Idea Napkin #1

In June 2016 I founded the Tangency Foundation, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization which leverages STEM education to combat climate change and poverty. I see this opportunity as an extension of the work I do with Tangency, to enter into a new market space and create a product which is both financially profitable and socially productive. As a business administration major with a minor in African Studies and a Specialization in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance, I have developed several skillsets which will prove crucial to the development of this idea, including mapping out the logistical challenges to education in economically impoverished areas, determining the legal challenges to developing the business, and analyzing the effectiveness of this project. I wish to develop Tangency into an international NGO focused on sustainability technology innovations, STEM educational outreach, and ecological conservation efforts.

There is a substantial portion of the population lacking access to proper STEM education resources, as well as cut off from opportunities to become engaged with them. This is both a problem for those individuals who cannot take advantage of a STEM education for personal growth and financial interest, but also for society, as there is a shortage of STEM graduates working in conservation, a problem which we need to address because it effects the global economy. Additionally, economic impacts due to climate change disproportionately affect poorer peoples. With the penetration fo the internet into more hands than ever, particularly young hands, online resources such as youtube videos are more accessible than ever.

We plan on engaging with these people through a combination of a projects, kits, and a youtube video series examining science as it relates to climate change, our planet, and life on earth. STEM resources tend to be costly, becoming prohibitively expensive for underserved communities, and for this reason our projects will showcase safe, but cheap alternatives to the typical science demonstrations - the DIY science will allow for students to engage with our materials, and our videos will feature a style that departs from traditional educational formats, so that students will not suffer from the idea that our programs are an extension of work, but more an exploration of their curiosities.

I am also a self-taught chemist, as well as having won the Young Physicist’s Award in 2016, accolades exhibiting my understanding of STEM studies, my appreciation for them, and the passion with which I pursue them. While some may consider my set of abilities as belonging to a jack of all trades, master of none, I shun the idea. While I may not be as specialized in any one field, that does not mean that I have not mastered the particulars of what I have studied. What sets me apart is this way of thinking, a byproduct of my being autistic, but a strength which will fuel an innovation of a unique flavor. 

I believe that all this sketch is missing is to be colored in. The idea is well put together, and I have a system for the specifics of topic selection and idea curation. I do, however, think that for this vision to come to fruition, some investment will be needed. I am considering the use of a crowdfunding campaign to develop the funding needed, as well as generate buzz about the product.