The RB Innovation Hack is an event that brings together RB top talent and promising startups/entrepreneurs to create purpose-led solutions to tackle global health problems. Over an intense 24 hours, three teams work competitively to come up with a consumer solution that meets our brief, which they must pitch to our judging panel in front of a live audience.
This year, the Innovation Hack will take to the stage at the Startup Grind annual conference in Silicon Valley. Startup Grind is one of the largest independent start-up community, educating, inspiring, and connecting over two million entrepreneurs across the world.
The partnership gives RB a great opportunity to connect with potential new partners, raise awareness of our expertise in consumer health and gain insights into how we can better work with start-ups. Likewise, it will provide start-ups with an opportunity to experience working with RB and connect with senior business leaders to explore potential partnership opportunities.
How does the hack work?
- Three teams are given 24 hours to ideate a product solution to address a huge consumer health need. For example, protecting child health from air pollution, our focus for both the 2016 and 2017 Innovation Hacks
- To foster creativity and ensure an even playing field, team members are chosen from industries that are completely unrelated to the issue being addressed.
- Each team includes an RB R&D mentor, four or five RB experts from R&D and marketing, and a similar number of creative leaders and start-up representatives/entrepreneurs.
- The teams are briefed for the first time on the day and participate in facilitated creative workshops to help with ideation. An RB mentor supports each team and an expert panel including a key opinion leader from the relevant industry is on hand for Q&A.
- The next morning, the teams pitch – on stage in front of a live audience - to the judging panel, comprising an RB leader, a startup/entrepreneur and a key opinion leader from the industry.
It’s an exciting opportunity for RB talent, enabling them to connect globally with experts outside of their day to day roles. The winning team will receive a commitment from R&D to explore how to potentially bring the winning idea to life and into market (and trophies of course!).
What some of our past Hackers have to say:
“I was lucky enough to participate in the first RB Hack at Cannes Lions. I didn’t know what to expect and was overwhelmed by the passion and creativity of the participants to find a solution to protect Children from pollution in India. If you had asked me in advance if we could really achieve anything in 24 hours I would have been sceptical but with a clear goal, the right people with knowledge, drive & enthusiasm I was blown away with the output and came away with a real sense that at RB we can truly accomplish if we really put our minds to it.” Lorna Nichols, Disruptive Innovation Manager, RB participant.
“When I was asked to be a mentor of the Hack in 2017 I accepted thinking it was something I “should” do as a member of the RDLT and to support building the innovation talent and capability in RB. Never for a minute did I think it would mean working all day and night with my team who were inspiring, passionate and driven to solve one of the world’s biggest problems. We all threw ourselves at it and to top it off, my amazing team won! It was really one of those unforgettable career experiences.” Zephanie Jordan, Chief SQRC Officer, RB Mentor.
This year the RB Innovation Hack will take place on Monday 10th February with live pitches on Tuesday 11th February.