A License to RHoK
Want to change the world? Then get a license to RHoK! Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) is a global initiative to create practical open source solutions to humanity's toughest challenges. Organized by Google, Microsoft, Yahoo!, HP, NASA and the World Bank, RhoK brings together thousands of the best and brightest developers from around the world - like YOU - to participate in fast–paced and competitive marathon coding events resulting in real applications that are making an impact on humanity. The RHoK community has grown rapidly over the past 2 years, with 3000 participants from 43 cities who have worked on 214 distinct solutions. This talk will bring together "RHoKstars" to provide an overview of the initiative, discuss some of the solutions developed, describe how the SxSW community can contribute to the effort and most importantly, brainstorm about what is next. …and if they let us, we'll be playing rock music and lighting off fireworks!
Presenters
Christiaan Adams is a developer advocate with the Google Earth Outreach team and Google.org's Crisis Response team, where he helps organizations to tell their stories and share data through online maps. He has a background in Environmental Engineering, Technology Policy, Geographic Information Systems, and International Development. Christiaan specializes in information design for Google Earth and Maps, and helps to coordinate Google's crisis response mapping efforts. Christiaan has served as Google's representative on the Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK) core team since 2010.
http://about.me/skytland
Patrick Svenburg works as Director, Developer & Platform Evangelism within Microsoft’s Public Sector Division and one of the original co-founders of Random Hacks of Kindness (RHoK). At Microsoft, his team is responsible for driving early adoption and awareness of next-generation technologies among customers and partners. He is particularly passionate about technologies related to open, cloud computing, social media and mobility.
Todd Khozein works with SecondMuse, a firm specializing in the development and application of the science of collaboration to facilitate innovation and co-creation between organizations, communities and individuals.
Todd spends the majority of his time at SecondMuse working with government and multinational clients to design and implement initiatives that are focused on addressing some of the world’s great challenges. He also spends time with his colleagues developing and testing the emerging science of collaboration where they are actively studying mechanisms and processes by which organizations and individuals can transcend the constraints of traditional competitive models.
Central to his approach is the belief that all systems develop within particular ideological frameworks that, over time, no longer accurately represent our current understanding of the structure of reality. In order for organizations to be maximally effective, their systems must be informed by our ever-evolving understanding of what we know to be true.
Todd Khozein holds a Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Arts degree with Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Honor distinction from the University of New Mexico. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Harmony Equity Group.
Sunday, March 11
