UNIQUE - Your business must be different from any other company. Entrepreneurship can be defined as designing, launching and running a new business that offers a product or service that differs from any other business before. Einstein Rising wants true social entrepreneurs that have new, innovative ideas for products or services that can help to improve their community and the Earth. You can take ideas from others to inspire your business, but your final business idea must be unique.

PEOPLE - Your business should address a social problem, help customers and improve the community. This is NOT just creating jobs. Social businesses provide products or services that address a social problem. Although job creation is important and valuable, your business must help solve at least one other problem in your community. Your company must also have the ability to grow to impact many people in the long term.

PROFIT - Your business must be for-profit. It is important that your business be financially sustainable and profitable. In order for your business to be practical in the long term, it must have the potential to make you money. Do your research to find out if there is a market for your product or service. We will evaluate your business based on its ability to make a profit.

PLANET - Your business must conserve the environment or protect nature.Your business must have a direct impact on protecting, preserving, managing or restoring natural environments or animals. You cannot satisfy this requirement if protecting the planet is already a byproduct of your business. For example, recycling the leftover byproducts of your business does not count as protecting the environment. However, using recycled items as an integral part of your business can count. Be creative and look at the environment around you to get ideas. Your company’s environmental impact must make a medium to large impact.