Compete

Create and Submit Your Proposal (due by 12 p.m. on Monday, October 12, 2026)
The Finals (October 30, 2026) – Top Eight Proposals compete live with panels of judges
For more details visit the “About” page

Optional: One or more information sessions

You will be invited to coaching sessions once you register below. You can also view a recorded session here from the 2024 LIFT challenge. Please note that some aspects of LIFT have evolved since this session. For example, we no longer ask for a concept note to register. Our website will have the most up-to-date information.

All times in EDT. For sessions with no sign-up link, invite will be sent to teams who have registered for LIFT.

• Marc Shiman – Friday, September 18 @ 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Marc Shiman has tremendous experience with international development and helping people build successful organizations all over the world. Whether based in the US or anywhere else in the world, Marc will provide insights and help you and your team dive deeper into your idea and its scalability.
• ​Jeff Mittelstadt – Monday, September 28 at 10:20 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • ​This workshop will provide steps and examples to help your company, community organization, business accelerator or philanthropic foundation develop creative collaborations that could attract more funding for climate progress.
  • Register here
• Dr. Olga Hawn – Tuesday, September 29 at 10:20 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • Dr. Olga Hawn will cover how to set organizational and operational boundaries, distinguish direct (Scope 1) from indirect (Scope 2 and 3) emissions, identify and collect the right activity data, and apply emissions factors and global warming potential (GWP) to calculate your carbon footprint — including a worked example you can follow along with. We’ll close by looking at how to set realistic reduction goals and estimate the impact of a sustainability initiative (like adding solar) on your bottom-line emissions number.
  • Register here
• ​Dr. Angel Hsu and Damon Lim – Wednesday, September 30 at 10:20 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • In this talk, Dr. Angel Hsu will introduce the concept of “greenslop” as well as the problems of hallucination, bias, and other failures in AI, especially in the climate domain. Dr. Hsu will also discuss ChatNetZero, an AI application that she co-developed which helps check, compare, and understand the climate and net-zero goals set by countries and companies. Lastly, she will share research insights on how AI can be used more safely and reliably for business sustainability, such as through the adoption of “right-sized” models.
  • Register here
• ​Dr. Carri Reisdorf and ​Dr. Annie Williams – Thursday, October 1 at 10:20 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
  • ​In this interactive workshop, participants will explore key marketing considerations for understanding what customers value, connecting sustainability efforts to those needs, and communicating them in ways that resonate.
  • Register here
• Jeff Mittelstadt – Wednesday, October 7 at 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.
  • Jeff Mittelstadt, UNC Kenan-Flagler Professor and ACES Executive Director, will talk through the fundamentals of impact measurement and why it’s necessary in any impact-driven venture.