PLANO, Texas, April 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- When many
people think about students focused on "going places," they may
think of exciting jobs, prestigious fellowships or adventurous
travel. But the nearly 600 students who took part in the second
Next Generation Mobility Challenge had a different idea.
The Challenge, a national competition from Toyota and Net
Impact, inspires millennials to use design thinking to solve
mobility issues, such as improving transportation systems for
low-income workers and helping people with disabilities get around
more easily.
Today, Net Impact and Toyota announced the finalists, who were
selected based on project design, feasibility and social impact by
a panel of judges from the two organizations. Vote for your
favorite by watching videos of their solutions through April 26 at this link.
"At Toyota, mobility is about more than going places. It means
having access to opportunities," said Ryan
Klem, Director of Programs & Partnerships, Toyota
Mobility Foundation. "We were so impressed with all the students
this year, but in particular, we thought the finalists were
terrific. They thought outside the box to come up with mobility
solutions that have the potential to improve lives."
"Net Impact's goal is to inspire youth to use their education
and resources to address both business and social opportunities,"
said Liz Maw, CEO, Net Impact. "Our
partnership with Toyota on the Next Generation Mobility Challenge
gives students the opportunity to see firsthand that their ideas
are important and can, and will, change the world."
The winning team will be announced in early summer. They will be
offered summer internships at Toyota, funded by the Toyota Mobility
Foundation, which was established to address mobility challenges
around the world. Additionally, the winners may be considered for
funding to bring their solution to life from the Toyota Mobility
Foundation.
2017 Next Generation Mobility Challenge
Finalists
In April of this year, Net Impact and Toyota convened the three
finalist teams for a "boot camp" by Toyota's North American
headquarters in Plano, Texas,
where innovation experts helped them fine-tune their pitches and
prepare for the final judging. The finalists' pitch concepts and
student team members are:
- "The Hub": A carpooling concept based in school communities
that would be more efficient than public transit and allow
commuting parents to spend more time with their families.
-
- Sam Anderson, BFA in Interaction
Design, California College of the
Arts
- Nisha Pathak, Masters in
Information Management and Systems, UC Berkeley
- Daniel Quon, MBA in Design
Strategy, California College of the
Arts
- "Project Mobius": A company-sponsored employee transportation
system for low-income individuals to help them acquire and retain
jobs while boosting employee loyalty and reducing environmental
impact.
-
- Andrew Gelfman, Computer
Science/Engineering undergraduate, University
of Colorado
- Carrie Cardona, Architecture
undergraduate, University of
Colorado
- Wenjin Li, Mechanical
Engineering undergraduate, University of
Colorado
- "Para Pickup": A service that gives people with disabilities
safe, affordable and flexible ways to get home, improving on
current options which can be inflexible and slow.
-
- Sally Xia, Masters in Digital
Media, Georgia Tech
- Riley Keen, Masters in
Industrial Design, Georgia Tech
- Pranav Nair, Masters in
Industrial and Product Design, Georgia
Tech
- Kris Weng, BS in Mechanical
Engineering, Georgia Tech
About the Next Generation Mobility Challenge
Launched in 2015, the Next Generation Mobility Challenge is a
competition from Toyota, the Toyota Mobility Foundation and Net
Impact to inspire millennials to develop solutions for critical
mobility needs in local communities and around the world. Held at
fifteen university campuses across the country, the challenge
invites multi-disciplinary teams of students to participate in
design sprints to develop solutions for mobility issues related to
social equity and inclusion. Local transportation and technology
experts from Toyota and universities provided feedback and
real-world perspective to the students' concepts.
Toyota is executing the challenge through Toyota Motor North
America and the Toyota Mobility Foundation (TMF), which was created
by Toyota in 2014 to help more people go more places – safely,
easily and sustainably – so they can live better lives no matter
where they are.
About Toyota
Toyota (NYSE:TM), creator of the Prius and the Mirai fuel cell
vehicle, is committed to advancing mobility through our Toyota and
Lexus brands. Over the past 60 years, we've produced more
than 30 million cars and trucks in North
America, where we operate 14 manufacturing plants (10 in the
U.S.) and directly employ more than 44,000 people (more than 34,000
in the U.S.). Our 1,800 North American dealerships (nearly
1,500 in the U.S.) sold almost 2.6 million cars and trucks (2.45
million in the U.S.) in 2016 – and about 85 percent of all Toyota
vehicles sold over the past 15 years are still on the road
today.
Toyota partners with community, civic, academic, and
governmental organizations to address our society's most pressing
mobility challenges. We share company resources and extensive
know-how to support non-profits to help expand their ability to
assist more people move more places. For more information about
Toyota, visit www.toyotanewsroom.com.
About Toyota Mobility Foundation
The Toyota Mobility Foundation was established in August 2014 to support the development of a more
mobile society. The Foundation aims to support strong mobility
systems while eliminating disparities in mobility. It utilizes
Toyota's expertise in technology, safety, and the environment,
working in partnership with universities, governments, non-profit
organizations, research institutions and other organizations to
address mobility issues around the world. Programs include
resolving urban transportation problems, expanding the utilization
of personal mobility, and developing solutions for next generation
mobility.
About Net Impact
Net Impact is a global community of students and professionals
who aspire to be effective drivers of social and environmental
change. Our programs—delivered from our headquarters in
Oakland, CA, as well as globally
through our 275+ chapters—connect our members to the skills,
experiences and people that will allow them to have the greatest
impact. With over 100,000 members, Net Impact takes on social
challenges, protects the environment, invents new products and
orients business toward the greater good. In short, we help our
members turn their passions into a lifetime of world-changing
action. Visit www.netimpact.org.
Media Contacts
For Toyota
Amy Schultz,
amy.schultz@finsbury.com, 917-763-8013
For Net Impact
Jessica Asperger,
jasperger@netimpact.org, 626-590-1147
To view the original version on PR Newswire,
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SOURCE Toyota Motor North America