These Ideas were Voted as the Top Ideas at Reinventing Delaware 2018

Second Chances Farm: Creating Capitalists (Top Overall Idea of the Night)

Second Chances Farm plans to establish a series of hydroponic vertical farms, all of which are completely organic, free of pesticides and herbicides, primarily in one or more of the 25 Opportunity Zones designated in Delaware by the U.S. Department of Treasury that will feature a paid apprenticeship program – at $15/hour for men and women returning from prison – and offering entrepreneurial opportunities to the farmers who “graduate” from our apprenticeship program, typically with no access to credit or capital, with a portion of a local vertical farm to operate – on a turnkey basis – using a profit-sharing model which will supply local restaurants, grocery stores, and corporate CSA’s within 150 miles.

Truly Advanced Education NOW

This will create the only advanced middle school program for students in Wilmington at EastSide Charter School in partnership with LYTE, the Crozier Scholarship Fund and Independent Schools. The program would consist of advanced curriculum based which will challenge students beyond what they would normally receive in public school. Students will also attend classes at area independent schools once a month.

The Learning Lab

The learning lab will be a state-of-the art center for excellence and innovation providing engaging experiential learning opportunities and activities for all students in and around the City of Wilmington. The learning lab will supplement gaps in our current school system and challenge our educational paradigms by creating a state-of-the-art space where learning is engaging, hands on, project driven, and youth remain inquisitive and gain confidence. The lab will be located downtown and provide safe, high quality after school, late evening, and weekend youth experiences and activities.

Comprehensive Medical Care in Pediatrics

Use a vacant floor in the Community Education Building and providing medical, dental, optical and behavioral health for Delaware’s most readmitted pediatric population.

Patient Sortal LLC

Patient Sortal LLC is a Medical Case Management company that offers healthcare liaison services to children with Chronic Disease in greater Philadelphia area. This solution will provide children’s care providers with complete health records to make the best care decisions, we compile appointments so patients can see all their care providers within a few days rather then spread across a month, we connect patients to specialist for their particular disease and have experience working with adolescents, and we make care plans comprehensive for the child and their parents/caregivers as they have many questions throughout this process.

Sustainable Aquaponic Farming

Mantis Farms intends to grow in a completely sustainable manner; fish and produce that will provide highly nutritious food to our community. We intend to keep our product local and provide to the market, a living product that will have an exponentially greater shelf life. The development of our farms will impact our community with many positive attributes. Developments such as job creation, community improvement, educational initiatives for rehabilitating low level felons-individuals with special needs-veterans and students.

Create & Leverage public-private partnerships (P3)

Identify new public-private partnerships that will drive both economic development and/or more efficient government. There is an opportunity to drive economic development as well as more efficient government through innovative public-private partnerships.

Social Impact Real Estate Investing

The roughly 2000 vacant and abandoned properties plaguing Wilmington are one of Delaware’s biggest socio-economic and political issues. At the same time, 7,500 people in Wilmington need Permanent Supportive Housing – an innovative form of public housing used to treat and house the mentally ill, disabled, and addicted. Wilminvest repurposes vacant and abandoned properties as permanent supportive housing.

Make Delaware the Internship Destination / Internships, Apprenticeships for Every Student

College students who gain real world experience and connections through internships/apprenticeships are much more likely to be: employed after graduation by the organization offering the internship, to feel they have a real world connection and a familiarity with employers in Delaware, and, are more likely to build upon this to develop their network. This will help keep our talent here in Delaware!