Uncharted Play: harnessing clean energy for the #NeedEconomy

Uncharted Play envisions a world with sustainable, clean and renewable energy, all while promoting the importance of physical activity and making meaningful social impact. It’s first product, sOccket, is an energy harnessing soccer ball that powers a 3-LED lamp after hours of play. The more you play, the more energy is generated. Second is Pulse, a jump rope that acts as a portable battery charger. Charge it by plugging it into a wall or laptop, or by using it to jump rope. Uncharted Play’s most recent development is a proprietary technology called M.O.R.E., or Motion-based, Off-grid, Renewable Energy, designed to seamlessly integrate into nearly any object, from bicycles and wheelchairs, to baby strollers or skateboards, to either power the object itself or other objects. #NeedEconomy

PlanGrid: construction industry disrupted

PlanGrid brings time, cost and user efficiency to the construction industry. Architects, designers, individuals and general contractors alike can use the cloud based service to upload, share, update and store blueprints and documents on iPads, Android tablets and smart phones. Entire teams can access, update and share information, as well as address & fix problems quickly and efficiently, with the security of knowing that everyone is literally on the same page of any given project whether in the field or in the office, on or offline. PlanGrid is the largest blueprint repository in the world. Available for Windows, iOS and Android #NeedEconomy #DesignTech

Josephine: economic agency through cooking!

Headquartered in Oakland, CA, Josephine is a community based platform for home cooks to sell their specialty cuisine to their neighbors, who order and pay online and then pick up in person. Its ambitious mission addresses three identified needs with a view to catalyzing sustainable growth economies within neighborhoods: (Labor) providing retirees, stay-at-home parents, immigrants and historically underemployed groups with dignified, profitable and self-sufficient work; (Food Justice) cooks turn cultural and family know-how into a vehicle for a living wage while providing cross-cultural food exchange, community bonding and uplift with a nutritional value-add; and (Tech Equity) technology becomes more inclusive through food, as vetted cooks who may not normally have access to or be comfortable with computers/smartphones are trained to manage, maintain and grow their businesses via the platform. #NeedEconomy

Sweeten upgrades the home renovation process

Sweeten endeavors to take the hassle out of home renovation and make it a positively memorable experience. 1. Homeowners post their renovation projects for free on the platform; 2. The Sweeten team proposes pre-vetted local contractors to choose from, providing samples of their work and former client reviews; and 3. Homeowners choose the contractors they like best, arrange personal visits and negotiate estimates with them direct before making a final choice. Besides being a user-friendly matchmaking platform for the renovation process, Sweeten keeps a blog which is arguably it’s most effective promotional partner. It features pictures of finished client projects, interviews with homeowners and contractors, as well as renovation-needy spaces for sale and more.

Silent Pocket: wireless shielding that takes you off-grid

Will #mindthegrid be a globetrotter’s (and privacy conscious everyman’s) saviour? Silent Pocket promises design savvy faraday cage (RFID shielding) products that take you off the grid: instant privacy and security for all your devices (tablets, computers, credit cards, mobile phones, passports and IDs) by blocking wireless signal. NO cellular, NO wifi, NO GPS, NO bluetooth, NO rfid/nfc, NO connection. Patent pending shielding technology (interlocking magnetic RF seal).

LinkNYC: the coronation of a Smart City as leader in public service tech!

This pioneering communications network replaced over 7500 public pay phones across NYC’s five boroughs with structures known as Links. LinkNYC provides New Yorkers and visitors with super fast, free Wi-Fi hotspots + free phone calls within the USA. Also: device charging and a tablet for internet browsing, access to city services, maps and directions. For the first time in the world, one experiences a Smart City as both traveler and local public service provider. With the deployment of LinkNYC, the Big Apple continues to live up to its much deserved reputation as the world’s premier international city. Funded by advertising. Free for everyone. #NeedEconomy