Young Inventors is a video-based platform for connecting innovators, funders, and partners. We will post webisodes — insider stories about young inventor teams, as they struggle to make scalable, sustainable social change in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We plan to document their trials and triumphs on the road to invention here, of low tech and high tech devices which can trigger economic and social change in some corners of the world where they work. Our website aims to: -build community and connect young inventors to others -promote and multiply successful projects -build audiences for a broadcast film series; through a fan-based social media campaign, we can attract web celebrities and youth ripe for social action.
Community-building and social-networking features:
- Engaging serial video episodes that track teams in the field will show engaging characters negotiating personal goals, team relationships, and cross-cultural challenges
- Links to blogs from vetted mentors and innovators offering advice
- A wiki-style brainstorming page for moderated discussions about existing projects and how people can get involved, as well as new ideas
- “Act Now” boxes for each Inventor Team, which users can click to a) get in touch with teams b) volunteer time to help, and/or c) donate money to the project.
- Practical tools to help young inventors start projects:
- A comprehensive competitions database
- Access to Invested Development’s forthcoming “Angel Software,” a program that will connect inventor teams and angel investors
- Production guidelines for storytelling, with annotated samples of good videos, for those in need of presentation skills and materials
- Links to related sites with similar missions (incubators at universities, Lemelson, NCIIA, Gen V Campaigns, BGI, Acumen, Echoing Green, etc.).