


STAGE ONE
THE GEORGE BARLEY WATER PRIZE
Stage One of the competition was open to everyone, from top-tier universities doing cutting edge research to inventors working in their garage. 104 teams entered ideas, and offered their insights and inspirations on why they decided to embark on solving one of the most vexing challenges facing our planet.
In this stage the prize purse was $35,000 competitors were judged on
1. Performance indicators
2. Experiment description
3. Environmental outcome assessment
4. Overall presentation
Competitors were scored on
1. Phosphorus Removal
2. Environmental Sustainability
3. Overall Presentation

STAGE ONE
THE GEORGE BARLEY WATER PRIZE
Stage One of the competition was open to everyone, from top-tier universities doing cutting edge research to inventors working in their garage. 104 teams entered ideas, and offered their insights and inspirations on why they decided to embark on solving one of the most vexing challenges facing our planet.
In this stage the prize purse was $35,000 competitors were judged on
1. Performance indicators
2. Experiment description
3. Environmental outcome assessment
4. Overall presentation
Competitors were scored on
1. Phosphorus Removal
2. Environmental Sustainability
3. Overall Presentation



GRAND
CHALLENGE
THE GEORGE BARLEY WATER PRIZE
The final ‘Grand Challenge’ stage of the George Barley Water Prize will be the robust testing of contestants under field conditions in the Greater Everglades to validate whether these leading technologies can remove phosphorus from the Kissimmee River or a comparable water body under real conditions at significantly lower cost than currently possible.
The 9 Pilot Phase teams will be narrowed down to the final four, who will move on to the final stage of the competition. Advancers will be announced in October 2018, in Toronto, during Canada’s Water Innovation Week. While Stage 3 asked teams to perform through snowmelt conditions, Stage 4 will require teams to demonstrate their ability to perform in subtropical conditions. Four teams will receive continuous flow, averaging 1 million gallons per day (gpd), with a variable spike of 4 million gallons per day, over the course of 14 months.
A Grand Challenge winner will have demonstrated endurance in a range temperatures, proving their technology is globally applicable. With the support of the State of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection and the St. John’s River Water Management District, the Grand Challenge will be hosted on the banks of Lake Jesup, in Oviedo, Florida.
In this stage the prize purse is a
$10 Million Grand Prize
$250,000 Secondary Prize
$170,000 Phoenix Prize
competitors are judged on
1. TP results from grand stage testing
2. Cost calculations
3. Background water characteristics
4. Waste disposal plan
5. Environmental outcome assessment
6. By-product recovery income plan
7. Twenty-page scalability plan
Competitors were scored on
1. Phosphorus Removal
2. Environmental Sustainability
3. Overall Presentation

GRAND
CHALLENGE
THE GEORGE BARLEY WATER PRIZE
The final ‘Grand Challenge’ stage of the George Barley Water Prize will be the robust testing of contestants under field conditions in the Greater Everglades to validate whether these leading technologies can remove phosphorus from the Kissimmee River or a comparable water body under real conditions at significantly lower cost than currently possible.
The 9 Pilot Phase teams will be narrowed down to the final four, who will move on to the final stage of the competition. Advancers will be announced in October 2018, in Toronto, during Canada’s Water Innovation Week. While Stage 3 asked teams to perform through snowmelt conditions, Stage 4 will require teams to demonstrate their ability to perform in subtropical conditions. Four teams will receive continuous flow, averaging 1 million gallons per day (gpd), with a variable spike of 4 million gallons per day, over the course of 14 months.
A Grand Challenge winner will have demonstrated endurance in a range temperatures, proving their technology is globally applicable. With the support of the State of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection and the St. John’s River Water Management District, the Grand Challenge will be hosted on the banks of Lake Jesup, in Oviedo, Florida.
In this stage the prize purse is a
$10 Million Grand Prize
$250,000 Secondary Prize
$170,000 Phoenix Prize
competitors are judged on
1. TP results from grand stage testing
2. Cost calculations
3. Background water characteristics
4. Waste disposal plan
5. Environmental outcome assessment
6. By-product recovery income plan
7. Twenty-page scalability plan
Competitors were scored on
1. Phosphorus Removal
2. Environmental Sustainability
3. Overall Presentation



STAGE ONE
THE GEORGE BARLEY WATER PRIZE
Stage One of the competition was open to everyone, from top-tier universities doing cutting edge research to inventors working in their garage. 104 teams entered ideas, and offered their insights and inspirations on why they decided to embark on solving one of the most vexing challenges facing our planet.
In this stage the prize purse was $35,000 competitors were judged on
1. Performance indicators
2. Experiment description
3. Environmental outcome assessment
4. Overall presentation
Competitors were scored on
1. Phosphorus Removal
2. Environmental Sustainability
3. Overall Presentation




Nikkie Dvorchak
Director of Development & Events
Nikkie Dvorchak joins the Everglades Foundation as Director of Development, Southwest Florida where she will manage donor relations, philanthropy, sponsorships and fundraising events for the southwest region. Previously, she served as Vice President of Events & Development at the Greater Naples Chamber of Commerce, where she managed all annual and member events including Naples Chamber Classic Golf Tournament, Annual Meeting, Distinguished Public Service Awards, Business After 5, Wake Up Naples, Accelerated Lunch Annual Holiday Party, and Professional Education Workshops. Nikkie also launched a development committee in effort to expand their investor & philanthropic support. She worked closely with the Chamber’s Leadership Collier Foundation on fundraising for scholarships, talent development, work-based learning, and spearheading the Naples Children’s Business Fair for young entrepreneurs and coordinated the two-day Intercity Visit to Palm Beach County for 25 community leaders in 2019.
Nikkie is a Board Member for the Naples Zoo where she is also in her third year as Co-Chair for the annual fundraiser, Zoobilee, Feast with the Beasts. She is on the Board of Directors for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Collier-Lee Chapter and is a member of the National Philanthropy Day Committee, a member of the Annual Symposium Committee, and a participant in the Masterminds Group. She is a member of the Events & Outings Committee for Leadership Collier Foundation and she supports the Naples Therapeutic Riding Center Bootstrap Barn Dance, the Lighthouse of Collier’s Dining in the Dark event, and the All-Star Panel event for Children’s National Foundation. She is a 2017 GAIN (Growing Associates In Naples) Graduate and was recognized as 40 Under 40 Young Professional in 2018 from Gulfshore Business.
Nikkie was previously the Director of Events & Corporate Relations at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida for 6 years. She started with the Conservancy in 2011, when she and her husband Mike relocated to Naples. They have since expanded their family, having two sons. Prior to her move, she resided in her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania where she received her Bachelors of Performing Arts from Point Park University.
Directly after college graduation, Nikkie secured a job with John Robert Powers International Acting & Modeling Company, as the Director of Placement. During her time at JRP, she was able to place over 20 clients into the entertainment industry in New York, Los Angles, and internationally. In her pursuit to advance her career in the events industry, she started with the Crowne Plaza Pittsburgh South as the Executive Meeting Manager, where she would coordinate all social and corporate rental events.
After two years at the Crowne Plaza, Nikkie was offered the position as Club Marketing Manager with the Pittsburgh Steelers Organization. There she managed the club level during Steelers and Pittsburgh Panthers games overseeing a staff of 80 employees. She also organized and managed over 300 special events a year including weddings, galas, proms, corporate functions, conventions, and much more. In addition, she was selected as a member of the advanced team, to prepare and manage all aspects for both Super Bowl XLIII and Super Bowl XLV for the organization.