#TechForGood Is a Silver Lining of the Coronavirus Pandemic

By Jun Wu
Published on April 16, 2020

Many entrepreneurs are wondering what will happen to post-pandemic startup funding. As small businesses are going through unprecedented changes, a lot of startups that are in nascent stages of development are feeling the pressure.

Last week, I had the pleasure of speaking with Lucy Chow, investor at the World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF) to find out where emerging technology startups can find funding as we all emerge from social distancing. She introduced me to the Lenovo and Intel sponsored #AIShowBiz Summit 4.0, a remote conference showcasing #TechForGOOD technology from the startup community. The summit provides a great opportunity to connect with mentors, angel investors, and expertise to position your startup to thrive in the next few years.

You can register free of charge for the #AIShowBiz and the conference will take place between May 4-6 on Zoom Video Conferencing. The conference will feature the Mayday Impact Award supported by the Arch Mission Foundation and the Expert DOJO. The award showcases emerging technology for social good.

Emerging technology Investors are increasingly realizing that social impact investing is the future of emerging technology. Lucy says, “I believe a company can be profitable AND be a force for good. Social impact investing is misunderstood. Not enough funding and support. I know #AIShowBiz will be a platform that will help amplify and shine a spotlight on companies and individuals doing their utmost to make a positive impact on the world.”

Lucy is excited to be one of the judges for the Mayday Impact Award PitchFest.

Some of the presenters include world-renowned emerging technology investors such as Timothy Draper from Draper Associates, Lucy Chow from World Business Angels Investment Forum (WBAF), Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria from New Generation Power/PlanetSpace.

Leaders in emerging technology such as Ted Schilowitz from Paramount Pictures, Jannicke Mikkelsen, New Tech Filmmaker, Guy Kawasaki, Remarkable People, Wes Potter, Digital Monarch Media are also presenting.

Most of all, inspirational keynotes will be given by Col. Terry Virts, NASA Astronaut, and StoryFile, the company that 60 minutes just showcased recently.

Tech For Good is the Silver Lining of this Pandemic

Organizers of #AIShowBiz believe that #techforgood will be the force that will drive the startup community going forward post-pandemic. Startup founders that are thinking globally and trying to solve problems in our global marketplaces will see their funding steady throughout the ups and downs in this business environment.

This is why #AIShowBiz is crucial to startup success. It’s a place where visionary startup founders with good ideas positively impact our planet and humanity can be connected to all the resources they will need for success. Startups that lineup their resources early will be light years ahead of their peers.

During this pandemic, we are all brought closer together. We are thinking on a larger scale about humanity. In social isolation, we are more aware of our need to connect with one another.  Lucy says, “The pandemic is bringing out the best and the worst in humanity. Everyone from leaders of a country, to leaders of a county will be remembered for how they reacted during this crisis.  You and I, the man and/or woman on the street will be remembered for how we reacted during this crisis.”

#AIShowBiz is here to facilitate connections that will set startups on the path to success.

Inspiration and Vision Are Needed to Unleash Your Creativity

We are not going to be the same after this pandemic. Instead, many of us are focused on deriving inspirations from people around us to help us refine our visions. These inspirations can help to light the fire of creativity. Lucy mentions an important point that Jannicke Mikkelsen, New-Tech Filmmaker, Co-Producer of #AIShowBiz and Co-Founder Mayday Impact Award PitchFest, “Valuable innovation is not instant gratification. Tech entrepreneurs create technology for good need to work with like minded investors who are themselves experts in emerging technology. #AIShowBiz is such a place where the two can come together.”

Think bigger. Rather than feeling confined in our social isolation, using technology, we can connect better with people around the world. We are no longer restricted to our own social boundaries.

Our vision, derived from the right inspirations can help to redefine our world. Our creativity is only limited to our boundaries of thinking.

Recently, one of Lucy’s friends, Jason Zanatta decided to use his factory to start producing N95 masks to supply his hometown Vancouver, Canada. He paid $600,000 in cash to acquire two machines from China. The Canadian government helped to expedite the delivery of the equipment. He used YouTube videos and Google Translate to translate instructions from Mandarin into English to teach himself to assemble the machines.

“This is an example of collaboration across borders, across both government and business,” she said. “Collaboration is the only way we can overcome our limitations of creativity. We can not do it alone.”

#AIShowBiz’s sponsors and speakers are industry leaders in emerging technology. You will learn about the cutting edge technologies, how they are applied, and how to position yourself for success in the next few years.

Position Yourself and Your Company For the Future

#AIShowBiz features the MayDay Impact Award that showcases #TechForGood startups. If you missed this year’s submissions, you can still attend the conference to make your connections. Submissions are due by end of day PDT and you can apply here.

You can learn from the company that wins this year and position your startup for the future. The submissions will be available for viewing at www.AIShow.Biz/Impact

Startup success is all about setting the right bar of success and connecting to the right resources. This requires startups to be intentional in the connections that they make.

“The ‘x’ factor of the right investor betting on your business will facilitate innovation,” Lucy said. “If you have a meeting of the minds and you tap your investor for guidance and mentoring, innovation will be a natural by-product. Whether it is deciding to pivot an existing business model, or marketing to a new segment, there are endless possibilities when you are working with the right investor.”

So, mark the date on your calendar, May 4-6. 2020, and register here. 

Jun Wu is a Contributor at Grit Daily. Based in New York, she writes about innovation in publications including  Forbes, Cognitive World, Towards Data Science, and others. She has a technical background and frequently writes about topics of interest to the technology community.

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