Build2gether 2.0 — Inclusive Innovation Challenge

Are you ready to win big while making a difference in the world? Our contest is offering amazing rewards. A total of more than 50 rewards, 10 lucky draws, and 200 hardware super-box will be rewarded throughout the contest. In total, there is more than $100,000 to win!!!

CONTEST ORGANIZER

Cyrille Grumbach (Hackster: ADMIN-BUILD2GETHER) is the organizer of Build2Gether 2.0, and previously organized Build2Gether 1.0. He emphasizes the importance of increased innovation in the field of assistive technologies. As a Ph.D. candidate in Chair of Strategic Management and Innovation (SMI) at ETH Zürich, Cyrille's research revolves around developing novel strategies to enhance innovation outcomes for individuals with disabilities. He firmly believes that the contest will serve as a catalyst for transforming innovation approaches in assistive technologies. Cyrille envisions a future where individuals with disabilities are consistently included throughout the entire product design and development process, thus revolutionizing the way these technologies are created.

CONTEST MASTERS — VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES TEAM

Marc Chiang living with Retinitis Pigmentosa, is an accessibility sportsman, and maintains an active lifestyle through sports such as blind tennis and running. Relying heavily on accessibility technologies like screen-readers and AI imaging technology, he manages his daily tasks independently. Despite his visual impairments, Marc is a committed volunteer in inclusive sports organisations and upholds a minimalist lifestyle for easier navigation and memory management.

Steady Goh is a blind guitar player and instructor with a deep passion for music. Beyond music, Steady is an avid runner and gym enthusiast, always pushing their limits and staying active. Steady's interest in technology, particularly assistive tech, keeps them connected and engaged with the world. They are always exploring new innovations that can enhance life for themselves and others with similar challenges.

Joan Hung Hui Xin, who is visually impaired, has a keen interest in the disability sport space and enjoys learning about adaptive models to improve skill learning and coaching practices. She aims to engage in creative problem-solving to create something that adds value not only for other visually impaired individuals but also for everyone.

Josh Tseng is a digital accessibility specialist, and his work focuses on making the online world more inclusive for everyone. He frequently collaborates with government agencies, commercial organisations, and researchers to explore ways to leverage technology to improve the lives of people with disabilities like himself. Josh lost the remainder of his vision at age 16 due to congenital glaucoma, but still finds ways to re-connect with the hovbbies he used to enjoy back when he could see, including photography and playing video games.

Kah Wee Neo, who has been low-vision since birth, has been exposed to a few industries over the last few years and enjoys learning new skills, constantly finding opportunities to acquire them. Despite his low vision, it does not stop him from enjoying gaming, exercising, playing musical instruments, and watching dramas.

Stuart Francis, diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa in his early 30s, continued his career until his late 40s, working across Europe and Asia in senior roles with a multinational corporation. Stuart maintains an active and full lifestyle, volunteering with sight loss organisations, participating in various local community groups and engaging in a variety of sports, including running, cycling, tennis and bowls. He also travels frequently, either independently or with his partner, Ann.

Tony Morgan, living with Stargadt's disease from childhood, is a retired Systems engineer who worked in multi-national companies for over 40 years, researching and developing bespoke complex systems for international customers. Tony continues with an active and divers life-style, supporting local sight-loss charities, participating in sports including running, blind tennis and bowls fully reliant on Screen magnifier and screen reader technology for home and business use, he has seen the revolution in support technology for the vision impared and is looking foreward to assessing the further amazing innovation that this competition will undoubtedly stimulate.

INDOOR ACTIVITIES TEAM

Amanda Chong is a research specialist loves learning about new statistical methods, and seeing how research can be applied to solve practical world problems. She has been blind for the last 12 years, but this has not stopped her from participating in the activities she enjoys such as running, reading, and cafe hopping. She is keen to see how her lived experiences can contribute to create an amazing product that will benefit many other blind people!

Amanda Swafford is a mother, artist, and stylist. She and her son are affected by the genetic eye disorder Retinitis Pigmentosa. Amanda has interest in the advancement of assistive technologies through community driven innovation for the benefit of her son and others affected by disabilities.

Benson Loo is a DeafBlind, with low vision and moderate hearing loss for over 10 years. He makes a career switch from IT to wellness industry, where he believes and maintains clients’ good health as a therapist. Benson enjoys sport activities such as dragon boating and bowling, as sports boost confidence and positive mindset in daily lifestyle. He likes exploring technology as well, which enhance his touch with the world despite of sensory disabilities. Benson hopes to share and create more awareness, so as to strive a better inclusive society for DeafBlind community.

Hong Sen, a visually impaired individual with an educational background in Information Technology and years of experience providing technology training to persons with visual impairment, believes strongly in the power of technology to enable lives. He enjoys exploring new and innovative solutions that have the potential to improve the lives of others like himself.

Alen Etermi, a 26-year-old from Baden in Aargau, Switzerland, works in IT project management. Despite having visual impairments, he enjoys traveling, learning languages, and meeting new people.

Patricia Poo, who has been visually impaired since birth, currently works as a receptionist. She is interested in discovering any interesting and innovative assistive devices available that can enhance the lives of people like her.

Dallon Au Yew Zhang is a student taking a degree in computing science and a freelance technology trainer that provide training to person's with visual impairment. Dallon loves enjoys enriching and empowering people's lives through various projects, and seeing how research can be applied to solve practical world problems. He was born with an eye condition known as congenital Cataract and is currently totally blind on the right and have tunnel vision on the left with limited visual field. Despite having sucha visual Impairment, he still enjoys various activities such as reading, cafe hopping, and going for walks in the park. He is keen to see how his lived experiences can contribute to create a product that will benefit many other blind people by allowing them to have a better quality of live!

CONTEST MASTERS — MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS

HOME & TOOLS TEAM

Vivek Gohil, living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, is an accessibility consultant and journalist, and advocates for gamers with motor disabilities. Using his personal experience, he elevates their stories through articles, conferences, and collaborations with Xbox, PlayStation, and various game developers. He enjoys superheroes, gaming, sci-fi, and anime.

Paul Amadeus Lane, living with Quadriplegia, is an accessibility consultant, brand ambassador, and broadcast journalist, and leverages his 30+ years' experience as a quadriplegic and power wheelchair user to advise companies like Sony PlayStation and Google. His unique perspective on assistive and adaptive technology has contributed to award-winning gaming accessibility projects and the groundbreaking Leonardo project.

Drew McPherson living with paralysis, is a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at UC Berkeley, is also the co-founder and board chair of AbilityHacks a non-profit addressing disability-related challenges. Paralyzed from the shoulders down, Drew uses his personal experience to fuel his passion for creating assistive technologies. He has taught upper extremity prosthetics and orthotics and served as a Design Fellow at the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation.

Paul Fjare living with Becker Muscular Dystrophy, is a mechanical design engineer, and graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Despite needing assistance with various daily tasks due to his condition, Paul remains active in his work as a part-time engineering consultant, showcasing a passion for well-designed things. He enjoys music, comedy, and sports.

SPORTS & HOBBIES TEAM

Hoàng Gia Khánh, a 32-year-old living and working in Hải Dương city, Vietnam, has faced challenges since he was 3 months old due to a fever that affected his arms and legs, causing stiffness and making it difficult for him to move and carry out daily activities. Despite these challenges, he currently works as a computer repair technician. He also wishes to find a solution to help himself and other people with disabilities, both in Vietnam and abroad, to have an easier daily life.

Ashley Lindsey is a senior biological and agricultural engineer at Texas A&M University. In 2020, at the age of 21, she experienced a severe brain bleed, which led to the removal of half of her cerebellum. She enjoys multiple adaptive recreations, including rock climbing and hand cycling.

Jake Scarborough, 27 years old, was adopted from Russia and has a twin brother. Additionally, he is the father of a five-year-old son. He had an accident in 2023 and is now quadriplegic. Despite his condition, he still has a passion for driving racecars and enjoys outdoor activities.

Julie Keenan is a former Controller and Project Manager with Advanced Fueling Systems, Inc. in Ashland, VA. Her specialty is putting the financial picture together, finding the problems, and helping the company grow. She has used these talents in getting through the challenges of paraplegia and wheelchair life and has found ways to adapt that allow her to enjoy life in new ways, including fishing, kayaking, swimming and pickleball. Julie currently lives in Florida along with her husband Tim where they are enjoying the retired life and finding new adventures.

NEW HORIZON COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

New Horizon College of Engineering (NHCE) is an Autonomous college affiliated to Visvesvaraya Technological University (VTU), approved by All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) and University Grants Commission (UGC). It is accredited by NAAC with ‘A’ grade and National Board of Accreditation (NBA). NHCE is located in the heart of the IT capital of India, Bangalore, surrounded by MNCs and IT giants. The college is known for its focus on establishing high academic standards, incubation of startups and generating placement opportunities and fostering a dynamic learning environment.

DR. SANJEEV SHARMA

Dean-QAIIE at New Horizon College of Engineering (NHCE), brings over 23 years of exceptional expertise in Electronics and Telecommunication. Awarded a Doctorate in VLSI Design and holding a PG Diploma in VLSI from CDAC, Dr. Sharma is a leader in establishing high academic standards and fostering dynamic learning environments. Dr. Sharma's research profile is truly impressive, boasting 66 publications in Scopus indexed journals and 18 Patents. He actively engages with the professional community, holding memberships in prestigious bodies like IEEE, ISTE, IACSIT, SDIWC, IAENG, SCIEI, and UACEE.

About NHCE incubation program. NHCE has established its self-funded incubation centre, “New Horizon Council for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship” (NHCIIE), as Incubation/Pre incubation facility. It has dedicated infrastructure facilities like Workspaces, Innovation Lab, Discussion rooms, ED Cell and IPR Cell. During the academic year 2022-23, NHCE has achieved 52 MSME – Udyam Registrations and 07 Private Limited Incorporations with Ministry of Corporate Affairs, incubated by the NHCIIE. For co-creation of I&E activities, NHCIIE has collaborated with reputed industries for various supporting to the incubated startups.

NHCIIE aims to focus and foster a vibrant ecosystem for the innovation and provide a unique platform for its students, alumni, and faculty members and, also to the outside people to fulfil their startup dreams and develop independent thinking to achieve goals of life. It welcomes the innovative ideas of students, nurture them and provide a positive direction to these ideas, hand hold, mentor students to transform them into real innovators leading to the successful entrepreneurs.

What is NHCE bringing to the contest? Offering incubation support that includes industrial mentorship, fund raising, startup acceleration for identified innovative ideas at the incubation centre of NHCE, namely, New Horizon Council for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (NHCIIE).

How is novelty of the project handled, if the incubation program is taken up the student? NHCE will be mentoring for patents for the identified inventors based on novelty of their patent ideas or designs

AMBASSADORS

Jia Si is a master's student in Management of Technology, with a keen ambition to merge the worlds of business and technology. With experience as an NLP engineer and a passion for design and project management, Jia Si seeks to drive innovation by applying tech solutions to business challenges. Their unique blend of technical skills and business insight positions them as a future leader in the tech-driven business landscape.

Mohammed Adnan Khan is an advocate for inclusive innovation, and serves as the Student Ambassador and hardware advisor for Build2Gether 2.0. Recognizing the significance of hardware-based solutions tailored to the needs of individuals with disabilities, Adnan, an engineering student at New Horizon College of Engineering specializing in Computer Engineering, dedicates his efforts to this cause. His expertise encompasses hardware design, the development of embedded solutions, PCB design, and Automation. Driven by a passion for engineering, he actively explores new ideas, offering assistance and fostering communication within the community.

Priyanshu Roy is a committed advocate for societal change. Currently serving as Student Ambassador and firmware support for Build2Gether 2.0, he is an accomplished Computer Engineering student at New Horizon College of Engineering, specializes in addressing the critical need for customized software support for individuals with special needs. Proficient in C and C++ programming, microcontrollers, microprocessors, Linux, design patterns, and RTOS, Priyanshu eagerly anticipates contributing significantly by providing assistance and fostering community communication, transcending traditional boundaries.

Raghavendra NV is a tinkerer who loves exploring all that technology has to offer. He believes that science and technology can change society for the better. Ushering in an era of growth while making things more accessible and adaptable to people with varied abilities is his dream. His skills, ranging from Machine Learning to Quantum Computing, provide him with a variety of tools to build simple yet efficient solutions for pressing problems. Feel free to reach out to him to brainstorm any idea that you might have.

Caleb Kraft is the senior editor of the magazine Make:. Make: is a magazine and online platform that focuses on do-it-yourself (DIY) projects, creativity, and innovation. It covers a wide range of topics such as electronics, robotics, woodworking, 3D printing, and more. Make: aims to foster a community of individuals who enjoy exploring technology, experimenting with new ideas, and turning their imagination into tangible projects. Additionally, Caleb runs TheControllerProject.com where volunteers around the world 3D Print parts to help gamers who have disabilities, for free.