The New York Times recognized Planting Empowerment as an innovative idea, as part of a special "Bright Ideas" section.

Planting Empowerment was chosen as a finalist for the 2008 Innovation Awards. The Social Venture Network supports the "next generation" of socially responsible business and nonprofit leaders by providing them access to the people and resources to help develop their ideas into successful enterprises.

Echoing Green invests in and supports outstanding emerging social entrepreneurs to launch new organizations that deliver bold, high-impact solutions. Two of Planting Empowerment's founders were recognized.

The Yale Global Social Venture Competition is the first student-led business plan competition that supports and promotes social ventures. PE came away with third place.    

In it's first business plan competition Planting Empowerment reached the top five out of 150, and came away with third prize. The University of Washington's Global Social Entrepreneurship Competition (GSEC) engages creative minds around the world to encourage bolder and less conventional business solutions to global poverty.