About Us
Catalyzing Innovation in Housing Affordability
Ivory Innovations is a nonprofit dedicated to catalyzing innovative solutions in housing affordability. Amidst the current housing crisis, we know the way forward is through changes in policy, construction, and finance. We encourage and partner with students, entrepreneurs, and other experts to find the most compelling housing solutions.
Ivory Innovations hosts three annual events to source and support housing solutions: the Ivory Prize for Housing Affordability, the Hack-A-House Competition, and the Ivory Prize Summit.
In Utah, we put innovation into practice through our development of hundreds of affordable housing units each year.
Our Story
Ivory Innovations began in 2018 as a catalyst for driving change within housing affordability through developing the Ivory Prize award, Student Associates Program, and creating a Hack-A-House Competition for students.
How We Work
Support Entrepreneurs
The Ivory Prize is an annual award recognizing ambitious, feasible, and scalable solutions to housing affordability. With support from our advisory board, our team works to identify and track innovations that creatively integrate elements of construction, finance, and/or policy.
Inspire the Next Generation
We engage the next generation of housing innovators through our Student Associate program at the University of Utah, the Ivory Fellowship at Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies, and Hack-A-House - an annual 24-hour competition for college and grad students nationwide to brainstorm and pitch innovative solutions to advance housing affordability.
Our Impact in Numbers
$380+
Million committed to the construction of affordable housing in Utah
$1.6+
Million in prize money awarded through the Ivory Prize
172
Ivory Prize Portfolio members
1,100+
Housing solutions evaluated
1,500+
Affordable housing units planned or in progress in Utah
130
Colleges and universities represented among Hack-A-House participants
1,500+
Students engaged in Hack-A-House
24
Sponsored intern placements
73
Student Associates hired for the Ivory Prize
23
Portfolio organizations granted pro bono support
Our Impact in Numbers
Our History
Ivory Innovations Founded
Salt Lake City, UT
2018
First Ivory Prize Winners Announced
Washington D.C.
April 10th, 2018
First Hack-A-House Competition
Salt Lake City, UT
September 18th, 2018
Ivory Innovations partners with the Call to Action Foundation
Salt Lake City, UT
September 19, 2023
Ivory Innovations Founded
2018
Salt Lake City, Utah
First Ivory Prize Winner Annouced
April 2019
Washington, D.C
First Hack-A-House Competition
September 2018
Salt Lake City, Utah
Ivory Innovations & Call to Action Foundation Partnership
September 2023
Salt Lake City, Utah
Get Involved
Want to help shape the future of housing? Whether you’re a student, entrepreneur, policymaker, or industry professional, we would love to hear from you. Reach out to us here or enter your email address below to receive regular updates on our work.