Subject: Field Innovation Team Update
From: "Desiree Matel-Anderson" <[email-masked]>
To: "Desiree Matel-Anderson" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 24 Apr 2014 05:27:11 -0400

Dear Field Innovation Team Members & Collaborators,

It’s time to update you!  This email is a glimpse of the projects, accomplishments, and current and future endeavors of FIT.  We are happy to plug you into any or all of these engagements - the team is an incredible crew doing very impactful work that will benefit survivors, communities, and ultimately the world. 

We are committed to cultivating a culture of innovation that puts the humanitarian mission first and is aligned with our core values:

Survivor Focused, Positive, Open-minded, Supportive, Prepared, Special Sauce, Collaborative, Passionate, Flexible, Resilient, & Empathic (credit to Christy W. for the incredibly composed sentence).

Let’s keep our sights on “the horizon” (circa Brian David Johnson, of Intel, speaking at FIT Boot Camp, March 2014) and hold true to our core values through action.

The following is a list of the main accomplishments of FIT from Fall 2013 to present and demonstrates how the work we are doing supports our core values (also known as team member FITness).  We thank you for your incredible dedication and hard work.  Please celebrate your commitment to helping disaster survivors and the first responders who support response and recovery!

Survivor Focused: Serving Survivors & First Responders

	Washington Mudslides: A small team deployed: Frank S, Stacy N, Robin M, Tamara P, Brittany & a number of other teammates (physically & 	
	virtually).

Our partners Roboticist's Without Borders and Texas A&M faculty member, Robin Murphy is co-leading an incredible effort to get 						progressive technology in the field and currently working with the Incident Commander to provide situational awareness to incipient mudslides and 		topography. We are making history & can’t wait to share the updates shortly. GREAT work team!

Granted special access to retrieve imagery & FIT member Frank S personally delivered it to the Fire Chief & OSO responding 	community. Thank you 		Frank!

Demo-ed a 3d scan of the mudslide with software & engineering provided by our partners at Autodesk (HOORAY Shaan!) We continue to refine the 		data points. The initial demo was welcomed and there is continued interest in this valuable resource.
		And…A surprise to treat our members coming shortly! :)

	Future Disasters: Get ready to gear up! FIT members on the East Coast & West Coast who have geared up by taking CERT/NERT & ICS courses- 			 BRAVO team, way to prepare! Shout out to Asher N for his neon yellow vest, Dara A, Christy W & others for taking the initiative!

Positive & Open-Minded:

Policy and cultural changes are always challenging, but gaming makes it fun!  Tabatha S (& behind the scenes FIT member Matt G) collaborated with TabTalks & FIT to bring resiliency principles to continuity members across Canada and the Conference Board of Canada in  Ottawa, Canada in the chilly -20 degree temperatures this winter. Fantastic job Tabatha S & Matt G!

Arts in disasters has a place and always pushing the boundaries are our friends at Mactavish labs, where a dinner was co-hosted in Soho, NY 	this past fall to carve out the importance of arts in disasters. Since, this dinner FIT is committed to bringing illustrators, placemakers, theater  and artists to assist in recovery efforts of survivors and communities. Nicely done, Susan MacTavish.

Special highlight to Alice Dysart who is working on a USO concept. Excited to get this launched!

Supportive

Earlier this spring, FIT joined 240+ MBA students from Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut to run a reframing session on innovating 		 real-time by connecting positive collaboration amongst sectors in disasters. Session flawlessly ran by Rodrigo Canales, who put the “why” 		 first. 

FIT is currently taking on a few eco-mappers to join the team, interns from MIT & Berkeley! Another HOORAY to Nikhita S &  Jordan R!

Prepared

FIT & the Aquanauts (astronauts under the sea) for hurricane preparedness  met in Key Largo to test the communication infrastructure 			 backbone and discuss how the community can get prepared for Hurricane Season! Time was also spent in an underwater hotel & 		
               discussions were had with the author of “Living and Working in the Sea” Ian Koblick. Nicely done Tony S!

Gaming is back on the scene for shifting paradigms where Tabatha S & FIT members will lead a session at the World Summit on Innovation &   
               Entrepreneurship this fall. Awesome Tabatha S!

UNICEF is performing a challenge for the first 72hours, and FIT is a judge on the panel for innovations all over the world. Check out this cool  	 initiative put on by UNICEF & SocialLab. Let’s run Chris F & Mac G!

Collaborative

Speaking engagement at Singularity University on the NASA Ames campus in June. How exciting Emeline, Nick, David R & team! A 			 collaboration has spun off to work with SU start-ups and teams to get great tech into the disaster space. We can’t wait to continue to launch 		 our efforts together- good things are occurring. YAY!

Resilience in New Zealand, FIT & innovative Kiwis met to discuss their fascinating resiliency work. FIT is partnering for a virtual Kiwi reach- 
       	        back in the next disaster! Cheers to Dan N, Lorraine C (she drives a motorcycle), Phil & the rest of team!

Canadian Tour in NYC with the Conference Board of Canada to showcase innovators during Hurricane Sandy. As a FIT member, if you  
    	       happen to be in NYC, Desi welcomes you to crash her storytelling series & speak about your great work! Open Tech Institute, Red Hook  
              Initiative and Frog will also be showcased for their great work. GO Kabi & Debbie!

Currently we are working with a few Governor & Lt. Governor offices who believe in our "innovate in real-time" cause. As most of you know,  
               Utah’s Governor made a special visit to join us at bootcamp and we have subsequent conversations with Washington’s Governor Office during 	   	      recovery efforts of the mudslide. We are also really digging what California’s Lt. Governor’s Office is up to with the California Report Card & 			      subsequent discussions on this cool initiative! Thank you Conrad, Stacy & Rhett S!

Passionate

Late fall, FIT spoke on a panel for “Design Like You Give a Damn” which the objective to inspire architects and designers to continue to work in 		 the humanitarian space because of the importance their perspective and expertise brought to the space. Special thanks to Sherry-Lea who is now 	the Executive Director of AIA who put this incredible panel together. FIT shared the stage with movers and shakers, like Mary, Rob W & Richard 		 R, American Red Cross. 

FIT is featured on two podcasts; The All Hazards Consortium and Science News Radio Network where we are able to spread the good work the 		 team is doing in steady-state or while deployed in disasters. Go team! Many of our members will be featured on these stations shortly, stay 		 	posted! Exciting times, Colonel, Jack, Tim & Tom. 

Flexible

NAGC Communications Conference, FIT is discussing communication in the disaster space with the nation’s leading experts. Ahem that would 		 be you…John V. :)

Climbing rooftops with the Red Hook Initiative and Open Tech Institute or ideating in Frog’s laboratory, Parisian Photographer Thomas J & cohort 		Kurt captured some of the innovations from Hurricane Sandy accomplished by FIT & other collaborative groups for an exhibit to launch in Paris, 	 	France and sponsored by BNP Paribas Bank. Special thank you to Navi R for his vision & for Thomas J & Kurt for being incredible sports!

Resilient

Although a scrappy start-up, a team assisted in the Philippines Typhoon, led by Steve B and Open Signals, a cellular infrastructure heat 		 map was developed that provided situational awareness during recovery efforts. Nice Steve & innovators!

IEEE conversation in San Diego, discussion about innovating real-time and building resiliency in impacted communities through innovation. FIT 		 appreciates the hook up Willow!

Future casting/Forecasting disasters with Brian David Johnson, Intel’s Futurist. Previously, FIT participated on a panel to discuss wildfires and  		 once again will be participating on BDJ’s latest with future casting earthquakes in June! COOL stuff BDJ!

Empathic

This trait transcends all of the values, each and every one of us were handpicked for the team because of this incredibly important quality. It’s 	 	important particularly when working with survivors in disasters. Thank you for your wonderful ethos. 

Mary’s Improv Theater in the Philippines, incredible work with survivors! She also performed her work at bootcamp with the team!

Special Sauce

Tribeca Film Festival Innovation Disruptive Fellows - FIT will receive this honor at the Tribeca Film Festival, April 25th in NYC. Thank you Craig & Rachel.

FIT will be presenting at the IAEM Speaking Engagement at their annual conference in San Antonio, Texas, November 2014! Much appreciated Susamma!

Wired Article discussing our accomplishments in Hurricane Sandy with designers. The team is taking it to the next level, & Mathan R is in the 		 process of cultivating design talent to catapult our efforts to the next level. GO Mathan R!

We are excited to see what we can do to continue a survivor-centric approach & to keep innovating real-time in disasters. 

Let’s Innovate!

Desi & the rest of the FIT fan crew

          *Special thanks to Steph B for designing the FIT logo. BRAVO lady!