Innovathon: IE Social Innovation Challenge - Miami

Join us for the IE University Social Innovation challenge - an immersive and interactive experience where you will develop your creative problem solving skills by finding solutions to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Participants will work together to tackle real-life problems based on Sustainable Development Goals while learning techniques and methodology to create their own unique approaches. With the guidance of IE University Professor Julia Lopez Varela, groups will identify an issue related to the SDGs, create a solution, and present their proposals to a panel of expert judges

What are the UN Sustainable Development Goals? 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), otherwise known as the Global Goals, are a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity. These 17 Goals build on the successes of the Millennium Development Goals, while including new areas such as climate change, economic inequality, innovation, sustainable consumption, peace, and justice, among other priorities. The goals are interconnected, often the key to success on one will involve tackling issues associated with another. 

AGENDA

10:00-10:30 Registration and assignment of teams  

10:30 Introduction: What is Design Thinking?  

11:00 Understanding and Defining the UN Sustainable Development Goals 

11:40 Developing Empathy: Storytelling and Developing a User Centric Approach 

12.00 Redefining Challenges & Ideation

12:30 Development of Prototypes  

13:15 Project Presentations and Jury Voting

14:30 Event End

ABOUT OUR SPECIAL GUEST: Julia Lopez Varela,  Partner at Impact Hub Madrid, Design Thinking Consultant and Visiting Professor at IE University. 

Julia is a visiting Professor at IE University and an Executive with more than 10 years’ experience in entrepreneurship, in-company innovation, social innovation, and cultural affairs. She has served as the Partner and Managing Director at Impact Hub Madrid in addition to serving as an Advisor for the international Impact Hub network, which focuses on opening new ventures in Italy, Mexico and South America. Professor Lopez Varela is the Co-founder of Superlatif, a consulting firm in design projects related to social innovation, culture and architecture. She has also served as the Social Innovation and Business Relationship Manager for the Public Agency on culture, tourism and business of the Madrid City Council.