Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Casetext - Crowdsourced Platform for Researching Legal Documents.

WF: What's new about what you're making?

C: Law firms currently pay for extremely expensive tools (Westlaw and Lexis) that hire thousands of employees to generate content (much like Encarta and Britannica used to do). Free or cheap tools often display only the text of the case, missing key functionality that lawyers rely on to do their jobs.

Instead of paying thousands of attorneys to aggregate and create information, we use automation and crowdsourcing. Our automated aggregation includes sources that commercial tools ignore. Our crowdsourcing harnesses widespread discontent with Westlaw and Lexis into something productive. And our platform encourages lawyers to share comments or engage in discussions alongside the case text--a feature exclusive to Casetext.

Expandable House - Open and Ready in 10 Minutes

Technology that allows space, people and the things they live and work with, to be where and when they are needed, such as...

Versatile, self-deploying, relocatable buildings:

The TF-64

The TF-64 is the Ten Fold default workhorse unit.
It can be transported by a standard truck.
It is self-unloading and self-deploying and can be ready to use within 10 minutes of arrival.
The TF-64 is built from a robust steel chassis and composite panels.
The TF-64 can be connected to an existing infrastructure of be partially or completely off-grid.
The TF-64 travels as the size of a standard high top 9m (30 ft) container.
The TF-64 opens to provide approximately 64m² (688ft²) of uninterrupted space.
When closed the unit can carry up to 20m³ of furniture and equipment including internal walls, bathrooms, kitchens and basic furniture.
Internal walls can be flexible to allow different use scenarios.
The TF-64 is designed to support additional modules such as power units, water processing and water storage.
Other cassette mounted devices such as stairs, balconies and canopies can be attached to the sides of the unit.
These units can be stacked and interconnected in almost any way.
The side and end panels can be solid or glazed and ‘branded’ in any way.
This model is fully engineered and defined and ready for adaption to mass-manufacture.

Cost and Accessibility

There has been an unprecedented positive response to the Ten Fold imagery posted on the internet recently.
It is clear that people in all situations can benefit from the agility and flexiblity that Ten Fold Technology offers.
But different people in different countries and regions have different needs and differing capacities to achieve them.
Accordingly, we are developing different versions of our products to respond in an optimal way to specific challenges.
The quickest way to meet the scale, urgency and variety of the demand we have seen is by licensed manufacture.
Ten Fold technology is easy to build and assemble and many existing factories will be able to adapt to produce it.
Local and regional manufacturing will bring the product closest to where it is needed and promote employment.
Retail prices will vary due to material and labour costs, production levels, logistics, state duties and other factors.
In order that the benefits of Ten Fold technology are accessible to all, Licences for the TF-64 will be non-exclusive.

Online Emotional Atlas for Children - Supported by the Dalai Lama

How I Serve

I search for emerging companies, technologies, disruptive technologies, innovations, start-ups and up-starts. I’ll look to match potential problems… e.g. “plastic pollution” to solutions… e.g. 3D Printer for recycled plastic waste…for potential venture capitalists, angel investors, and online funders. I’ll also highlight a variety of topics including funding success stories, the environment, housing, medical, artificial intelligence, science, aging populations, disabled populations, social entrepreneurs, philanthropy, and topical news. I’m always searching for great people innovating, inventing, and doing, great things.

I don’t endorse. Only disseminate.

The 411: An Emotional Atlas for Children to Build Empathy and Mindfulness In and Out of the Classroom

Found on: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/help-create-an-atlas-of-emotions-for-children#/

We are looking for your help to build an online Atlas of Emotions for Children. This free educational tool would focus on giving our most precious generation the language and skills necessary to understand and work with their emotions. We feel that in a time where school violence and cyberbullying has become a norm, bringing emotional tools to children that increase empathy and build understanding is more important than ever. Please join us in supporting children everywhere with this atlas.

Extending the wishes of H. H. the Dalai Lama, we would now like to create an Atlas of Emotions for Children! The goal of this project would be to create a free, online interactive tool to educate children and parents about their emotions and how to work with them. We feel confident that this atlas of emotions will be effective in helping children (and the young at heart) feel more understood and capable of expressing themselves in peaceful, constructive ways.

The Children's Atlas of Emotions will focus primarily on the social and emotional learning needs of children from ages 8-12 years old. This age range is a precious time in development of connection and relationships - where the fundamentals of emotional communication can be formed for a lifetime.

Our current Atlas of Emotions has reached hundreds of thousands of people and we hope our Children's Atlas will exceed even these numbers. To maximize our impact, we are developing partnerships with universities and educational institutions to provide the greatest reach and breadth for this project.

This Atlas for Kids will be fundamentally different from the adult Atlas in two ways.

1. This Atlas will be an interactive and engaging platform where in addition to learning new emotion vocabulary kids can safely share emotional experiences to build empathy and connection. For example, if a kid using the Atlas is feeling worried about starting a new school year or excited about a family trip they can share this and see how many others are feeling the same this day or week or month represented in visually engaging info maps.

2. The Atlas of Emotion for Kids will include relational activities for kids to use with peers, and parents. This pair activity will show us the differences in how we share and interpret the emotions of those around us. Sometimes we misread emotion signals, or are missing them all together, the atlas provides a language for expressing emotions and activities to decode what they mean.

Our Atlas for Children will feature the same taxonomy of emotion words from the current atlas but will add in new content specific to the social and emotional learning goals of children ages 8-12.

Here's what we are looking forward to:

Examples of Emotional Episodes on topics common for kids such as bullying/ harassment, feeling pride/ accomplishment, unfairness

An Emotion-O-Meter which uses different colors and textures to explore our internal emotional state

A parent- child relational tool that allows kids to describe how they witness their parents emotions and vice-versa

Global mapping tool that allows kids to report their emotions that day and see what other children are feeling all over the world

Media offering simple ways for children to work with hard emotions based in mindfulness

Our team for this project has a proven track record in developing impactful educational content.

1) Dr. Paul Ekman is best known for his work studying facial expressions and emotion. In 2009, Dr. Ekman was named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by TIME Magazine. In 2014, Dr. Ekman ranked fifteenth among the most influential psychologists of the 21st century. Dr. Ekman has written more than 14 books and 170 published articles. He as well worked as a key advisor for Pixar's "Inside Out".

2) Dr. Eve Ekman is a researcher at UCSF and emotional trainer among her multitude of experiences designing and developing live and online trainings in mindfulness for health care and the private sector. Eve is also a founding teacher trainer for Cultivating Emotional Balance, an evidenced-based program drawing on Western Scientific and Eastern Contemplative teachings to develop constructive emotional behaviors for a meaningful life.

Saving for Retirement via Shopping and Spending

How I Serve

I search for emerging companies, technologies, disruptive technologies, innovations, start-ups and up-starts. I’ll look to match potential problems… e.g. “plastic pollution” to solutions… e.g. 3D Printer for recycled plastic waste…for potential venture capitalists, angel investors, and online funders. I’ll also highlight a variety of topics including funding success stories, the environment, housing, medical, artificial intelligence, science, aging populations, disabled populations, social entrepreneurs, philanthropy, and topical news. I’m always searching for great people innovating, inventing, and doing, great things.

I don’t endorse. Only disseminate.

The 411: Investment Opportunity - A financial platform that enables employees to save for their 401(k) when shopping locally and online.

Found on: https://www.seedinvest.com/evoshare/seed
&
https://www.evoshare.com/

We believe, due to the rise in cost of living and deeply rooted spending behaviors, it has become harder for individuals to set more money aside for retirement. EvoShare has found a way to turn employees’ spending into an entirely new source of money for the retirement industry.

The corporate retirement industry is not where it should be. 70% of employees have below average retirement savings. About half of employers have indicated employee participation and contributions to their sponsored retirement plan are the #1 issue to focus on.

EvoShare sees three reasons for this situation:

Firstly, employees only have one source of money for their sponsored retirement plan; their paycheck. Secondly, they simply cannot afford to set aside any or more of their paycheck earnings for their sponsored retirement plan. And thirdly, they have deeply rooted spending behaviors that cannot be easily changed and inhibit them from contributing towards their retirement.

The financial industry has teamed up with employers to address this issue. They've used valid methods such as financial education, but spending habits are not easy to change. One can give employees the information they need on their finances and the importance of saving for retirement, but ultimately the employee needs to take action. This is where the industry has fallen short and EvoShare can help.

EvoShare is responding to the lack of employee retirement contributions in a nontraditional way. Instead of telling employees they should spend less and save more, we rely on their spending habits to grow their retirement savings. Consumer spending will continue to grow and EvoShare wants to leverage this to create the next breakthrough in the retirement industry.

The corporate retirement plan industry serves 85.9 million employees nationwide that are 401k plan participants. 401(k) accounts, also known as sponsored retirement plans, represent 80% of the retirement market. EvoShare is ready to fill a significant need in this large market.

Our mission is to make saving for retirement a daily habit and give everyone, regardless of income levels, a sustainable source of retirement dollars.

Team Story

Co-founders and lifelong friends, Eugeny Prudchyenko and Dan Tseytlonok, first developed a customer loyalty platform for merchants that would give customers money back as a donation to charitable causes.

One day while on his way to Lake Tahoe, Eugeny dove past a Prudential Billboard that said, "the best donation is a donation to your retirement." Eugeny was struck by this statement and instantly changed his travel plans to meet Dan at the office. It didn't take long for Eugeny and Dan to realize that EvoShare's business model must be changed to address America's retirement crisis.

In a matter of months, Eugeny and Dan revamped the EvoShare platform and created an entirely new source of money for American workers' retirement; their spending.

Product & Service

EvoShare works with existing affiliate networks, card-linked offers, and loyalty programs*, and recaptures up to 30% of employees’ purchases. We then turn rewards into automatic 401(k) and 403(b) contributions through our patent-pending process.

Through established integrations, EvoShare has built a network of ~8,300 local business nationwide and 1,500+ online merchants** like eBay, Groupon, and many more that give cash-back towards employees' retirement accounts. In this way, EvoShare is meeting employees in their everyday spending patterns and giving them an entirely new source of money for their 401(k) or 403(b).

The EvoShare experience begins with employers offering our solution to their employees as a perk.

Employees create their EvoShare account and link any of their debit or credit cards, and begin shopping as usual at any of our partnered merchants. Through our partner Empyr, we have completed data security due diligence with American Express, and MasterCard, so these cards can be linked to our platform.

Once a quarter, EvoShare partners with the employer's payroll department to follow our patent-pending, 3-step process and convert cash-back earnings into additional retirement contributions:

1) EvoShare provides the employer's payroll department with the cash-back dollar amounts each employee has earned.

2) EvoShare sends each employee their cash-back earnings via check or direct deposit.

3) Payroll makes a one-time additional deduction from each employee's upcoming paycheck, in the dollar amount of their cash-back earnings. This additional deduction goes into the employees' sponsored retirement plan.***

This patent-pending process is vetted by attorneys and retirement industry players such as recordkeepers, payroll providers, third-party administrators, and retirement plan consultants.

*Loyalty Programs are not yet currently available.

**EvoShare partners with Empyr, an O2O integration company, for its local business rewards network. As of April 1st, per Empyr’s estimates, there are 8,300 local stores that offer cash back rewards within Empyr’s network. The Company also partners with ShareASale, Rakuten, and FlexOffers for its online rewards network, which currently contains ~1,500 online stores. Merchant counts will always vary depending on these integration partners. These statements represent management’s estimates based on data provided by its integration partners and are meant for illustrative purposes. They do not represent guarantees of future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements.

***As of April 1, 2018, EvoShare has not yet issued any cash-back earnings to its customers' 401(k) plans, but it plans to start doing so.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Risso Dolphins Project

How I Serve

I don’t endorse. Only disseminate.

The 411: The Ecology of Risso Dolphins

Found on: https://experiment.com/projects/population-ecology-of-risso-s-dolphins-in-monterey-bay-california?s=discover

About This Project

Very little is known about the ecology of Risso's dolphins inhabiting the waters of the Pacific Northwest. For example population size, distribution, occurrence, and foraging habits are sparse in detail. At Marine Life Studies we have collected over 10 years of data on Risso's dolphins inhabiting Monterey Bay, California. Using photo-identification, UAV's, movement patterns, and foraging observations, we hope to produce details on the natural history of this charismatic species.

Ask the Scientists

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

What is the context of this research?

Very little is known about the natural history and ecology of Risso's dolphin in the Pacific Northwest. They are a pelagic species inhabiting waters near the continental shelf, where it is believed they specialize on different cephalopod species (Ford, 2014). They are characterized by their large size and grey to white colouration (often due to scars). During 10 years of our dedicated marine mammal surveys, we have collected hundreds of photographs and detailed notes on their behaviour. Photographs show distinct characteristics in dorsal fin morphology with each individual: fin shape, nicks, and scars. We are now driven to create a photo-identification catalog for individuals sighted in Monterey Bay, California. We also plan to study their foraging and social behaviour.

What is the significance of this project?

With so little known about Risso's dolphins, understanding their population ecology and foraging can help set goals and management plans for protecting both the species and it's resources. We believe Monterey Bay, California acts as critical habitat for Risso's dolphins, as the bay serves as one of the largest market squid (Loligo opalescens) fisheries in the Pacific Northwest. Life history parameters will allow us to understand how Risso's dolphins interact with the squid fishery, and how a changing ecosystem with fluctuations in their prey will affect the Monterey Bay food web.

What are the goals of the project?

Using photographs of distinguishing features present on the dorsal fins, and mark recapture analysis, our goal is to provide estimates for population size of Risso's dolphins utilizing Monterey Bay, California. This will allow us to distinguish socialization patterns, birth and death rates, occurrence, patterns, and distribution. We will be starting this analysis right away and hope to continue following this species for years to come.

Veganic Farming

How I Serve

I don’t endorse. Only disseminate.

The 411: Successfully Funded Project - Grow crops organically without farmed animal products

Found on: https://experiment.com/projects/growing-veganic-exploring-plant-based-agriculture-in-the-united-states?s=discover

Ask the Scientists

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

What is the context of this research?

Industrial chemical-based agriculture is one of the most destructive human activities on the planet, linked to harmful effects on biodiversity, environmental quality, and farmworker health. Alternative agricultural paradigms avoid chemical inputs yet often rely on animal byproducts sourced from industrial agriculture, such as blood meal and manure. These byproducts are tied to a spectrum of issues, such as potential environmental contamination from veterinary pharmaceuticals and the presence of animal pathogens transmittable to consumers (e.g, E. coli). How do we avoid these problems and grow healthy vegetables, grains, and other plant foods that do not financially or symbolically support industrial agriculture and animal exploitation? Veganic agriculture represents a way forward.

What is the significance of this project?

As the ethical, environmental, and personal health arguments for plant-based diets become increasingly recognized, the demand for food produced without animal inputs is expected to rise. In addition to offering truly plant-based food options to vegans, veganic agriculture has the potential to provide regenerative and agroecological solutions to leading food system issues, including resource depletion, environmental destruction, and foodborne illness related to animal byproducts.

There is currently no systematic, peer-reviewed research examining veganic farming experiences in the US. This project will set an empirical foundation for veganics research in the US and build knowledge on veganic farmer needs and best practices.

What are the goals of the project?

Through in-depth interviews with 15-20 US veganic farmers, this project seeks to explore questions including: How did farmers first learn of veganic methods? Why did they begin to grow veganically? How do they obtain information and advice about veganics? What challenges do they face in growing veganically? What are their greatest needs as a veganic farmer?

We anticipate that our findings will be of particular interest to current and potential veganic growers, supporters of agroecological and veganic agriculture, and academics. Results will be shared at conferences (scholarly, agricultural, and/or animal rights oriented), through peer-reviewed literature, and via a free veganic farming manual organizing farmer-identified best practices with the scientific rationale that supports them.

Additional Information

Today, veganic growing, also known as vegan organic or stockfree organic farming, is a fringe practice in the US. Based on data collected by one of this project's researchers, it is thought that there are approximately 50 commercial veganic farms in the US. However, research trials in the US and UK have shown veganic methods to be viable, with yields similar to organic agriculture, and sources suggest that it is a sustainable form of agriculture. For these reasons and others identified in the proposal, we seek to expand the store of publicly-available knowledge about veganic farming experiences and practices.

Monday, May 14, 2018

Making it Easier for People with Disabilities in China

How I Serve

I don’t endorse. Only disseminate.

The 411: Donation to program helping people with disabilities in China

Found on: https://www.chuffed.org/project/easy-inclusion#/story

Make inclusion easier for people with disabilities in China!

Our mission

Easy Inclusion was born from a United Nations program focusing on promoting disability inclusion in China and implementing the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). Rather than providing direct aid to PwDs, the program aimed to change how the mainstream public thinks about disability and treats PwDs in different contexts.

However, this non-profit program ended once funding ran out. Having realized that many companies were still willing to pay for the program's services, former U.N. employees Di Wu and Haibin Zhou decided to continue its mission by founding Easy Inclusion in 2017.

Challenges faced by PwDs

1. Bias and discrimination based on stereotypes.

2. Lack of reasonable accommodation to enable equal participation in the workplace.

3. Lack of mainstream education and work experience in competitive positions, resulting in low social mobility.

Our solution

Easy Inclusion works to forge new career paths for PwDs in China using 3 powerful methods:

1. Disability-inclusive Solutions Consulting and Disability Equality Training (DET) to reduce bias and discrimination in Chinese companies.

2. An Inclusion Index designed to help people assess how well companies integrate PwDs, creating accountability for better practices.

3. A Talent Accelerator Program (TAP) that breaks down bias and discrimination by bringing employers and candidates face-to-face in a real working environment. TAP reduces employers' doubts and concerns while providing needed experience to PwD candidates.

TAP in action: Echo's story

TAP was inspired by Echo, a young Chinese lady who has been visually impaired ever since her college entrance examination. As a person with a disability, she found it difficult to gain work experience, let alone find a full-time job. She was very lucky to participate in the training program for PwDs, which then recommended her for an internship at Easy Inclusion.

As a trainee, Echo helped conduct market research and reach out to other PwDs to learn about their needs. Thanks to an internship at Easy Inclusion, Echo gained the practical experience she needed to develop communication and research skills. She recently landed her dream job at the incubator company Ucommune.

Why it works

Well-tested training and capacity building materials
Highly experienced team
Government support, including subsidies and corporate income tax cuts
A large untapped pool of PwD talents
A large target market of companies

Funding request: 100,000 RMB to launch the Talent Accelerator Program

How it works

1. Talent recruitment

2. 3-month Easy Inclusion internship plus tailored training

3. Job recommendation to a company in Beijing

Note

For donations in Chinese RMB, please visit: http://pimchina.org/en/yca-social-impact-fundraiser/

Please note that funds will be donated to Easy Inclusion via PIM Global, a social enterprise promoting philanthropy education.

Innovate 2 Serve

Wednesday, June 6, 2018

Casetext - Crowdsourced Platform for Researching Legal Documents.

Expandable House - Open and Ready in 10 Minutes

Online Emotional Atlas for Children - Supported by the Dalai Lama

Saving for Retirement via Shopping and Spending

Team Story

Product & Service

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

Risso Dolphins Project

Population Ecology of Risso's Dolphins in Monterey Bay, California

About This Project

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

What is the significance of this project?

What are the goals of the project?

Veganic Farming

Growing Veganic: Exploring Plant-Based Agriculture in the United States

Ask the Scientists

What is the context of this research?

What is the significance of this project?

What are the goals of the project?

Additional Information

Monday, May 14, 2018

Making it Easier for People with Disabilities in China

Make inclusion easier for people with disabilities in China!

Our mission

Challenges faced by PwDs

Our solution

TAP in action: Echo's story

Why it works

How it works

Note