Design Thinking Hackathon 2022

 

Join our next impACT challenge!

What if we could shape our digital future and take control of our online data?

That’s the question that we are asking at our design thinking hackathon. Four ideas were voted for during our first session. We now look forward to further shaping them in our hackathon teams before we’ll vote for the best one(s) on Feb 14.

Team 1 #dataempowerment

What if we could empower citizens and stakeholders to make better use of digital solutions? What if everyone could gain a basic understanding of the implications of data sharing? Trust in new technologies is a critical factor to tackle the digital divide and improve quality of life, and it has to start with education.

Team 2 #data cockpit

What if you could use social media on your own terms? What if you were able to look for a restaurant on Facebook without giving all your data away? The solution would be a tool that allowed us to control the use of our data on social media platforms while retaining ownership of it. Let’s find a simple way to tell third parties what we want to share, how we want to share it, and on what terms.

Team 3 #TTT (Track Trace Trust)

What if we could make data visible? What if we were able to understand and identify the nature of our data and metadata so that we could decide what to share with the general public (companies, governments, etc.)? To date, it is hard to understand how, when and why our data is being used and by whom.

Team 4 #data4good

What if people could make a profit with their data via a digital marketplace? What if they could even donate their data for a purpose they support? Making people understand the value of their data and their digital footprint is vital, and tools for controlled data sharing could help to build trust and share benefits more equally. Imagine users of data (such as researchers) could propose their projects, and providers of relevant data (e.g. us) can freely and transparently donate or sell their data to these projects, based on their preferences and expected benefits.

Feb 09, Opening Event: Together, we will generate, select and outline ideas for potential impact projects. We will start with a brainstorming session and then form different teams for the Hackathon.

Feb 11, Touchpoint Event: During this event, you’ll get inspired and informed by invited experts on this year’s challenge around the topic of democracy and participation. After their keynote speeches, the experts will stay online to discuss and exchange ideas with you and your team individually as needed.

Feb 14, Closing Event: Each team will pitch their ideas. We will vote on the best ideas and then close the Hackathon with a preview of the focus groups that will work out their project ideas over the next months.

Be inspired by our guest speakers

Thomas Heilmann

Thomas Heilmann

Member of the German Parliament

Thomas is also the author of the political book-Bestseller NEUSTAAT, published in 2020, in which he and other members of parliament and experts put forward 103 proposals for the fundamental modernization of the state.

Important points of his work are state modernization, digitization, digital competitiveness and climate and environmental policy.

Mark Paul

Mark Paul

Founder and CEO itheum.io

Itheum is a web3 data platform that is building decentralized data brokerage and personal data sovereignty technology.

Mark Paul has over 20 years of experience in working with large-scale data, AI, blockchain, and distributed tech projects fot the government, enterprise & startup sector. 

He’s also the Head of Engineering at Healthdirect Australia.

Takhmina Nasimova

Takhmina Nasimova

Project Manager at AgAu AG

Takhmina is heading Development Projects in a fast-growing Swiss Commodity and FinTech/DLT organization and engages in diplomacy and conflict resolution.

She’s experienced in policy research and an expert in financial impact, strategic innovation, illicit financial flows, enhancement of economic well-being, and youth education.

Michael Cañares

Michael Cañares

Consultant at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

Awarded as the Philippines’ most outstanding finance educator in 2010, Michael is also a skilled teacher and adult-learning facilitator. He’s an expert in participatory processes to design new offerings, customize services, discuss policy reform, and promote development effectiveness.

What’s your take?

Please share with us your view on privacy, data usage and participation and fill in our 1 min survey.

In our digital society, everyone with access to the internet can engage in political debates and become an influencer for a good cause. As citizens we can participate from sharing pictures to expressing opinions, providing consumer data or even donating health information.

However, such data are often exploited, leaving little or no control to individuals. While feeding marketing campaigns or Artificial Intelligence (AI), our data can also scale the knowledge of start-ups or NGOs. Furthermore, they can play a crucial role in fostering new forms of citizen participation such as facilitating the transition to a circular economy or managing global health.

Ideally, responsible data sharing facilitates inclusive participation. In some cases, users are rewarded with some services or a bit of pocket change for donating their personal data for marketing purposes. But shouldn’t it be even more important that they remain in control of their data?

When data is shared in a trustworthy way it can even have a long-term impact on democracy. Inclusive participation like e-voting or health data donations – where responsible data management is crucial – could eventually become less of a fiction. Such development requires transparency and data donors to be in full control over their data.
 
The Geneva impACTs initiative 2022 is looking for solutions where personal data can be shared in a controlled and trustworthy way to drive democratic processes and impactful innovation. This endeavor is a call for collective action. Creating the right tools and services that enable us to collaborate by sharing our data under our control and ensure that they are being used responsibly could bring a new dimension to digital democracy.
Why should you join?

The future runs on our data. Make it yours! 

Design solutions for a better digital future. What if we found ways to make use of our data for purposes that we believe in?

  • Join us for our online Design Thinking Hackathon Opening Event on 9th of February 2022! Experience collective intelligence in progress. You’ll be working in teams to design an idea from scratch.
  • Two days later, you are invited to our touchpoint event where you’ll get innovation inspiration, exchange your experience with other teams, and talk to experts.
  • On the 14th of February, you will pitch your idea and all of us will vote on the best projects to help us better control our data online to support a democratic world in line with the global sustainability goals.  
Why are we doing this?

We believe that we can all contribute to shaping the future. In our Geneva impACTs innovation cycles, we develop impact projects together with our opinion leader community to support a sustainable future in line with the UN’s Agenda 2030.

 

What’s the Design Thinking Hackathon about?

This hackathon is about sketching together ideas for innovation. We’ll brainstorm on novel ideas to better control our data. You don’t have to be an expert in the field of data control or online participation or coding to take on the challenge. Build on your digital experience and make a difference by creating new solutions, be it platforms, algorithms or tools to promote democracy and participation online. 

 

How does the Geneva impACTs innovation cycle work?

 

 

Who are we?

We are the Geneva Macro Labs, a community-based think and do tank running the Geneva impACTs initiative.   It is our goal to contribute to a better future by getting sustainability done.  

 

 

 

 

 Kindly read our Engagement Conditions and find out more about our process here.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions or comments (board@genevaimpacts.com).