We all love a rags to riches story, right? How about a plastic bottles to backpacks story? In this session, you'll learn about real-world examples where problems were turned into opportunities using technology in innovative ways. Along the way, you'll see how choosing to seek the opportunity within problems can produce incredible results.

1. Turning Problems
into Opportunities
with Technology

2. Topics
•Mindset
•Case studies
• Thread
• Lanza Tech
• PathVis
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written
permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

3. Mindset

4. Our brains
Image source:
https://iveronicawalsh.files.wordpress.com/2014/04/fofbraindiag.jpg

5. “That’s
inconvenient”
– Frank Saladis

6. Problem or opportunity?
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

7. Finding opportunity: AID
•Ask questions
•Identify options
•Develop possibilities
Pick a path and go!
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.
? ? ?
idea
Option
A
Option
B Option
C

8. Case studies

9. Thread

10. The problems
•In Haiti:
• Massive plastic bottle litter
• High unemployment
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.
Image source: https://pittsburghgreenstory.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Plastic-Bottles-Jennifer-Cowley-810x466.jpg

11. The solutions
• Local collectors
gather plastic bottles
• Plastic bottles
become plastic
flakes
• Plastic flakes become
fiber
• Fiber is woven into
fabric
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and
written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.
Image source: http://www.threadinternational.com/

12. Quote with image
Image source: http://www.threadinternational.com/

13. Video: How Ground to Good™ Fabric
is Made: Ground (1/5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pTEvotgijQ
Video: How Ground to Good™ Fabric
is Made: Flake (2/5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nYNmadajcw
Video: How Ground to Good™ Fabric
is Made: Yarn (3/5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pTEvotgijQ
Video: How Ground to Good™ Fabric
is Made: Fabric (4/5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ta-0ffi3Yw
Video: How Ground to Good™ Fabric
is Made: Good (5/5)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRktlrzX0A8

14. Video: How Ground to Good™
Fabric Is Made

15. Finding opportunity: Ask questions
• What is the right problem? (5 whys)
• How can the problem become part of
the solution?
• What resources do we have?
• What seems impossible? Is it really?
• What assumptions are we making?
• What are we overlooking?
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

16. Lanza Tech

17. The problems
•Our planet has excessive carbon
dioxide (pollution)
•Producing needed products and
using energy creates more
carbon dioxide
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

18. The solutions
• A microbe that consumes carbon
dioxide
• Fermentation converts carbon
dioxide into materials for reuse
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and
written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

19. Waste Carbon as a Resource for
Product Synthesis
http://www.lanzatech.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Waste-Carbon.jpg

20. Video: The LanzaTech Process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3WLwKrEu7c&t=6s

21. Finding opportunity: Identify options
• What are we trying to accomplish?
• What tools are available?
• What skills do we have?
• What skills do we need?
• What resources (people and things)
can we bring in?
• What limitations are there?
• What are some options?
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

22. PathVis

23. The problems
•Infectious disease detection takes
too long
• Water samples from the field are sent to
a lab, taking 2-3 days for results
• During those 2-3 days, more people are
getting sick
• Low cost solutions are inaccurate
• Highly accurate solutions are
expensive
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

24. The solutions
• Viscosity used to detect pathogens
• Mobile technology enabled solution
• Results in 30 minutes, in the field
• Highly accurate and low cost
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and
written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

25. Video: PathVis: Using Smartphones to
Detect Cholera in Haiti
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-Vw5UxY4XM

26. Finding opportunity: Develop
possibilities
•Prototyping: trial and error
• Plan it
• Build it
• Test it
• Tweak it or start over
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.

27. Finding opportunity: AID
•Ask questions
•Identify options
•Develop possibilities
Pick a path and go!
© Jessica Parker 2017. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without
express and written permission from the author is strictly prohibited.
? ? ?
idea
Option
A
Option
B Option
C

28. “Stay away from negative
people, they have a problem for
every solution.”
- Albert Einstein