This week in the news, crowdfunding comes to the rescue even in a major stock market downturn. Our CEO Slava Rubin was quoted in Entrepreneur saying that chaotic markets may make it even harder for entrepreneurs to get traditional capital, which makes crowdfunding a much better alternative. We also got some props for being more diverse than Twitter, proving that we are really good at a variety of stuff. We already knew how savvy Senior Director of Chicago Outreach Kate Drane is, but now the world knows too. Read this article in Crain’s on how to make your academic AND professional dreams come true.
Tear-jerker of the week
After seeing a viral photo of a Syrian refugee selling pens on the streets of Beirut to support his family, an Icelandic activist named Gissur Simonarson started an Indiegogo campaign to help. The campaign went viral too, and now the single dad who fled the country in the early days of conflict is on his way to starting a new life with his two young children. If you claim to be dry-eyed after looking at the campaign, you’re a big fat liar.
The Next Great Game
Hasbro, maker of your favorite childhood games is running a contest through Indiegogo to find The Next Great Game – and it’s up to the crowd to choose. Of the applications they receive from now until Sept. 30, their five favorite ideas for party games (and no, beer pong doesn’t count), will duke it out on Indiegogo. Whichever campaign raises the most will get an added $10,000 from Hasbro and a trip to their HQ to get advice from the experts. If you’ve been forced into a really awkward triple date, hold off until one of these is ready.
Tech News
Make way for the latest adorable robot on the scene. Aptly-named Buddy (he’s your pal!) is here to connect your smart devices, recognize your every command (or, as soon as voice recognition is perfected), and most importantly make you smile. Pretty soon there will be a matchmaking service to find you your perfect social robot.
Now that Buddy is managing your home, you need a smart surveillance device to guard it. Butterfleye is not like all other home cameras – it actually sends you a notification if someone messes with it. Neighborhood hooligans/teenage kids drinking beer in the basement beware. But don’t forget to change the battery after two weeks because that would be an embarrassing way to get robbed.
Social Innovation News
Anyone with a relative who suffers from Parkinson’s, Alzheimers, or any other motor impairment knows how frustrating it is to watch a loved one struggle to perform functions as basic as eating. What should be a satisfying and fun activity becomes difficult, and sometimes even embarrassing. After watching her grandmother struggle, a Taiwanese entrepreneur created Eatwell, a tableware set designed to make eating easier, and also safer. I bet I know who grandma’s favorite is.
Another entrepreneur has set out to end homelessness, this time taking a page out of Google’s e-book. A London architect designed Homes for the Homeless, which are sleeping pods that attach to the sides of buildings to keep sleepers off of the ground, and covered. A great way of “lifting up” those who need it.
Theater News
If you’re heading to Burning Man and are a good, self-aware member of the tech community, you should definitely check out Burning Man: the Musical when you’re tired of electronic music. It explores the collision between Silicon Valley and the long-time Burning Man community, and ironically is run by a Google employee.
Where Are They Now?
If you made the mistake of thinking that Leonardo DiCaprio is over, you were wrong. He is back and as dreamy as ever, because it turns out he has a soul and is trying to save the planet. On September 15, Cowspiracy, an exposé on the horrors and environmental destruction caused by factory farming is coming to Netflix. Don’t watch it before your next steak dinner.
I bet you’re reading this and thinking “I have cool ideas too!” and you’re right. You’ve probably thought of something we’ve never seen, and we want to. Start your own campaign today and see the world get excited.
Did you think that was it? Think again. Here are some more articles on Indiegogo campaigns to get your creative juices flowing.
BBC
Business Insider
BuzzFeed
- A Woman Designed Tableware For People With Alzheimer’s After Being Inspired By Her Late Grandmother
- People Found This Syrian Man After His Photo Went Viral And Raised $50,000 In Donation
CNBC
CNET
- 3D-printed robotic prosthetic wins 2015 UK James Dyson Award
- Buddy the robot protector looks like R2-D2’s first cousin: Crave
- Fund this: Exploride adds a smart HUD to any car
- Mynt is a Bluetooth tracking tag that also functions as a remote control
CNN Money
Entrepreneur
- How the Global Stock Market Selloff Will Affect Crowdfunding
- Why This $9 Billion Publicly Traded Toy Company Is Crowdfunding to Find the Next Big Game
Fast Company:
- THE BURNING MAN TEMPLE PROJECT, LLC
- TOUCHJET WAVE WILL TURN YOUR TV INTO A TOUCHSCREEN
- This Ingenious $20 Lamp Gets All Its Energy From Gravity
Fortune
Fusion
- A Google employee is making ‘Burning Man: The Musical’ and he wants your help
- ‘Trouble the Water’ star 10 years later: ‘People should never think Katrina is over’
Huffington Post
- Glimpsing The Virtual Reality Future Of How We Treat Eye Problems
- Meet Yerka, The World’s First ‘Unstealable’ Bike
- Viral Photo Of Syrian Refugee Prompts Strangers To Give Him ‘A New Life’
Inc
NBC
The Next Web
- Butterfleye’s all-singing, all-dancing smart home monitor heads to Indiegogo
- The future is now: 6 startups bringing science fiction to life
- Why emotions are key to impactful websites
Newsweek
Paste
- Hasbro Launches Open Search for the Next Great Game
- Indie Flick Turbo Kid Meets and Exceeds Indiegogo Goal in Only Seven Days
Popsugar
Quartz
SF Chronicle
The Independent
US News
Vice
Washington Post
Wired
Yahoo!
YouTube/Sky News
