Chattanooga 48Hour Launch: Internet of Things Business Hackathon

48Hour Launch

Image courtesy of The Company Lab, http://colab.co/events/48hourlaunch/

The term “Internet of Things” doesn’t say it all.

Even though it’s generally understood to mean smart toasters, fitness bands, and the like, “Internet of Things” is a curious name, because it’s not really about things. It’s about humans—or at least making things more useful to humans.

This intersection between technology and human need has always interested me, and it’s why I’m looking forward to 48Hour Launch happening this weekend at the Edney Innovation Center in Chattanooga.

48Hour Launch, September 9 – 11, Chattanooga, TN
At this three-day event, seven teams with new business concepts that range from classrooms to toys to utility repair will spend 48 hours iterating on their ideas. While they work, they will also have lots of support from expert mentors in development, design, curriculum development, communications, policy, and other key fields.

The program then culminates with Sunday’s Demo Night, where the teams will debut their work to the public and a panel of judges, who will announce the winners.

Co-sponsored by Mozilla
In co-sponsorship with The Company Lab (Chattanooga’s non-profit business accelerator), Mozilla will provide a broad range of experts to assist these teams. As both a technology corporation and a non-profit foundation, Mozilla’s work spans software and human values, science and policy—including IoT, digital literacy and education—so this event is a great fit!

And there’s also nothing more appropriate for a Mozilla event than being inclusive of everyone in the community: teachers, policy makers and administrators coming together with designers, technologists, hardware people, software people, craftspeople, and wild-haired dreamers.

I’m looking forward to my first Mozilla event like this. And it’s not just to make dumb “things” smart. It’s because of the people, the open exchange of ideas, and to see first-hand what kinds of business ideas have been developed by the end of the weekend.

And, okay, it’s also because of the Southern food, especially the pecan pie.

See you soon, Chattanooga!

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