Posted by Educators in VR is proud to produce the second annual Girls STEAM Institute Virtual Reality Team Business Challenge July 16-17, 2020, in AltspaceVR. The events are free and open to the public.
Since 2014, Girls STEAM Institute uses Project-Based Learning skills to teach girls how to ideate, innovate, and implement business ideas in a team setting to solve problems as entrepreneurs and leaders. Hundreds of high-school age girls have pursed leadership roles through the STEAM Business Challenges and graduates have gone on to higher ed, attending MIT, working at NASA, becoming inspiration leaders in their communities and in business as well as representing YOUNGA UN Ambassadors, Forbes 30 Under 30, launching their own businesses, and even authoring a book.
The 2022 VR Girls Team Business Challenge, July 16-17, features 6 teams of girls to form a business entity to develop a business plan and digital application and pitch their idea to a panel of experts for prizes. The theme this year is focused on climate change and using technology to save our planet in line with the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals.
This is the first year that international girls will be participating in anticipation of the Girls STEAM Institute’s Global BR Business Challenge, October 8-9, 2022. In addition to representing the UK, the girls join their teams from across the United States, many meeting and working together for the first time.
While the teams are working on their challenges, Girls STEAM Institute is hosting a diverse line-up of expert speakers covering a wide variety of inspirational and motivational topics.
The event is sponsored by US Bank, CESCO, Gothenburg Family Trust, Humanitea, Girls Have Dreams, and Serendipity Productions LLC.
Check the event speaker links for the time in your time zone.
Saturday, July 16, 2020
Kate Edwards: Kate Edwards is the Principal of Geogrify and Board Chair of Girls STEAM Institute and a unique hybrid of an applied geographer, writer, and content culturalization strategist with a passion for global cultures and media technologies. With broad experience in the fields of geography, cartography, geopolitics and cross-cultural issues, she is a recognized thought leader in the information industry as related to inclusive representation, content management, and cross-cultural impacts of information and globalization. She is an award-winning Advocate, Forbes’ Women 50 Over 50 List, Speaker, Advisor, Geographer and Culturalization Innovator at Geogrify, CXO, Co-Founder at SetJetters, Former Executive Director of the Global Game Jam and IGDA, and former Microsoft geopolitical strategist and now independent consultant for her company Geogrify.
Doug Hohulin: Doug Hohulin worked for 33 years at Nokia/Motorola in Strategy, Business Development, Account Management, and Engineering roles and member of People-Centered Internet (PCI) founded by Vinton G. Cerf, and is developing a nursing school educational program in VR with Victory XR. He focuses on XR/Metaverse, Telecommunication (5G/6G, WiFi, Cable/10G), Intelligent Transportation (Automated Vehicles, Traffic Safety, UAV), Energy/Smart Grid, Digital Health, Telehealth, Education, Future of Work and Public Policy projects. He is a Volunteer Affiliate Faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Nursing supporting various XR projects. He is a KC Digital Drive Health Innovation Team member and on the University of Central Missouri Gigabit Lab Advisory Board.
Deborah Todd: Deborah Todd, MBA is the former Executive Board member of the Producers Guild of American, member of the WGA, PGA, ATA, G100, NASW, and Girls STEAM Institute. She is an award-winning writer, designer, producer, editor working with developers, studios, production houses, and publishers worldwide, and served as the Senior Director Content Development in Science. Her innovative multimedia and multi-platform entertainment and transmedia development projects have explored the wide range of science including AI, astronomy, astrophysics, biology, biopharma, biotech, botany, chemistry, computer science, ecology, mathematics, neurobiology, environmental science and a wide range of life sciences. She’s published over 30 game titles as the sole designer, writer, or producer. Three of the games have over 1 million users and were awarded Best Interactive Story, Best Educational Software, and Top 12 Titles of the Year.
Sunday, July 17, 2022
Dr. Tom Furness III: Dr. Tom Furness is co-founder of the Virtual World Society and considered the grandfather of VR, and board member of the Girls STEAM Institute. For over 60 years, he has been a leader in immersive technology innovations that have touched the lives of millions around the world. He is a professor emeritus of the University of Washington’s Human Interface Technology Laboratory, one of the oldest XR labs in the world.
Prashant Shah: Prashant Shah, Global Head of Artificial Intelligence, Intel Health & Life Sciences, will be discussing the Introduction to AI and its applications for Climate Change. Prashant leads efforts to develop IoT, datacenter, and cloud-based AI platforms for medical imaging, electronic records, genomics, and drug discovery. He is also the AI advisor to the National Institutes of Health’s All of Us precision medical research program aimed to collect data over 10 years on over 1 million participants to establish the basis of wellness and disease.
Diane McClelland, Co-Founder of Girls STEAM Institute: Diane McClelland will be discussing leadership productivity skills and techniques to further your career and passion business goals. She is Co-Founder and CEO of Girls STEAM Institute, a nonprofit which focuses on engaging young girls ages 13-18 to explore becoming a social entrepreneur in the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math fields. We are a group of women business owners and subject matter experts impassioned to reach more girls to help mentor them to develop self-confidence, team building and leadership skills, and tools to build successful businesses. Our focus is to showcase how technology, interpersonal and relationship skills, and business acumen are necessary ingredients in becoming a successful STEAM entrepreneur. She is the founder and former President and CEO of the Astra Society International and regional partner of the Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.
Girls STEAM Institute Business Challenge Presentations and Awards Ceremony: The 6 teams will present their business solution and pitch it before a team of expert judges. The pitches will be evaluated for collaboration and team work, ideation, presentation style, originality, viability for commercial application, and developing solutions using critical and design thinking.
The Girls STEAM Institute’s Business Challenges represent key elements in the mission of Educators in VR to integrate immersive technology into education. We believe that the Girls STEAM Institute VR events are the first of their kind to bring girls mostly unfamiliar with VR into virtual reality to collaborate and present an innovative business plan that uses technology for good to change the world. As we are still feeling the impact of last year’s ground-breaking presentations, we can’t wait to see what they come up with this year. Join us for a transformative experience of XR education in action.
See their website for more information on this and upcoming Girls STEAM Institute Virtual Reality Team Business Challenges.