We’re thrilled to announce that Waste Wise Innovation and our flagship solution, the Topper Stopper™, have been named the grand prize winner of the Charlotte Hornets 2025 Innovation Summit! This recognition is a testament to our team’s dedication to revolutionizing recycling and building a cleaner, more sustainable future.
The Journey: From Application to Finalist
The road to the summit began with a vision: to tackle recycling contamination at the source and empower organizations with real-time data and smarter waste management. When the Charlotte Hornets and Bank of America opened applications for their 2025 Innovation Summit, we knew the Topper Stopper™, our patent-pending, plug-and-play solution for recycling bins, was ready for the spotlight.
After submitting our application, we were excited to learn that we’d made it through the initial review. This meant access to invaluable entrepreneurial training from the UNC Charlotte Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, where we honed our pitch and deepened our understanding of how to scale impact.
Making the Cut: The Final Round
The competition was fierce, with innovative, minority-owned businesses from across the region vying for a spot in the finals. Thanks to the support of our community and the strength of our mission, Topper Stopper™ was selected as a finalist. We advanced to the live pitch event at the Spectrum Center, home of the Charlotte Hornets, where we presented our vision to a panel of judges and a crowd of supporters.
Our pitch focused on the real-world challenges of recycling, contamination, inefficiency, and lack of actionable data, and how Topper Stopper™ directly addresses these issues. By retrofitting existing recycling bins with smart technology, we help organizations reduce contamination, collect real-time data, and incentivize better recycling habits through gamification and rewards.
And the Winner Is… Topper Stopper™!
The moment our name was announced as the winner was unforgettable. The $25,000 investment from the Charlotte Hornets, along with the exposure and connections gained through the summit, will accelerate our mission to transform recycling in communities, businesses, and venues everywhere.
What’s Next for Waste Wise Innovation
Winning the Charlotte Hornets 2025 Innovation Summit is just the beginning. We’re committed to expanding the reach of Topper Stopper™ and our suite of solutions, including TS Analytics™, EcoLedger™, and more, to help municipalities, businesses, and organizations optimize recycling, reduce waste, and build a truly circular economy.
We’re grateful to the Charlotte Hornets, Bank of America, UNC Charlotte, and everyone who supported us on this journey. Together, we’re innovating a cleaner future. It was a very special surprise to receive the amazing news of winning this year’s competition from the Charlotte Hornets’ Head Coach, Charles Lee. Thank you all for this truly memorable and exceptional journey!
