Session: WS-116
Hacking for Conservation - Make for the Planet pre-conference workshop

We are in the middle of a period of extraordinary change on the planet, a sixth great mass extinction. This is happening, even as we have been successful in creating new enclaves to protect species at exponential rates. These challenges will increase as billions emerge into middle class placing new demands on the planet, exacerbated by climate change.  While traditional conservation science can define the problems, it does not possess all... [ view more ]

We are in the middle of a period of extraordinary change on the planet, a sixth great mass extinction. This is happening, even as we have been successful in creating new enclaves to protect species at exponential rates. These challenges will increase as billions emerge into middle class placing new demands on the planet, exacerbated by climate change.  While traditional conservation science can define the problems, it does not possess all the solutions. We need new solutions, disciplines, and solvers engaged in conservation as powerful new tools for conservation exist in adjacent fields.  One way to achieve this is by harnessing the power of exponential technologies, open innovation, and entrepreneurship to transform the efficacy and scale of conservation efforts.    

This workshop will offer participants a boot camp in design thinking and technology development for solving the grand challenges in conservation.  It will also teach core skills for product development for conservation technology that can dramatically affect the speed, scale, and sustainability of such efforts. The workshop participants will include the registered Make for the Planet teams as well as IMCC5 delegates interested in designing scalable solutions for conservation.  Following design thinking methods and activities, the teams will work through challenge statements to define a set of problems, brainstorm a set of solutions, consider design factors, iterate on ideas, and understand the most effective processes to move from idea to innovation, and innovation to social enterprise to scale for conservation impact.