Diane.powell

Used with permission

Diane Powell NASA HQ

THE CHALLENGE

We live at a critical juncture in the history of our planet.

As the developing world comes on-line with hopes, needs and wants modeled on the developed world, the arc of future sustainability is bending in the wrong direction. At risk are our basic resources and needs for human life — water, air, food, and energy — and the process of harvesting and harnessing them for human consumption is accelerating at a rate we may be unable to sustain.

The good news: Poised on the front lines of the battle for a sustainable future is a global community of designers, engineers, scientists, economists, activists and entrepreneurs – all devoted to solving some of the most difficult sustainability challenges.

No individual or organization is equipped to change this course alone.

Needed are bold and integrated approaches- developed and scaled-from a whole system of committed global actors, working in concert to innovate, collaborate, and accelerate a sustainable future.

the need.

The mission of LAUNCH is to accelerate the development and adoption of disruptive ideas, technologies and programs in order to maximize their success potential and realize a sustainable future.

THE OPPORTUNITY

mission.

LAUNCH has been created to leverage the collective expertise, networks and influence of a diverse community of leaders, whose purpose is to identify, support and accelerate innovative and often disruptiveapproaches toward one of humanity’s sustainability challenges.

LAUNCH is composed of two core components – a 2-day Sustainability Forum in conjunction with a space launch and the LAUNCH accelerator – and ongoing effort to accelerate the tangible and measurable progress of the LAUNCH Innovators.

March 16-18, 2010

NASA Kennedy Space CenterSTS-131

INAGURAL FORUM

CORE COMPONENTS

Approximately 40 global leaders from multiple disciplines and sectors – called the LAUNCH Council - will engage with 10 innovators over a two-day meeting just prior to a space launch. Each day, 5 innovators will have 10 minutes to present their innovations at the forum. The forum will divide into 5 groups and then visit each innovator for 30 minutes.

sustainability forum.

accelerator.During the forum, key action items will be captured by the LAUNCH team and synthesized into a strategic follow-on action plan for Innovators. After the forum, the LAUNCH team will collaborate with the Innovators leveraging the LAUNCH Council’s expertise and its network to accelerate the adoption of the innovations into society.

To fulfill its mission, a world-class collection of leaders from the business/finance, design/engineering, media/communication, science/technology, and non-profit/government sectors will gather at the Sustainability Forum. Called the LAUNCH Council, these individuals are gathered to listen and exchange ideas, opportunities and expertise to each other and with the innovators with the aim to support the transformation toward a more sustainable future.

THE PEOPLE

LAUNCH council.

innovators.For each LAUNCH Sustainability Forum, 10 innovators will be chosen to present their ideas to the LAUNCH Council for input and strategic advice. From this interaction and collaboration, the forum will serve as the starting point the help build the Innovators individual path to success, facilitating business, financial, media, and technology development and partnerships.

THE PARTNERS

founding partner.

• Water specific partners.• Support the Launch: Water Sustainability Forum though expertise and content development, networks, capital, brand credibility.

• Strategic and integrated approach to organization’s engagement in sustainability activities.• Brings capital, capacity, credibility and other resources to launch the LAUNCH accelerator, e.g. dedicated team members (long-term partner).

Partners: NASA, USAID, State Department, NIKE

forum partner.

• Involvement with in-kind contributions in research, media, communications, or follow-on/accelerator activities.

capacity partner.

As the founding partner, NASA will provide overall guidance and strategy for the vision and mission of LAUNCH in its initial phase. NASA’s approach to solutions and problem solving, demonstrated technical innovations and unparalleled vantage point of our dynamic planet will facilitate the realization of a sustainable future on Earth.

NASA’s PARTNERSHIP

LAUNCH will serve as an initiative to support and promote NASA as a catalyst in sustainable development: by providing thought leadership, leading collaborative dialogue, and accelerating innovative solutions.

NASA’s leadership.

relevance. innovation. environment.

LAUNCH COUNCIL OVERVIEW

The LAUNCH Council will be comprised of prominent experts from a cross-section of perspectives, orientations, experiences, and expertise relevant to the critical sustainability challenge.

They are leaders, connectors, doers, thinkers, and influencers in government/policy, business/finance, media/communication, engineering/design, and science/tech.

Some are generalists who have a broad understanding of sustainability, have achieved success in their work and endeavors, and are passionate about forwarding a sustainable future.

Some are experts in the specific theme for the LAUNCH forum and follow-up be that water, air, food, energy housing, and mobility.

Collectively, through their multiple perspectives, their divergent perspectives enable vibrant dialog leading to a comprehensive vision of this challenge, resources and cutting-edge thinking on how to meet it.

LAUNCH COUNCIL SECTORS

Business/Finance: a mix of venture capitalists, entrepreneurs, intellectual property attorneys and corporate executives are active in how technological and business innovations in general, and sustainability focused ones specifically, move from concept to prototype/pilot to viability.

Policy/Government: a mix of government and non-government executives that are active in policy development and/or governance of societies use and access to natural resources, resource infrastructure and processes relating to natural resources, agriculture, energy, transportation and urban development. Of particular interest are thought leaders who have brought valuable understanding sustainability challenges and the solutions to them.

Science/Technology: a mix of scientists, developers, researchers, inventors and technology executives who are active in the research, development and advocacy of science and technology providing viable solutions for key sustainability challenges.

Engineering/Design: a mix of engineers, designers, architects, urban planners who are active in the creation of new products, systems, materials and structures that pioneer or use innovative and/or best-of practices in sustainable development.

Communications/Media: a mix of journalists, PR and marketing executives, and public figures who are active in the development and/or articulation of impactful strategies, platforms and programs.

COUNCIL DUITES AND DIVERSITY

Duties

1.To provide insight into the overarching sustainability for each of the core thematic areas of LAUNCH2.To aid in the identification of innovative ideas, programs and technologies that could be candidates for LAUNCH 3.To provide valuable consultation to the LAUNCH Innovators on-site at LAUNCH: Water.4.To provide on-going networking to LAUNCH and LAUNCH Innovators post-event as part of the LAUNCH Accelerator

Diversity

• Gender• National and International (with focus on Brazil, India, China, Japan, Canada, Sweden, Netherlands, Germany, Mexico)• Professional: including scientists, academics, engineers, designers, entrepreneurs, inventors, corporate executives lawyers, executives, PR and marketing executives (see Sector Expertise Detail)• Inclusive of members representing both TOP (Top of Pyramid) and BOT (Bottom of Pyramid) economies, populations, challenges and solutions.

INNOVATOR SELECTION CRITERIA

BROAD CRITERIA FOR LAUNCH INNOVATOR SELECTION

Existing and functioning organizations including companies, non-profits, research institutions, and NGOs

• Unique, compelling, and innovative vision• Focused on a definable sustainability challenge• Significant impact at scale to have a positive effect on this sustainability challenge• Progress can be measured and tracked• Present state of idea, program or innovative technology is in prototype, pilot, or early-stage development• Has credible reputation within peer community

SPECIFIC CRITERIA FOR LAUNCH: WATER INNOVATOR SELECTIONInnovative and disruptive technology, process, or program which applies to improving the quality, availability, or use-efficiency of water as it relates to one or more of the following sectors:

• Drinking• Sanitation• Buildings• Energy Generation• Agriculture• Manufacturing/ Industry• Ecological Preservation

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FORUM AT A GLANCE

LAUNCH ON-GOING ORGANIZATION

The LAUNCH: Water event is the first phase of a continuous process designed to accelerate the progress of sustainable development in general and the success missions of the individual Innovators who have presented at the Kennedy Space Center event.

During the two-day forum and showcase, key action items will be captured by the LAUNCH team and synthesized into a strategic follow-on action plan for each Innovator. The LAUNCH team will collaborate with the Innnovators leveraging LAUNCH’s expertise and its network for the benefit of the Innovators and through their success, the benefit of society.

WHAT MAKES THE LAUNCH PROGRAM SPECIAL?

Many events are designed as an end to themselves, people come together to discuss the issue of the day, see the diversity of work going on and go back to their offices and do their work...

The challenges faced in scaling the next generation of sustainability solutions are fundamentally systemic; the immediacy of the issues means we don’t have time to wait for the system to evolve alone and we can’t afford to create more events that talk of how things could be. We LAUNCH as an agreement to do things NOW: To identify opportunities, to build a collaborative community focused on impact, to focus on solutions and commit to their success.

The LAUNCH program has been designed as a collaborative concept from the outset, using the launch itself as an initiation point and not an end...

The LAUNCH program is designed in three phases; ENGAGE, LAUNCH, ACCELERATE.

UNIQUEPROGRAM

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MEDIA PLANGoal #1

exposure for innovators• Highlight the Innovator’s vision, the potential for their innovations to meet water sustainability challenges and their road to success

• LAUNCH press to provide direct tangible value to Innovators for being part of LAUNCH program.

• Generating awareness to key audiences for evolving their ideas/companies:o Thought Leaders in science, technology, engineering, policyo Innovation and Sustainability Communitieso Business/Finance

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MEDIA PLANGoal #2

exposure for partners• Highlight the organizations involved and their motivation/reasoning for supporting LAUNCH.

• LAUNCH press to provide direct tangible value to Partners as ROI for their investment in LAUNCH.

• LAUNCH press to provide Partners communication outlet to public that articulates their innovation and sustainability strategies and initiatives.

• NASA a) culture of creating solutions to massively complex challenges b) leading-edge of innovation for “sustainable communities” in space c) eyes/ears of planet w/sensor and data networks and d) tech transfer

• USAID (TBD)

• State (TBD)

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MEDIA PLANGoal #3

exposure for LAUNCH• Expose LAUNCH Vision and Process with a focus on its unique and compelling mission “accelerating innovation towards a sustainable future”

• LAUNCH press to provide the organization:o Credibility within the innovation/sustainability communities attracting future innovators and Council members as a known and successful entity.o Credibility and momentum for securing on-going partners/financing.

NASA has a unique brand, approach to solutions and problem solving, demonstrated innovations and unparalleled vantage point that will be utilized for the realization of a sustainable future on Earth.

•Solving Complex Problems: Since its inception, NASA has demonstrated an unparalleled ability to tackle massively complex and ambitious goals to forward the human endeavor. NASA brings diverse talents need to solve complex problems to collaborate effectively to arrive at one unified solution. This is a tremendous strength in NASA’s role as the founding partner of LAUNCH, and in leading a whole system of stakeholders in building integrated solutions for a more sustainable existence on Earth.

•Innovation: As a result of its decades long development of technology in robotics, intelligent systems, satellites, human spaceflight and data analysis, visualization and modeling, NASA has a powerful and intelligent network of scientists and engineers. NASA has engineered solutions from water recycling to efficient solar cells to meet the needs of space exploration.

•Sustainability: NASA has 14 spacecraft currently orbiting the Earth monitoring the dynamic Earth environment. With ~4TB of new Earth Science data available each day, NASA’s scientists and engineers are at the forefront of understanding our global system.

WHY NASA?

relevance. innovation. environment.