“Reinventing the wheel” is a saying used when time would be wasted creating something that has already been developed.
But sometimes, “reinventing the wheel”, or looking at something with a fresh perspective, can have a positive impact.
This week on Full Frame, we have conversations with innovators whose new approach, to some ordinary tasks, is not only making the daily grind easier, but also making the world a better place.
Matt Dalio: Changing the world one computer at a time
In 2012, Matt Dalio founded Endless Computers, a San Francisco-based startup. He had one simple goal: provide access to affordable, personal computers to people in the developing world. Almost immediately, Endless had an impact.
Even though 75% of the world currently has no access to computers, Dalio is convinced that soon, people in emerging markets, like Guatemala and Mexico, and much of Latin America, will be able to get this technology. That access will radically change people’s lives like never before. Endless Computers is reinventing the way people access technology.
From San Francisco, Matt Dalio joins Mike Walter in our New York studio to share more about his hope of bringing computers to the masses and how he’s making that a reality.
Nina Cheng: Finding fulfilling occupations
Times are changing. Nowhere is that more evident than in the workplace. No longer satisfied with simply collecting a paycheck, today’s job seekers want more, much more. They want the work to be meaningful, but they also want to find employers whose corporate cultures align with their own values and ideals.
After a particularly lengthy and challenging job search, Nina Cheng created the job search site, “HiHo”. It puts human needs, life preferences and company culture at the center of the job hunt. As co-founder and CEO, Cheng’s committed to fulfilling HiHo’s vision that nobody should be unhappy with their job. Cheng believes employee happiness should be considered a basic human right.
Nina Cheng joins Mike Walter in our New York studio to share her own career adventures and to tell us how HiHo aims to impact the job search landscape.
Stella Mateo: Getting women in the driver’s seat
When was the last time you saw a woman driver behind the wheel of a cab? It’s unusual to see, no matter where you travel in the world.It’s extremely rare in New York City. There are 115,000 taxi and limousine drivers, yet only 3% of them are women. Stella Mateo is working to increase those numbers and to ensure that more women are in the driver’s seat.
She’s a wife, mother and founder of SheTaxis or SheRides, as the service is called within New York City limits. It’s the first company in the United States to offer taxi and car services for women, from women, all through an iPhone app. Mateo’s service emulates already existing models that are successful in a number of other countries.
Stella Mateo joins Mike Walter in our New York studio to discuss the advantages of being both behind the wheel and in the passenger seat of SheTaxis.
Andres Amador: Awe-inspiring art
For the past decade, San Francisco-based artist Andres Amador has reinvented how artwork is showcased.
He creates very temporary geometric art pieces on the beach. And even though his artwork washes away with the tide, often within minutes, it’s memorialized through photographs and video.
His artwork has found a following in San Francisco and on social media around the world, but for Andres, the most important aspect of his art is being in the moment as he creates it.
On this week’s Full Frame Close Up, Andres Amador shows us how he creates awe-inspiring art using a beach as a canvas and a rake as a brush.
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