Build2gether 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, including the Inclusive Innovation Challenge Ultimate Award of $10,000, and lucky draws, as well as 250 hardware will be rewarded throughout the contest.

The Judges will be composed of our Contest Masters, our Organizer and our Collaborators. The Contest Masters will judge your solutions at the end, this is why it is crucial to discuss with them on Discord to understand what is needed.

CONTEST MASTERS

The Contest Masters are a curated list of individuals with disabilities who are passionate about assistive technologies and inclusivity. We have representatives from the US, Europe and Asia, making the challenge a truly global one. Several Contest Masters represent each theme.

GAMING WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS

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.

Grant Stoner, living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, is a gaming journalist, and focuses on accessible innovations and the disabled perspective within the gaming industry. He investigates how developers make games more inclusive and reports on the disabled community's gaming experiences. Passionate about avoiding inspirational cliches and promoting disabled voices, he enjoys Pokémon and museum visits in his free time.

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.

TRAVELLING WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS

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.

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.

SWIMMING WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENTS

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.

Sophie Soon, living with Cone Rod Dystrophy, is a Team Singapore Paralympian, and has made her mark in Para-Swimming, notably winning a silver medal at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships and setting an Asian Record in Women's SB12 100m Breaststroke. She strives to foster an inclusive society where everyone contributes to the community.

ORGANIZER AND COLLABORATORS

Cyrille Grumbach (Hackster: TheDoctoralPirate), the organizer of the Build2gether Innovation Challenge, emphasizes the importance of increased innovation in the field of assistive technologies. As a Ph.D. candidate in Strategic Management and Innovation 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.

Roland Tan is the founder of ART Aquatics, a world-class swimming club, and serves as a coach in Singapore, supporting swimmers from both the able-bodied and para categories. Through his training and guidance, Roland Tan has elevated para swimmers, including our Contest Master Sophie Soon, to compete at the international level, participating in prestigious events like the World Championships and Paralympics.

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.

Chatchai Aphibanpoonpon is the founder of Klong Dinsor, a non-profit organization improving the lives of thousands of people with disabilities. His initiatives include the Lensen drawing kit for blind children, the Pannana app providing audio descriptions for the visually impaired, and organizing the Run2gether fun run. He envisions an inclusive society and plans to launch a modeling agency and headhunting service for increased employment opportunities.

Dominik Demetz is an engineer specialized in assistive technologies, and has previously collaborated with ETH Cybathlon, a platform to advance research in the field of assistive technology. His academic background includes a degree in Strategy & Innovation from ETH Zürich, where he concentrated his studies on the assistive technologies space. Dominik is passionately driven by the collaborative process that intertwines engineers and individuals with disabilities during product development. This intersection of expertise and lived experiences fuels his enthusiasm for exploring innovative solutions that cater to the unique needs and perspectives of this community.

Watch this interview with our contest master Paul Amadeus Lane to learn more about the contest.