Project Description
This project is still to be confirmed, but we welcome interest from candidates who think this would be a good fit.
ISHOW tracks where innovations are against product development milestones (see image below), and evaluates them across 5 pillars – 1. Customer & User Knowledge, 2. Hardware Validation, 3. Development & Manufacturing, 4. Implementation Strategy, 5. Impact. Previous work built out a matrix to benchmark current progress against the first 3 pillars, structured around the product development milestones (PDMs). This project would involve the fellow building out the rest of the matrix, considering how to evaluate where an innovation is, what it would look like at that PDM for that pillar, and what will be necessary/helpful for them along their journey to the next milestone for that pillar, as recommended steps.
The fellow may work on setting up an automated system for evaluating where an innovation is against each pillar according to this matrix, through some combination of an intake form and AI data gathering, which can automatically benchmark an innovation’s current progress and suggest next steps/priority areas or places where they need support.
The fellow would need experience with research, and ideally some experience with AI. A strong grasp of the innovation ecosystem would also be helpful, as would experience building tools to evaluate progress and make recommendations.
ISHOW PDMs
Impact
The ISHOW international accelerator of hardware-led social innovation has enabled over 180 startups from more than 30 countries to solve critical quality-of-life challenges for underserved communities worldwide. ISHOW winners solve real-world challenges with world-changing innovations like:
- A device that harvests water from dry desert air
- A solar-powered chiller so off-the-grid farmers can get milk cold to market
- A life-saving ventilator, built for under $20
