Planting Hope Recognized as a Top 100 Finalist for the 22nd Annual Chicago Innovation Awards, Proceeds to the Next Stage in the Competition

• Planting Hope has been named a Top 100 Finalist in the Chicago Innovation Awards, the highest recognition of innovation for companies and organizations in the Chicago area.
• The Company is hosting a webinar on October 18^th at 12 pm EST.

CHICAGO, IL and VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / October 16, 2023 / The Planting Hope Company Inc. (TSXV:MYLK)(OTCQB:MYLKF)(FRA:J94), a dynamic FoodTech innovation company dedicated to creating delicious, sustainable food and beverage solutions through advanced ingredient, formulation, and packaging technology, proudly announces its selection as one of the elite Top 100 Finalists for the 22nd annual Chicago Innovation Awards.

More than 340 Chicago-area companies showcasing cutting-edge innovation were nominated for the 2023 Chicago Innovation Awards.

Founded with the vision to recognize the most groundbreaking products and services developed hailing from the Chicago region, the Chicago Innovation Awards shine a spotlight on innovations across varying sizes of organizations, sectors, and industries. Over the past 22 years, more than 389 organizations across 20 categories have been recognized by the Chicago Innovation Awards, including Consumer Products, Food and Entertainment, and Consumer Services.

Previous Chicago Innovation Awards winners in the Food category include McDonalds, US Foods, and Farmers Fridge. Other winners in previous years include Caterpillar, United Airlines, Rubbermaid, Shure, Walgreens, Sara Lee, and Chicago-based celebrity chefs Rick Bayless and Stephanie Izzard, both of whom have built vibrant, innovative consumer packaged food brands. Sponsors of the Chicago Innovation Awards include Molex, Accenture, Wintrust, and Kraft Heinz.

"Chicago's dynamic landscape is increasingly marking its territory as a global innovation nexus - spanning from startups to established corporations and from profit-driven to altruistic endeavors, the tangible impact is immense," said Luke Tannen, President and CEO of Chicago Innovation. "This year's nominees have propelled products and services that have generated $3.8 billion in revenues while carving out opportunities for over 10,000 individuals."

The Top 100 Chicago Innovation finalists were revealed in Crain's Chicago Business the week of September 18^th. In addition to recognition, finalists received an invitation to The Practical Innovator Course, a day of innovation at the Kellogg School of Management on October 3^rd. This day of content included in-depth presentations on innovation development from leading Kellogg MBA faculty, including Tom Kuczmarski, Mohan Sawhney, and James Conley.

"As a Kellogg MBA graduate, it was fantastic to spend a day back with favorite faculty members like Mohan Sawhney, who has been lauded internationally as a business innovation visionary since I attended Kellogg in 2002," said Julia Stamberger, CEO and cofounder, Planting Hope. "The recognition as a Chicago Innovation Award finalist is not just a testament to Planting Hope's relentless pursuit of innovation but also a nod to our community's unwavering support. We're thrilled that we've made it this far in the Chicago Innovation awards vetting process, and we're excited about the opportunity to proceed in the competition. In Chicago business, there is no greater recognition of cutting-edge business success."

The Top 100 finalist list will be further narrowed over the coming weeks through interviews and a judging panel assembled from industry experts. Winners across all categories will be announced at the Chicago Innovation awards ceremony on November 16th, keynoted by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and anticipated to be attended by more than 600 Chicago-area business and civic luminaries.

In addition to the opportunity to potentially win city-wide in the Food category, Planting Hope also has the opportunity to win the coveted "People's Choice Award": to cast a vote for Planting Hope, please visit Chicago Innovation's website.

The ultimate winners of the Chicago Innovation Awards will receive expansive media coverage, recognition, and acclaim, and will be invited to travel to New York City in 2024 to ring the NASDAQ bell.

Winners will also meet with Cook County President Toni Preckwinkle to make connections between their products and services and the needs of Cook County.

Home to Chicago, the third most populous city in the United States, Cook County is the second most populous county in the United States with more than 5.2 million residents. Larger than the entire population of British Columbia, Cook County's resident pool is roughly equivalent to 1/7^th of the total population of Canada.

Upcoming Investor Webinar

Interested parties are invited to join an in-depth webinar on October 18^th at 12 pm EST (11 am CST, 9 am PST). Attendees will get an inside look at how Planting Hope is leading the sustainable food revolution, its innovative product lineup, and the significant opportunities it presents for investors.

Register for the Webinar Here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yMYR48IYQmuBUKgfT0hhYQ

Private Placement of Convertible Note Units

Accredited investors in the United States and internationally (outside of Canada) can find out more about the Company's private placement opportunity and make an investment (via the Issuance platform) at this direct link: invest.plantinghopecompany.com

About The Planting Hope Company Inc.

Planting Hope is a FoodTech-driven company at the forefront of sustainable consumer food and beverage evolution, transforming nutrient-dense, widely cultivated crops into innovative, nutrient-rich products that reimagine pantry staples in the largest, fastest growing global food categories. Our award-winning breakthrough brands, including Hope and Sesame® Sesamemilk, RightRice® High-Protein Veggie Rice, and Mozaics™ Real Veggie Chips, are not only disrupting global markets but also significantly reducing environmental footprints. Available across the US and Canada in grocery retailers (Whole Foods Market, Sprouts Farmers Markets), through foodservice operators (CAVA Mediterranean restaurants - NYSE: CAVA), and e-commerce and alternative retail channels (Amazon, QVC), our products blend culinary innovation with advanced technology, offering first-mover breakthrough products with a wide moat poised to make major disruptions in global food and beverage categories, making a positive impact on the world and providing valuable investment opportunities in the growing sustainable food market.

Our goal at The Planting Hope Company: is to develop the foods that we can effectively cultivate and feed the planet 50 years from now. This is the food that Gen Z is demanding and that Gen Alpha will grow up with.

Explore more atplantinghopecompany.com, sign up for Planting Hope news emails HERE and follow us on LinkedIn.

Contacts

Company Contact:
Julia Stamberger
CEO and Co-founder
(773) 492-2243
julia@plantinghopecompany.com

Investor Relations + Media Contact:
Elyssia Patterson
VP of Investor Relations
(312) 675-4996
Elyssia@plantinghopecompany.com

Media Contact:
Corinn Williams
(773) 492-2243
Corinn@plantinghopecompany.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain disclosure in this news release, including disclosure regarding the terms, amount to be raised, closing(s), TSXV approval and other matters related to the Offering, the expected use of proceeds therefrom, and the goals, and strategy of the Company constitutes forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors outside of the Company's control that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. In preparing the forward-looking statements in this news release, the Company has applied several material assumptions, including, but not limited to, the assumption that all conditions precedent (including TSXV approval) of the Offering will be satisfied in a timely manner; investor interest in the Offering; that general economic and business conditions will not change in a materially adverse manner; customer appeal of the Company's products; the effectiveness of the Company's proposed strategies; and that the Company will be able to raise additional funds on reasonable terms. Although the management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any forward-looking statement herein will prove to be accurate. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE: The Planting Hope Company Inc.