At the second annual Young Sustainable Impact conference in Oslo, Norway, 25 innovators–all under 25, from all around the world–are coming together to develop solutions for global issues.
As a four-time entrepreneur, 25-year-old Virginia resident John McAuliff is no stranger to startup pitch competitions; he’s participated in many and won a few. But when he arrived in Oslo, Norway on August 13 for the second annual Young Sustainable Impact (YSI) conference, he knew he was in for something different. Most pitch competitions are a couple days long; YSI is two weeks. And while some events are more about the idea, YSI is determined to produce results. At the end of the conference, the five teams of five entrepreneurs apiece are expected to have a fully fledged proposal for a startup addressing one of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, a series of metrics in areas like food, health, and poverty that member nations are trying to hit by 2030.