:25 p.m.

Good Sweat - Marlo Rencher

Protean - Thiago Olson 

Rhiza Food Co. - Brandon Knight & Alexis Bogdanova-Hanna

Star Toilet Paper - Jordan Silverman

Presentation of meal by Amy Kaherl, Detroit Soup: 7:15 p.m. 

Dinner and voting: 7:20 p.m.  

Announcement of winner and closing by Leslie Smith, TechTown: 8:20 p.m. 

 

Rhiza Food Co. is a start-up urban farm co-operative based in north Highland Park near Woodward and McNichols.  We currently have converted one vacant lot into agriculture use with a hoop-house and outdoor crops. Our current lot also serves as a training center for urban agriculture through our partner program the Green Economy Leadership Training.  We are now seeking to expand and start employing people from the neighborhood.  We recently acquired 10 vacant lots surrounding our current farm which we are cultivating into an growers co-operative. We seek to build a legitimate business model around urban agriculture in Detroit that is rooted in community & social equity.  We aim to grow jobs through Rhiza for local residents, while at the same time increasing access to fresh local organic food in SE Michigan

On Wed, Aug 1, 2012 at 1:50 PM, Brandon Knight <detroitene...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Friends, Family and Supporters, 

This Friday at 5:30 p.m. Distributed Power's urban agriculture division, Rhiza Food Company is in a start-up business competition with an opportunity to bring much needed financial resources in to support the company.  

We are one of  Four finalists that will have five minutes each to pitch at Startup SOUP; then we field questions from the crowd. After all presentations are complete, attendees enjoy soup, discuss the businesses and vote for their favorite.

The more supporters we have in attendance the better chance we have of winning.

 

Winner will receive:

- $1,500, generously donated by our sponsors, Hennessey Capital and Huntington Bank, Door kitty ($5 per person at the door) & Five workshop vouchers from TechTown

    

Startup SOUP will be held at 5:30 p.m., Friday, Aug. 3, at 2051 Rosa Parks Blvd., Detroit. 

Consider attending this Friday - we could use the support!

 

Also - we are currently working in an online competition of funding for Rhiza Food Co. through Good Magazine.  Please vote for our project here: http://outdoors.maker.good.is/projects/highlandparkcoop?sort=popular

Thank you and hope to see you Friday!