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Recycling Pickleballs

@bouncebackpickle

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3k/770k lbs of pickleballs diverted ♻️📦
Giving Cracked Pickleballs a Second Life ♻️
👇Pre-order live ♻️🚀

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𝗧𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆

What if yesterday’s broken pickleballs could become tomorrow’s new ones?

@dillonrosenthal, founder and CEO of @bouncebackpickle, is tackling one of pickleball’s growing environmental challenges by transforming discarded pickleballs into new, high-performance balls.

With 98 partner facilities across 14 states and more than 3,000 pounds of pickleball plastic diverted from landfills, BounceBack is demonstrating how sustainability and entrepreneurship can work together.

Discover how Rosenthal is building a nationwide recycling network, changing the way the industry thinks about waste and creating a more sustainable future for pickleball.

📖 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗹𝗲: https://thepickleballweekly.com/bounceback-pickle-recycled-pickleballs-dillon-rosenthal/

#ThePickleballWeekly #Pickleball #PickleballSustainability #PickleballInnovation #PickleballRecycling

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Free money is real money 🤑

If you’re building something, follow for the systems behind winning pitch competitions

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@dillonrosenthal is an emerging entrepreneur focused on combining innovation, sustainability, and community impact through practical business solutions.

As Founder of BounceBack Pickle, Dillon is building what he describes as the world’s first scalable, closed-loop recycling system for pickleball. The venture aims to address sustainability challenges in the sport by creating a more circular approach to equipment and material use.

Dillon’s entrepreneurial work was recognized when he was named the 2025 CEO Global Entrepreneur of the Year. He also placed third in the 2025 Global Pitch Competition and earned second place in Catalyst XL’s startup pitch competition.

Through Catalyst XL, Dillon developed his leadership, innovation, startup, and venture capital skills while mentoring future students of the program.

He has also served as Vice President of Finance for the FGCU CEO Club, supporting financial planning, budgeting, and student entrepreneurship initiatives. As Vice President of Finance for Sigma Phi Epsilon, he managed a semiannual budget exceeding $45,000, maintained financial records, oversaw dues collection, and advised the executive board on spending decisions.

As Campus Director at Switch, Dillon supported product adoption by onboarding organizations, gathering user feedback, and helping integrate the platform into university communities.

His broader experience includes team leadership, operations, event coordination, customer service, sports coaching, automotive repair, and financial administration. These roles have strengthened his ability to manage people, solve problems, organize complex activities, and operate effectively in fast-paced environments.

Dillon’s expertise includes entrepreneurship, sustainable innovation, startup development, finance, budgeting, venture capital, user feedback, community building, team leadership, and operations management.

Inspired presents Dillon Rosenthal as a purpose driven young entrepreneur who is turning a passion for pickleball into an opportunity to build a more sustainable future for the sport.

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Our new broken ball recycling!! #pickleball #bouncebackpickleball #pickleballclub #pickleballcommunity

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The past month has been crazy - in a good way!

I had the opportunity to compete in two incredible pitch competitions representing Hoop-Dee Mats, and am grateful that we were able to come home with podium finishes at both events:

🏆 2nd Place — SCORE Naples Business Pitch Competition 🏆 3rd Place — PitchGNV at the University of Florida in Gainesville

The level of competition at both events was incredible. Being surrounded by entrepreneurs who are building ambitious companies, solving real problems, and taking chances on their ideas is extremely motivating.

I want to sincerely thank all of the mentors, coaches, judges, and fellow competitors who made these experiences possible, as well as my family, fiancée, and friends for their constant support. Every conversation, piece of feedback, and new relationship is something I’m grateful for and will carry with me as I continue building.

What makes this past month even more meaningful is that, in the middle of preparing, traveling, pitching, and continuing to run my dumpster business, I also earned my Class A CDL.

For me, growth has always come from putting myself in situations that push me outside of my comfort zone. Whether that means standing in front of a room pitching an idea, learning a new skill, running businesses, or simply taking on the next challenge, I believe every experience adds another tool to the toolbox.

There is still a long road ahead, but I’m proud of the progress, grateful for the people I’ve met along the way, and excited to keep building.

On to the next challenge🚀

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At least I caught it @marcuslemonis

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Didn’t win the $1,000,000 - incredibly grateful for the last 3 weeks @hultprize

Now onto the next… @alibaba.com_official

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It’s officially time to meet the 2026 EF Hult Prize Global Finalists! These top eight startups just finished pitching their social enterprises for a chance to win $1M USD in seed funding.

Swipe through to learn about each of our startup’s missions, and share your congratulations in the comments below!

Go to the link in bio to join the YouTube livestream for the 7PM (BST) announcement of the Global Finals WINNER! 🏆

🎾 𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲
Florida Gulf Coast University, USA
The first closed-loop recycling system turning broken pickleballs into new ones to divert landfill waste.

📚𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘆𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮
Eastern Bavarian Technical University Amberg-Weiden, Germany
An AI-adaptive platform that teaches 8-16 year-olds life skills like money management and self-organisation through personalized digital modules.

♻️𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗨𝗽 𝗠𝗗𝗖
Airforce Institute of Technology Kaduna, Nigeria
A recycling platform to empower underserved communities across Africa to book plastic pickups using toll free, AI-voice powered technology.

👷𝗗𝗶𝗵𝗮𝗱𝗶
BITS Pilani, India
An AI-voice platform connecting unskilled construction workers to employers, no literacy or smartphone required.

🧬𝗗𝘆𝗲𝗠𝗲𝗿𝗮
University of Cologne, Germany
Fluorescent imaging technology that lets scientists watch how fat is processed inside living cells in real time to aid drug discovery.

💧𝗙𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗚𝘂𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia
Battery-powered ultrasonic smart water meter with remote shut-off, sold to Gulf utilities and municipalities to cut residential leakage.

🤱𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗗𝗼𝗰
Florida International University, USA
A handheld device assessing preterm birth risk without invasive examination, making prenatal care faster and more accessible.

🩻𝗤𝗮𝗹𝗮𝗺 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
McGill University, Canada
A handheld AI device that detects cancer cells in tissue margins in real time during bone cancer surgery.

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WATCH THE HULT PRIZE GLOBAL FINALS 🏆

Join us in Lucas Hall as we watch the world’s top student startups compete in the Hult Prize Global Finals!

And, if he makes the Top 8, we’ll be cheering on DKSOE alum Dillon Rosenthal and BounceBack Pickle on the global stage. 👀

Come watch the finals. Come support Dillon. Come celebrate the journey.

📍 Lucas Hall, 1st Floor
📅 Wednesday, Sept. 2
⏰ 9 a.m.

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2 days left till 1 team walks home with $1,000,000 💰

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"𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗙 𝗛𝘂𝗹𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗯𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿?" 🤔

The past 3 weeks at @ashridgehouse have been 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗱. 21 startup teams didn't just workshop ideas, they went out and:
✅ Signed commercial agreements
✅ Ran real pilot programs
✅ Built legal foundations
✅ Practiced (and practiced and practiced) their pitches

We're talking companies turning concepts into real solutions for real people 🌍

They came in with $𝟳.𝟯𝗠 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗱. Last year's cohort generated $90M in commercial validation during the program. This year's goal? Break $100M. 💸

And next week? 8 finalists pitch for $1M USD in seed funding.

📅 2026 Global Finals: 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮 @ 𝟯𝗣𝗠 𝗕𝗦𝗧
📺 Watch LIVE → Comment LIVE or go to our link in bio!

You don't want to miss this 🔥

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“I have no doubt that a lot of us will carry the relationships built within the accelerator throughout the rest of our journeys.”

The 2026 EF Hult Prize Global Accelerator has wrapped after a final pitch at the @Google offices in London. Our 21 semi-finalists spent the last three weeks focused on commercial traction, storytelling, and refinement of their business models to prepare for this day.

Dozens of investors joined us at Google to network and hear the startups pitch, providing our teams with real opportunities to connect with the ecosystems they need to scale.

Only eight teams will have the chance to pitch for $1M USD this coming 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗦𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮 @ 𝟯𝗣𝗠 𝗕𝗦𝗧 at @ashridgehouse. Comment LIVE or go to the link in our bio to bookmark the YouTube livestream. You don’t want to miss this year’s global, million-dollar showdown!

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