The Final State of the Union
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Summary:
The White House hosted a Google+ Hangout today to discuss science, engineering, and entrepreneurial skills and how they can improve the lives of the global poor.
As President Obama and the First Lady travel to Africa, the White House hosted a “We the Geeks” Google+ Hangout to talk with the creative minds harnessing their science, engineering, and entrepreneurial skills to improve the lives of the global poor as well as a new breed of investors – both inside and outside government – sourcing, testing, and scaling cost-effective development innovations.
The participants in “We the Geeks:Innovation for Global Good” included:
- Vineet Bewtra, Director of Investments, Omidyar Network
- Nikhil Jaisinghani and Brian Shaad, Co-founders, Mera Gao Power
- Maura O’Neill, Chief Innovation Officer and Senior Counselor, USAID
- Alix Zwane, Executive Director, Evidence Action
Mera Gao Power and the Dispensers for Safe Water Project at Innovations for Poverty Action/Evidence Action are investments in USAID’s Development Innovation Ventures (DIV) portfolio. To learn more about DIV’s projects around the world, visit the newly released Investment Portfolio here and check out this video of DIV’s investments in action.
Ways to Get Involved
Share your development innovation by applying to DIV’s open competition for solutions in any sector and any country. Learn more at: www.usaid.gov/DIV
The Innovation for Global Good Hangout is part of an ongoing White House series of “We the Geeks” Google+ Hangouts. If you have ideas for the next “We the Geeks”, use the hashtag #WeTheGeeks on Twitter and on Google+ and let us know! Also, you can sign up to receive updates about future hangouts at Whitehouse.gov/We-the-Geeks.
Robynn Sturm Steffen is Senior Advisor to the Deputy Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy
