It’s a sad fact of life that the words ‘university student’ and ‘innocent’ are rarely mentioned in the same breath these days.
However, Innocent Drinks co-founder Richard Reed is proving exception to the rule. The entrepreneur is lending a helping hand to Boris Johnson, mayor of London, and his panel of judges in their environmentally friendly foray to find the Low Carbon Entrepreneur of 2014. The competition is calling upon London’s young innovators to take part for a chance to bag a tidy £20,000. The best runners-up will be awarded with a paid internship at tech giant and award sponsor Siemens.
With one week remaining until closing date, Reed, who co-founded his smoothie empire in 1999 whilst still at university, said: “I’m delighted to join the judging panel for the mayor’s Low Carbon Entrepreneur 2014. Innocent Drinks is proof of what a good idea and sustainable values can achieve and I’m looking forward to helping find more good ideas and encouraging more students to become green entrepreneurs.”
Reed joins successful businesswoman Deborah Meaden and environmentalist Zac Goldsmith MP in a Dragons’ Den-style contest where the country’s future entrepreneurs will battle it out for the green-fingered title – something Meaden should feel rather at home with.
“When judging I look for the potential of an idea to make a positive difference, I want to be excited by what it could achieve while still seeing that the plans are realistic,” she said.
Boris chipped in too – as one would expect. “Richard Reed should inspire London’s budding young entrepreneurs to put their thinking caps on and help shape a more sustainable future,” he said. “Today’s ideas could help create the next electric cars, solar panels or sustainable energy and will go on to foster jobs and growth in the capital’s green economy while helping to reduce our carbon emissions.”
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at the Siemens Crystal in London on Wednesday June 4. For more information and to enter the competition, take a trip to the Greater London Authority website.
With prize money of £20,000 up for grabs, just imagine how many snakebites that would buy. 
