Not Impossible Labs Announces New Developer Roadshow as Part of 2019 Award Program

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 16, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- To help innovators, makers and entrepreneurs be more successful developing products that bring positive change to our world, the Not Impossible Awards Developer Roadshow is coming to five U.S. technology-hub cities in 2019. Powered by Hackster.io, a division of Avnet, this free evening event series will unite creators that share a common goal of creating technology for good, and provide them with an opportunity to get feedback from a panel of experts and a chance to work with a professional mentor to help guide their product to market. Each event will feature talks highlighting transformational inventions, education about the technology industry, networking and pitch competitions.

Each Developer Roadshow evening event starts with a networking reception, followed by inspirational presentations from the creators of some of 2018's most innovative products, including Music: Not Impossible. During the pitch competition, attendees will get feedback from industry leaders to help them "think through the impossible" for challenges such as meeting hardware goals, gaining technology partnerships and bringing their product to market. Winners from each city will be shortlisted for a Not Impossible Award. Complimentary tickets are now available for each of the five-city Developer Roadshow events, and advance registration is encouraged.

"We were so inspired by those who applied for awards last year that it seemed only natural to take this year's 'pre-show' on the road," said Mick Ebeling, founder and CEO of Not Impossible Labs. "Attendees will come away with a renewed sense of possibility in themselves and in others – the most rewarding product one can 'build' is one that promotes inclusion and affects positive social change. I suspect people may arrive to these events as individuals and leave feeling they're part of a community with a shared mission."

"More than a quarter of the members in Hackster's wide network of engaged creators are currently working on projects in the not-for-profit space, and the Not Impossible Awards Developer Roadshows are a great way to inspire and educate them," said Adam Benzion, co-founder and CEO at Hackster.io. "By sharing the expertise and resources of Avnet's end-to-end ecosystem, we are excited to be a catalyst that inspires even more creators to work on products that use technology for the sake of humanity."

The collaboration between Not Impossible, its technology solutions partner, Avnet, and its online community Hackster.io, a project-based community for anyone who wants to learn about programming and building hardware, is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for the tech community to come together around Not Impossible's vision for a world where social transformation is the driving force behind technology.

Pitch Competition

For those working on a technological solution that betters the human condition, the roadshow includes a two to three minute pitch opportunity to a panel of industry professionals for the chance to win mentorship and for the opportunity to fast-track to the semifinals of the 2019 Not Impossible Awards.

Attendees, and anyone who uses their skills to create technology for humanity, can submit their project for consideration for a 2019 Not Impossible Award. Submissions will be accepted until March 6, 2019. Learn more about the submissions guidelines and submit a project at either Not Impossible Awards Submissions or at theHackster / Not Impossible contest portal.

2019 Not Impossible Awards

The Not Impossible Awards celebrate the people and organizations that leverage technological innovation to change people's lives. Not Impossible will select a total of five award winners for 2019, with one award given for each of the following areas of focus: Healthcare, Internet of Things (IoT), Sustainability, Adaptive and Accessibility, and there's also a "Wildcard" category.

Winners will receive ongoing collaboration and mentorship from industry leaders and experts, along with opportunities to incubate and accelerate their work.

The Not Impossible Awards will take place in Los Angeles in June 2019.

The Awards show embodies the essence of the Not Impossible movement, bringing together the exhilarating energy of a Hollywood awards show, inspirational media and a profound experience that reminds us all why we innovate in the first place.

The Not Impossible Awards is made possible by Avnet, the title sponsor and sponsor of the IoT Connectivity Award, with additional support from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, sponsor of the Healthcare Breakthrough Award.

Previous winners of Not Impossible Awards include: SkyCool Systems, BecDot, ANDE Rapid DNA Identification Technology, OffGridBox, DCTclock, and VR-Project Δ. Not Impossible's short documentaries about each of our 2018 winners are available on our YouTube channel. Use #NotImpossibleAwards to follow social updates for the awards.

About Not Impossible
Not Impossible launched in 2008, with a goal of developing and leveraging "Technology for the Sake of Humanity" to allow the world's most vulnerable to survive and thrive via low-cost solutions. Not Impossible pairs R&D work with documentary content and storytelling about technology and will triumphing over life's "absurdities," and harnesses the power of storytelling to inspire others to make an impact by challenging boundaries of what they believe is possible. Not Impossible has received awards and honors for its technology and creative work from Cannes Lions, CLIO Awards, Fast Company, SXSW Interactive Innovation Awards, Telly Awards, TIME magazine, and others.

For more information, please visit www.notimpossible.com and connect with Not Impossible on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Mick Ebeling, Not Impossible Founder and CEO
A recipient of the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian of the Year Award, and listed as one of the most influential creative people by AdAge's Creativity 50, Mick Ebeling has sparked a movement of pragmatic, inspirational innovation; harvesting the power of technology & story to change the world. Ebeling founded Not Impossible Labs, a multiple award-winning social innovation lab & production company, on the premise that nothing is impossible. His mantra of 'commit, then figure it out' allows him to convene a disparate team of hackers, doers, makers and thinkers to create devices that better the world by enabling accessibility for all. Ebeling's style of fearless innovation has resulted in disruptive technological development across multiple industries & inspired collaboration around the world.

About Avnet
Avnet is a global technology solutions provider with an extensive ecosystem delivering design, product, marketing and supply chain expertise for customers at every stage of the product lifecycle. We transform ideas into intelligent solutions, reducing the time, cost and complexities of bringing products to market. For nearly a century, Avnet has helped its customers and suppliers around the world realize the transformative possibilities of technology. Learn more about Avnet at www.avnet.com.

Hackster.io, a division of Avnet, is the world's fastest growing developer community for learning, programming, and building hardware. By bringing together a global network of 780,000+ innovators and hundreds of technology partners, Hackster hopes to facilitate the creation of solutions that make today's world a smarter, healthier place and support the livelihood of tomorrow's generation.

Media Contacts:

Valentine Oldham
Valentine PR for Not Impossible
[email protected]

Joseph Babarsky
Director of Partnerships, Communication, & Gratitude
Not Impossible Labs
[email protected] 
434-882-2659

Maureen O'Leary 
Director of Media Relations, Avnet                                            
[email protected]  
480-643-7499

SOURCE Not Impossible Labs