MicroGreens started last year in one D.C. school, teaching 10 middle-schoolers to cook for a family of four for under $3.50 a meal. But founder Alli Sosna has big plans, and she won't stop until every student in America knows how to wield a knife, julienne carrots, and roast a chicken.

WestMill Capital, the D.C. based real estate firm founded by Ben and Dan Miller, has a creative new use for its properties during the months that typically transpire between acquisition and construction.