The Community Resilience Innovation Challenge is targeting entrepreneurs to solve one of Hampton Roads’ most pressing problems: protecting its residents from flooding and rising sea levels. An initiative from Hampton Roads RISE Resilience Innovations and LISC Hampton Roads (Local Initiatives Support Corporation), the project’s goal is to fortify coastal communities by addressing core environmental concerns of the area, according to LISC executive director Jay Grant.
While LISC is a national nonprofit that provides financing and support for community development around the country, RISE is a Norfolk-based nonprofit that enables businesses to innovate while helping communities on the coast adapt to climate change. “RISE is incredibly important to our region and Virginia as a whole,” says Betsy Hnath, RISE’s communication officer. She explains that they source solutions to the most pressing resilience-related threats, fund businesses tackling these challenges, and more.
Entrepreneurs are challenged to develop tangible solutions, with real-world feasibility, to benefit coastal communities. The winners will be announced in September and will receive up to $1 million for the plan. RISEResilience.org, LISC.org
This article originally appeared in the August 2024 issue.
