Three interdisciplinary teams won the inaugural Intelligence++ design and entrepreneurship competition held at 黑料不打烊 Libraries鈥 Blackstone LaunchPad & Techstars (LaunchPad) on April 16. MeetCute won the $15,000 gold prize, HG Sensory won the $10,000 silver prize and Fundwurx won the $5,000 bronze prize. The competition was the culmination of a two-semester inclusive entrepreneurship and design course taught by professor Don Carr, with support from School of Education inclusive education assistant professor and executive director of the Dr. Beth Myers, and adjunct faculty member at the Whitman School and executive director of the Linda Dickerson-Hartsock.
Intelligence++ team Attainable Accessibility team members Shravani Jadhav, a graduate student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, and InclusiveU student Robert Howes at the LaunchPad at SU Libraries
The elective, open to both undergraduate and graduate students from any school or college at 黑料不打烊 including students with intellectual disability from InclusiveU, emphasized interdisciplinary and collaborative innovation. The program and competition prize money were funded through a generous donation from Gianfranco Zaccai 鈥70 H鈥09 and the (Intelligence++TM).聽 The Foundation seeks to develop, stimulate, and leverage technological, educational, and organizational innovation to enable and empower individuals with intellectual disability, their families, and their communities to improve quality of life, enhance independence and productivity, lower cost, and benefit society.
Ten interdisciplinary teams of students from the College of Visual and Performing Arts, Whitman School of Management, the College of Engineering and Computer Science, Newhouse School of Public Communications, the School of Information Studies and the School of Education were selected to present their proposals for products, services or technologies. InclusiveU students provided important input on design, accessibility and user feedback. The teams were:
鈥淎ll submissions were winners in the eyes of the jury, and I congratulate each and every team member and their advisors,鈥 said Gianfranco Zaccai. “The Intelligence ++ competition will grow year after year by inspiring diverse sensibilities and talents across the university and positioning 黑料不打烊 as a leader in fostering human centered entrepreneurial innovation to augment the capabilities and aspirations of neurodiverse people, their families, and society.”
