San Jose, California, Oct. 24, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- On Saturday, Nov. 4, 2017, Silicon Valley will toast changemakers who are using technology to make the world healthier. During an evening celebration at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose, California, leaders and founders from five organizations improving the lives of millions will be joined by 2017 James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award recipient, author and U.N. Refugee Agency Goodwill Ambassador Khaled Hosseini for an evening to celebrate solutions to the world’s most pressing health problems.
That night will launch an ambitious new program — The Tech for Global Good — which will use the stories of these innovators in new exhibits and education programs at The Tech to empower the next generation to tackle big problems. There will be additional events throughout the year for young people that highlight social impact through innovation:
- Nov. 4: The Tech for Global Good Celebration and program launch
- Nov. 7: Youth Summit at The Tech and announcement of the 2017 Moore Inventor Fellows
- November–June: Tech for Global Good Social Innovation Lab, “Design for All,” begins in the museum for visitors and school groups. The hands-on lab allows people to design and create an inclusive space using virtual reality tools.
- Fall 2018: Tech for Global Good Youth Conference, developed for youth by youth.
- Ongoing: Additional Tech for Global Good Youth Summits; Apps for Health Social Innovation Lab; and professional development for educators.
“Since 2001, The Tech, through The Tech Awards, has honored some of the brightest innovators around the world for what they’ve done to benefit the lives of others,” said Tim Ritchie, president and CEO of The Tech. “We still want to inspire the C-suites around Silicon Valley with these stories, but The Tech for Global Good will also show young people that with today’s technology, it’s possible for anyone to make a profound impact on the world.”
The five organizations being honored Nov. 4 at The Tech are:
- Crisis Text Line: A free, 24/7, confidential text message service for people in crisis, Crisis Text Line has exchanged more than 45 million messages since 2013. Founded in the United States.
- Forus Health: Develops technologies that are helping to eradicate preventable blindness, reaching more than 2 million people in 16 countries. Founded in India.
- Livox: Accessible and affordable software that enables people with disabilities to communicate using a tablet computer. Currently, more than 10,000 people are using Livox. Founded in Brazil.
- Medic Mobile: SMS messaging, data collection and analytics for health workers in remote areas of more than 20 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Founded in the United States.
- PATH: An international health organization that is driving transformative innovation to save lives, reaching more than 150 million people in 70 countries each year. PATH is headquartered in Seattle, WA with offices in San Francisco, Washington DC, and across Africa and Asia.
All five are featured in a prominent new exhibit that will tell the stories of how each innovator is addressing a health problem to the more than 400,000 visitors to The Tech annually. The exhibits will change each year to reflect a new class of laureates.
“One thing our laureates have in common is that they all saw a problem and felt the need to act,” said Leslie Zane, director of The Tech for Global Good. “We hope by seeing the process in action, visitors of all ages will feel inspired and empowered to address problems in their own communities.”
Key supporters of The Tech for Global Good include the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation; former Intel colleagues and friends in memory of Ed Gelbach and Albert Yu; Judy and Erica Swanson; Mozilla; Qatalyst; Applied Materials; PayPal; Sutter Health; Adobe; eBay; Nasdaq; Accenture; Delta Air Lines; EY; Gilead Sciences; GoDaddy; KPMG; Charmaine and Daniel Warmenhoven; and Xilinx.
About The Tech Museum of Innovation
The Tech is a hands-on technology and science center for people of all ages and backgrounds. Located in the Capital of Silicon Valley, The Tech is a non-profit experiential learning resource established to engage people in exploring and experiencing applied technologies affecting their lives. The Tech for Global Good and The Tech Challenge are signature programs of the institution. The Tech’s mission is to inspire the innovator in everyone.
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Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/989913ba-b1f5-468b-97e8-b6c129aea966
Attachments:
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e4129edf-3483-493e-8aa9-ec7c3ffba1c2