This project originated from the city-sponsored “Rethink Litter Hack-a-thon”, a 72-hour event with the goal of finding innovative solutions to address the littering issue in Cincinnati, Ohio. At the end of the hack-a-thon, participants presented their original ideas to a panel of judges.
Context
Contestants were given three problem spaces to focus on…
Defining my Problem Space
Beautifying Neighborhoods
Connecting Community Efforts
Stop Littering at the Source
After some initial brainstorming, I chose to focus on beautifying neighborhoods while incorporating a community building aspect.
Defining Approach / Brainstorming
I began to think about ways to incorporate litter removal in the daily routines of people in the city. When interviewing people from the area, it became apparent that there is a strong running/walking community in the area. So finding ways to activate this group was a natural progression for this project.
I thought it was a great idea create an event for running groups to pick up trash along their practice runs. After further research, I discovered that this phenomenon already exists! (It’s called plogging).
A brief history…
By connecting with local running/walking groups, a challenge or system could be created to have “Rubbish Run” style training sessions every month, using data from the city to target specific areas which are most littered. Another application is a collaboration with the Flying Pig Marathon, as a way of cleaning up the litter after this event.
Check out my full presentation at the end to see the full scope of ideas.
Possible Applications
Within those 72 hours, I put together a quick visual identity to help the judges & audience visualize the event.
Branded Assets
After 72 hours of preparation, I presented my pitch to a room of CEOs/CFOs, city officials, other contestants, and local leaders. A nerve-wracking event but I had a great time connecting with other passionate people and learning more about the environmental efforts in Cincinnati!
My pitch was included in the top 5 pitches (out of 20 presenters) and I’ve talked with multiple nonprofits about making this a reality!
Pitch Presentation
Below is the original pitch deck used for my presentation. I am grateful for the opportunity to attend and participate in this event. I left feeling inspired by the work of the judges and participants. Thank you to all who made this hack-o-thon a reality.
The Original Pitch
