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Culturestructure Award Announced
Culturestructure Award
Pilot Projects Foundation is pleased to introduce our new “Culturestructure Award” to be given annually to an organization creating innovative infrastructure in support of a beneficial cultural objective. The award is a $20,000 package of Pilot Projects’ consulting, technical development, editorial and visualization services to help bring ambitious projects to fruition. Over the year long award duration Pilot Projects will use its core expertise and will work closely with award recipients to help refine vision and goals, design and prototype their infrastructure, and communicate this to the recipients funders and stakeholders. Inquiries for application can be sent to info@pilot-projects.org
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First Award - We are excited to announce our first Culturestructure recipient as: Maa Bara, a startup developing aquaponic infrastructure integrated with education and development initiatives in Kenya and Nigeria.
Co-Founders Runo Okiomah (originally from Nigeria) Elisha Goodman and Timo Bandele Lassak are creating a scalable micro-agricultural system that grows fish and vegetables from food waste and that can be deployed in a variety of conditions including arid or polluted wetland environments (this is particularly important in the oil-polluted Niger Delta). The system is designed to be modular and customizable so that users become full stakeholders in ongoing operation and ongoing development. Beyond addressing food needs the project is intended to open new opportunities for innovation and entrepreneurship, particularly among African youth stuck in cycles of poverty and subsistence agriculture.
Pilot Projects has been working with Maa Bara over the last 18 months and are excited to formalize our commitment to their work through this award.
Niger Delta study visualization at MIT - copyright Maa Bara