'Green Business' Contestants Come Up with Innovative Ideas

Seven finalists, including a student, waited anxiously last Wednesday to give the world their best ideas. That is when held the finalists' presentations for its Green Business Plan Competition, where presenters competed for a top $7,500 prize and space in what will be the township's Green Business and Technology Center.  

As the seven presenters awaited their turns, Mayor John McCormac welcomed and congratulated the group for their efforts. 

“This innovative program is to attract Green Development to Woodbridge and the Green Business & Technology Center at the Pennval Road Development site," McCormac said. 

“It’s all about growing the economy and creating jobs.”

The technological products and services offered included technology to reduce fuel consumption; recycled food waste used to make oil and food for livestock and fish; waste and sludge to be converted to bio-diesel fuel; a cooperative green work space for entrepreneurs; a geo battery and water air system to reduce the cost of heating and cooling houses; a hydrogen gel cell to reduce greenhouse gases on vehicles and improve fuel consumption; and a charger for small devices powered by green resources - the last, developed by the high school student entrant.

The winner of the competition was Olive Lynch of Green Waster Technologies. 

Lynch, the presenter and company president, explained her business concept uses recycled food waste, converted by the use of black soldier flies into oil, livestock protein, and fish food. She said she hoped that once the project gets underway in communities, people will be able to be paid for their food waste, thereby encouraging them to recycle.

Lynch received a $7,500 cash prize and three months of free business consulting services from the staff and consultants at the Green Technology Park. Each of the runner-ups received free Green Park consulting services geared to assist in developing their green business plans.

Fifteen-year-old Poornima Suresh, a student at Woodbridge High School, made it into the green finals. 

Her device, a charger for small devices, was innovative, using only green resources.  She explained it is powered by wind, which she says can be generated by riding a bicycle, or it can also be used with solar power.  All the components, Poornima said, are easily available.  

Poornima said she got involved in the competition because “it was announced in school, and I was already working on this device in science research class.” She said she likes all the aspects of science and hopes to go to an Ivy League college to pursue her studies.

The Pitch Day was sponsored by several local and regional businesses.  They included: Bayshore Recycling; Birdsall Engineering & Services Group; Conoco Phillips; ; Decotiis, Fitzpatrick & Cole, LLP; Axcel Innovation, ; Vanguard Energy Partners, LLC; Greener by Design; ; ; and the host company, CISCO Systems.