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Update #18: Nairobi Groove
Continuing thanks to all our KS supporters for making the first YWI webisodes possible! Find your names at our revised youngworldinventors.com. Demo DVDs loaded with ten videos went out to interested backers as I left for Nairobi a week ago.
We loaded new videos on YWI’s YouTube channel, and a dozen videos live on our Vimeo page, but we are seeking subscribers now. My vision of posting quick videos as I traveled last July was unrealistic: hearty apologies. If you want to see all videos, email hendrixproductions@gmail.com.
First we have focused on three start-ups founded by young women: M-Farm in Nairobi, Kenya; HeHe, Ltd. in Rwanda and Global Cycle Solutions in Tanzania. Collaboration is central to this project, and you are early supporters. Would you consider:
⇒ Sending links to YWI’s YouTube channel and youngworldinventors.com to contacts?
⇒ Building audience for YWI Facebook and Twitter ⇒ ask for Likes & follows?
⇒ Suggesting sites for videos and donors we can pitch?
News in brief:- Diane is in East Africa (March 15-April 28) -- to shoot with the teams, gather new stories, increase partnerships, explore radio, cell app, and TV repurposing.
- Diane is collaborating with Peter Murimi, a Kenyan freelance journalist for Al Jazeera, Canadian TV and others. We are pitching a story to Chinese TV on Monday.
- Dan Sonnett has signed on for creating our interactive web platform. His company is doing the new “Half the Sky” campaign, a global effort based on Nick Kristof’s book.
- Vin Liota, Knight Fellow/MIT, producer/camera for NOVA/PBS and animator, is consulting for us.
- A January posting at AITI.mit.edu/blog has an update from HeHe, Ltd. in Rwanda.
- We are contacting 40+ websites, asking them to host YWI videos and subscribe.
- The enterprisers at iHub in Nairobi are moving as fast as Japanese high speed trains. The teams are feeding each other with ideas, benchmarks, scaling up goals. M-Farm has outreach to 8000 farmers now. Investors are here at last.
- 40 MIT MBA Sloan students came to iHub two days ago, and yesterday the Akirachix told me another MIT/Sloan student wants to come to work with those “girl geeks” for awhile.
- I gave a DVD to Jim ChuChu of Just a Band (their songs are on our videos); the band is just back from SxSW playing and showing music vids.
- Will Mworia, founder of Afrinnovator.com is embedding video and revising new pages for YWI-- as soon as ocean fiber optic cables, damaged by a ship’s anchor hours away, are repaired.
Diane for the YWI team
Update #17: Rewards mailed!
Dear KS backers: we are grateful for your patient support.
Your rewards are in the mail: for real! Hearty apologies for our delay (long hours of editing with impossible schedules). The DVDs that introduce three women-run startups must be mailed soon. Six videos are ready for polishing and burning to DVDs, expected in January.
During January we will also be uploading new videos to our YouTube channel/youngworldinventors, building audience and fundraising. You can increase our audience: will you ask five friends to Like us on FB and subscribe to YWI's YT channel?
- Increase our Facebook "likes" to 500+ (with your help)
- Distribute our videos via friendly websites (potentials: one African, two American, and one international) and our YWI channel. (send ideas!)
- Return to Africa in March, follow new teams and develop stories with Peter Murimi and Vin Liota (vinliota.tv)
- Solidify funding partners for webcasting serial stories viewers won't want to miss, in East Africa and the USA.
- Sign a host for our series who is captivating to international audiences. We welcome suggestions; our first choice may make a network deal soon and be too busy.
Shout out to Rachael Miller at Colorado State University for upcoming FB and twitter posts, refreshing YWI on the internet as we seek funders for following start-ups.
Breaking news: An accomplished Kenyan cameraman/producer is eager to videotape our Kenyan team, M-Farm, as they train farmers to increase income by as much as 1000%. Peter Murimi is from a southern Kenya; he trained and worked in London, shoots and directs for Al Jazeera. He believes we are cresting a new wave of young inventors poised to change Africa. So do we!
Today's news: Global Cycle Solutions' Jodie Wu is a Forbes 30 under 30 favorite! Watch for a tweet.
Below see Bernard Kiwia in Arusha, TZ with his solar water heater, made from "scrappers" (recycled materials); he now has a larger version. Ask for a pdf flyer to duplicate instructions. KS won't accept pdfs here, but hard copies are in the mail.
*Like* us on Facebook: YWI follow on twitter: @ynginventors
Young World Inventors is an international webisode and multimedia series: insider stories about high and low tech start-ups who are trying to invent prosperity in a digital world.
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Rick Devrin on January 9
thanks for the bike charger, it works great! :D
Here is a short clip of me using it. http://goo.gl/NUEOv
and a pic: http://goo.gl/jyBk8 -
Diane Hendrix on January 9
Thanks Rick -- I'm thrilled that you like the charger! We'll pass that along to Bernard, designer/manufacturer and Jodie, CEO of GCS in Arush, TZ.
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Update #16: bad link!
Despite testing it the link for the phone charger adapter was corrupted.
If you have trouble, look for VTC-02 Samsung phone connectors on
Update #15: flyers and chargers coming
For backers only,
Posted on November 14, 2011
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Update #14: Late update!
For backers only,
Posted on October 24, 2011
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103
Backers
$8,050
pledged of $8,000 goal
0
seconds to go
Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on August 24, 2011.
Pledge $1 or more Pledge $1 or more
Each dollar gets us closer, and your name appears on our development blog.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
signed photo card of Bernard in Arusha with his solar water heater made from scrappers (recycled, reclaimed flourescent bulbs, rubber, wood), with instructions.
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
Video posts from our travel in East Africa in July, plus signed photo card.
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First imported cell phone charger for motorcycles from Bernard's shop at GCS, plus insider video posts from East Africa.
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NEW REWARD! A DVD of the first ten stories of 2-3 teams navigating the inevitable challenges of startups. Plus a postcard of Bernard's solar water heater and insider video stories.
Pledge $75 or more Pledge $75 or more
First imported bike powered cell phone charger from Bernard's shop at GCS with instructions, plus insider video posts. We'd be grateful for another $10 for shipping anywhere.
Pledge $125 or more Pledge $125 or more
Bernard's bike AND motorcycle chargers (used by two wheeled taxis in Africa) plus video posts.
Pledge $125 or more Pledge $125 or more
Add to the bike and motorcycle chargers, the first run DVD of ten stories with insider video posts.
Pledge $200 or more Pledge $200 or more
Bernard's motorcycle charger, video posts and first run DVD of all ten stories. Plus your name on the new website as KS collaborator.
Pledge $300 or more Pledge $300 or more
Bernard's bike and motorcycle chargers, video posts and DVD and your name on the website. One of three handsome collage designs made from banana and bamboo shavings (wild game, dancing or Kenyan village). Made in a workshop by youth in training.
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
All of the above, plus we'll hear your feedback on early story cuts and post your name as Post Production Associate on the website. The FIRST donor at this level gets a live audience with multi-talented Just A Band on their trip to NYC (maybe Boston), August-September!
Project By
Connected as Diane Hendrix (231 friends)
Diane has produced PBS and indie documentaries and web shorts for years. While teaching at MIT, the moxie of students starting global enterprises inspired her, so she researched innovators and mentors to launch YWI. January and July in East Africa revealed growing enterprise and countless stories in Africa and America, so she’s producing webisodes for both continents.
