We Won 2nd Place in Plywood Present’s Idea Competition!

Have you heard of Plywood Presents? It’s a gathering for problem solvers in Atlanta. It’s the most unconference-conference I know of and I absolutely love it. Like many cities, Atlanta has a great entrepreneurial scene, but what makes Atlanta entrepreneurs different is their overwhelming desire to solve problems in a way that does good and makes a lasting impact. Plywood Presents is run by Plywood People, a non-profit organization that champions the community of social innovation in Atlanta. Can I get an amen?!

Every year, Plywood invites 5 innovators to present in their Idea Competition. Plywood is able to give away over $20,000 in prizes and services to make solutions to big problems happen. Each presenter has 5 minutes and 5 slides to tell their story. Julie McKevitt, our fearless leader, took the stage and nailed it. (We knew she would! (She will probably make me delete the “fearless leader” part, but I’ll see if I can sneak it by.)) She really did nail it! I can’t wait until the video comes out! 

Paint Love won second place and $1,000 to put towards our cause. Julie will also be headed to the retreat in October to dive deep into Paint Love’s mission. Excited for her to have that time to refresh and recharge!

The rest of the event was spent soaking up so much great wisdom. So much great wisdom that I took a pretty good hard look at my life. I left my full time job the following week and Julie offered me a job the day after I left. I started part time with a goal of going full time in 2016! It feels so good to be back in the saddle, er, back in front of the easel? (Not sure of the appropriate phrasing for that, but you get it. :))

We’re just so excited and honored for the opportunity to share our story in front of so many brilliant problem solvers. Our most recent opportunity is pretty exciting too! We’re part of KIND Snack’s Kind Causes this month, which means we’re in the running to win a 10K grant. If you have a second, could you hop over and place your vote? (Here’s the link!) You’ll have to log in via Facebook or email, but it’s super quick!

So grateful!
Mads