After collaborating recently with a few CS grad students who are focused on music visualization software, I was excited to come home from the Gray Area Foundation for the Arts’ benefit to play around with a tool the organization shared, Seaquence. The “experiment in musical composition” reminds me of projects that use knitted sea life-themed sculpture to demonstrate the physical world, this time through sound. Synthesized personal orchestras are easily shared, and the visuals are a lot of fun to try. Go GAFFTA.
TeachAIDS Talks Knowledge, Expands to Botswana
This week was a big one for TeachAIDS, the Palo Alto-based non-profit that creates HIV prevention software that’s being used in more than 50 countries. On World AIDS Day it launched educational animations with characters and content specific to Botswana as founder Piya Sorcar (pictured left, with Lisa Ling) talked at TEDxWomen about the differences between awareness (knowing that the disease exists and kills) and knowledge (understanding ways to keep yourself from becoming infected). The organization has succeeded–and been culturally sensitive while doing so–where many large-scale campaigns haven’t: helping people get smart about their own health. Sorcar’s recent talk is well worth a look, and you’ll see why the work has received San Francisco AIDS Foundation kudos.
On Data-Driven Wellness (& Other Things I Think about Too Much)
It’s ironic to consider inefficiency in healthcare at UCSF, but less so when the focus is how data-tracking might improve our experiences–and wellbeing–as people and patients. Today GigaOm’s Roadmap conference featured analyst Jody Ranck describing the need for more connectedness in the sector. The web-based “socialization of disease” (that is, the idea that lots of people want to share their experiences and literal pain points) isn’t the only evidence I need to agree.
And it’s encouraging to see SF-based companies that are running with this concept. At Rock Health’s demo day this afternoon, incubator company Genomera described the large-scale transition from “n=they” (when people waited for others to be studied for treatment) to “n=we” and “n=me” (when there’s a bias towards participation to improve outcomes). It’s being realized with platforms like SuperBetter from Social Chocolate and Eatery from Massive Health, both of which I’ve just starting trying. What other related services have you excited? Looking forward to hearing.
Businesses Learning from Education Innovations >> Fast Co.
Culture of Future founder Jody Turner asked me to guest post for Fast Company recently. With pleasure!
At the recent NewSchools Venture Fund Summit in the northern part of Silicon Valley, innovators and educators met to re-imagine what future learning technologies might be capable of. The gathering of 600 policy makers, instructors, entrepreneurs, and creators included now-notable philanthropist and Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg, who recently donated $100 million to Newark schools. (When asked why Zuckerberg did so, he said he’s thankful for the education he received and wants to help others have quality school experiences.) … more
Design, D.Talks & Disorganization
IDSA, AIGA, IxDA, AIA, and SEGD have enough shared vowels to make your head spin, but you’ll be grateful for their collaboration when SF Design Week starts on Monday. Get on the wait list for Smart Design’s discussion of “Design, Technology, and the Meaning of Life” and D.Talks on “The Future of Experience.” Sitting down not your thing? Tour Frog Design before trying one of Public Bikes’ frames. It all leads to the Greener Mind Summit next weekend in Mendocino, where you can take personal productivity sessions next to a self-proclaimed disorganizational psychologist.
Midweek Ideas for Ed Tech Entrepreneurs
Educational tech startups, take note: while your accomplishments in both social benefits and development breakthroughs may be massive, you have quite a few calls to make about financial and employee reward models on your way there. Such was the takeaway at “Inside the Entrepreneur’s Studio,” a breakout at the New School Venture Fund Summit this week. Words to the wise included:
Decide whether to operate for profit or not-for-profit (do note that these are different structures and don’t just refer to your first year performance). Greg Gunn, co-founder of education software company Wireless Generation, asked entrepreneurs to consider whether private or foundation capital will be more attainable based on their missions. more
Infinite SF
Infinite City: A San Francisco Atlas is the type of book one picks up in a museum gift shop and buys not for themselves, necessarily, but for a roommate or partner so it can live on a shared shelf or table. Author Rebecca Solnit has assembled an amazing team or cartographers, designers, writers, and research for a soft cover look at local history and geography. Its variety is fantastically browsable: between glances at the Mission (“North of Home, South of Safe”) and film hot spots, there’s a Where’s Waldo-esque look at the origins of the chemicals and cheeses that go into San Franciscans’ bodies. The part atlas, part urban policy tome is visually arresting–so much so that it’s even worth buying a copy for no one but yourself.
Kayu Expands in the Best Possible Way
In honor of Cinco de Mayo, me gusta San Francisco designer Jamie Lim’s new Kayu bags.
After launching a line of bamboo sunglasses, Lim has expanded to introduce the Lilian Envelope ($35) and Mel Tote ($225) made from manila hemp and created by artisans from the Southern Philippines T’boli tribe. Lim’s approach is a rare one in the region, whose economy was once sustained on hand crafted goods but whose natural processes have been undermined by the popularity of synthetic rattan. Kayu’s vegetable-tanned straps and $15 donation to Awareness Cambodia for school supplies for each bag purchased are a good looking breath of fresh air.
Read the original Ecofabulous coverage.
ILearnedToProgram Shows Computer Science Diversity
Part motivator and part story showcase, the new ILearnedToProgram project has earned nearly 500,000 pageviews from developers, students and general Internet users in its first weeks of existence. By inviting people to share their experiences and finish the sentence “I learned to program…”, it’s capturing and sharing the work of featured programmers, a third of whom are women.
The decision to overrepresent females (who are still the vast minority of computer science students and professionals) was a deliberate one, says creator Benjamin Chun, a CS teacher in San Francisco. He wanted girls to feel that they have a place—and adult role models—in the field. The project ultimately highlights the diversity of the industry by providing a shareable space for people to reflect on their own introductions to coding.
Visitors see one-sentence tales about the initial allure of programming, which range from empowerment to self-education and escape. Chun’s response? “I learned to program by reading comments in an HTML file.”
First featured on Women2.org.
Good Looking Gifts from Turq
At a bachelorette party this weekend (and no, there won’t be more about that later), college friends were curious about a few fun wares from Turq. While I’m bummed that partners Lee Addison and Kat Mulford are hanging up their design hats (for now?) after nine years of creating, the good news for you is that the necklaces, earrings and bags are currently at a steep discount. They’ll be filling more than a few bridal bags this summer on my end–not necessarily for the price, but for the pieces’ go anywhere appeal.
IMOW
