Beta-i Newsletter - Acceleration, Events, Consulting, Open Innovation, Education and Investment

So, it’s official, it’s out there, and there's no hiding it: Beta-i just merged with another innovation player. What’s different then? Not that much… We retain the Beta-i brand, we are growing and we are now a true one-stop-shop for innovation, built around 6 different areas: Acceleration, Events, Consulting, Open Innovation, Education and Investment.  Beta-i’s brand will remain focused on 'Building the Innovation Ecosystem’, leading the transformation of a new culture of humanized digital innovation. That is why we are pushing the envelope in so many fronts. One of those is Education, with the Global Impact Challenge initiative (from Singularity University, to be staged in Cascais) entering it’s final stage. Programs like this, or the  Free Electrons (a truly global startup acceleration program, in several different geographies) are one of the reasons we needed to grow. Going global is not without it’s costs! Another big reason would be #LIS (Lisbon Investment Summit). Last December, we made the decision to spend as much time as we could talking to past attendees, speakers and investors to get a clear feeling of what #LIS meant for them. We then went back to the drawing board and re-imagined the experiences we would provide in 2018 edition.   Because the only way we can drive change and help build a ecosystem is if we are also ready to (re)build ourselves in the process... Sincerely,

Hugo Vaz OliveiraMedia & Partnerships +351 962 735 663

Free Electrons. Spread the word: the biggest opportunity for energy startups is closing its applications on February 28. The program is more than a big prize money, it's a lifetime opportunity to create meaningful business-to-business relationships. Read more here.  Lisbon Investment Summit. Early bird tickets to our surprisingly informal and slightly unexpected startup conference are coming to an end on February 18, 2018.  SingularityU Portugal Global Impact Challenge. Even though applications are closed the selection program is just beginning and it's going to be a hard one. After that, the finalists will have the SingularityU Portugal GIC Pitch Event on February 26. Read more here.

Regtech: There's a new disruptor in town, on Re-Think - Read 10 Tech Events you should attend this year, on Re-Think - Read President Barack Obama on How Articial Intelligence will affect jobs, on Wired - Watch How Business keep staff engaged, on The Guardian - Read

26-28 Feb 4YFN - Startups, investors and corporations can connect and launch new ventures together (Spain) 09-18 Mar SXSW - Conference & Festivals celebrate the convergence of the interactive, film, and music industries (United States)

MAKE: Makers Faire - Education - Newsletter

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Thursday April 27, 2017

Maker Educator Convening, May 16–17 in SF

Want to meet other maker educators in a supportive and thought-provoking environment? Registration is now open for the 3rd Annual Maker Educator Convening, hosted by Maker Ed in San Francisco, CA! Join us for two days of connection, conversation, and community. Meet your fellow maker educators, share resources and knowledge, and reflect on how the maker education movement is empowering youth and educators. Learn more

Sponsored by:

Maker Faire Bay Area, May 19–21

Celebrating 12 years in the San Francisco Bay Area, Maker Faire Bay Area 2017 showcases the innovative, creative, and ingenious projects of over 1,300 inspirational makers over the weekend of May 19–21. Projects will range from garage hobbies and fun inventions at every level to prototypes and new-to-market products. There will be opportunities to get hands-on with projects and, as always, gain new skills and knowledge.   Some of our featured makers this year, among many, include:

•  MegaBots: The debut, and only appearance, of the MegaBots Mk.III combat robot before the Giant Robot Duel in August. •  Chalk the World: Three young makers from the Pacific Northwest are on a mission to inspire people of all ages to use their imaginations with a 1952 milk truck converted into an interactive chalk truck — and are driving it across America, handing out chalk. •  Big Ant: A creation and "traveling machine" of Les Machines, the Big Ant is often described as a combination of invented worlds of Jules Verne and the mechanical universe of Leonardo Da Vinci. •  Balloon Makey: It's the art of folding air! The Airigami team will build a massive art installation, starring the Faire's own “Makey,” using nothing but thousands of latex balloons. •  Aerial Sports League (dSports World 3): This popular event features FPV racing, combat, Tiny Whoop racing, and a drone Rotor Derby. Build and fly a drone in the Drone Learning Zone •  Fun with Pinball: This interactive exhibit will be a highlight in a new area of the Faire dedicated to DIY pinball machines. Fun with Pinball, built from retired pinball machine parts, will foster your curiosity and grow your imagination. •  Electric Giraffe: A veteran of all 12 Bay Area Faires, Russell the robot giraffe will be back to roam the venue while playing music and delighting attendees. •  Lighthouse Creativity Lab: Design challenges a'plenty will be on tap from this collection of makers. Attendees of all ages can get hands-on with making their own marble runs, paper-circuit murals, maracas, and fairy villages. •  3D Stroboscopic Zoetrope: Maker and kinetic sculptor Peter Hudson created the 3D Stroboscopic Zoetrope. He's taken the most primitive form of animation to an extreme level, incorporating creativity, art, engineering, technology, and fantasy into his enchanting and captivating designs. •  TOBOR the Giant Robotic Dinosaur: TOBOR is a larger-than-life robotic dinosaur with wireless remote control that can pick things up and be driven around. Get a first-hand look at this awesome beast at the Faire. •  Delorean Hovercraft: This hand-made Delorean is an amphibious vehicle that travels around by hovering on a cushion of air. Powered by gasoline engines and fans, it can carry two people over any relatively flat surface. Flux capacitor included. •  Tinker Kitchen: This food hacking community will host a maker space with all the cooking gadgets you can't fit into your kitchen. Get hands on with industrial culinary hardware like sous vide circulators, commercial pasta extruders, chocolate tempering machines, and more.

Makers for Maker Faire Bay Area 2017 can be viewed at: http://makerfaire.com/bay-area-2017/meet-the-makers/.   Tickets for Maker Faire Bay Area 2017 are on sale now and available at online-only advance pricing through Thursday, May 18 at https://mfba2017.eventbrite.com. Tickets can also be purchased during the Faire during May 19-21.

FRIDAY@MakerFaire for Schools, May 19

Maker Faire gives students the opportunity to engage with makers and experience the Faire through field trips with affordably-priced tickets during FRIDAY@MakerFaire on Friday, May 19, 2017. Bring your class, a whole grade, or the entire school! Last year, Maker Faire hosted over 4,000 students at our second FRIDAY@MakerFaire education day. To register and for more information go to: http://makerfaire.com/bay-area/friday/

Aaron Vanderwerff, Maker VISTA Champion

Maker Ed recently featured Aaron Vanderwerff, the Creativity Lab Director at Lighthouse School in Oakland, as their Maker VISTA Champion. Aaron is passionate about furthering maker education and inquiry-based learning, not only at his own school, but throughout the Bay Area. He actively seeks out ways to create and share resources with fellow educators, modeling best practices and inspiring colleagues with approachable, engaging strategies for meaningful integration. Under his direction and influence, the Creativity Lab has become a hub for the East Bay maker community, not to mention a rich learning landscape for our maker VISTA members. Learn more at Maker Ed.

It's School Maker Faire Season!

It's the end of the Northern Hempishere school year, which apparently means it's School Maker Faire season! We just glanced at our Maker Faire global map and counted 53 School Maker Faires coming up through June. Want to celebrate your student, parent and faculty makers? Learn more about this FREE resource for K-12 schools at makerfaire.com/school.

Digital Harbor Foundation in Baltimore

I recently visited the Digital Harbor Foundation (DHF) on Federal Hill in Baltimore. It serves youth in an after school rec center setting. DHF is run by Shawn and Stephanie Grimes, who stepped up as directors after founder Andrew Coy moved on to the White House at the end of 2015. On a Thursday afternoon, there were multiple tables of teenagers building circuits with Makey Makey, coding games in JavaScript, and designing for 3D printers. I enjoyed talking to the dedicated staff, many of whom had backgrounds in art education.

Shawn likes the JellyBox 3D printer, which he reviewed for Make: magazine's Digital Fabrication Guide, calling it “a great machine for learning more about the engineering behind how 3D printers work.” The JellyBox 3D printer can be assembled by kids, even though it is not a simple task. Because it uses zip ties in construction — the JellyBox 3D printer can be taken apart so that it can be built again by another group of students. Shawn wants DHF youth to know how to build and repair 3D printers, not just use them.

I always like to check out the various organizational systems at makerspaces. DHF has a set of rolling pegboards with tool silhouettes to help distribute tools to where they are needed and helps students put things back. (The silhouettes also make it easy for leaders to see what's missing.) Here are the instructions to build the pegboard organizer.   DHF also hosts a Maker Camp each summer. Learn more on DHF's website.

Welcome Bridget Rigby, Director of Maker Camp 2017

We have begun preparing for this summer's Maker Camp and we are happy to announce that Bridget Rigby joins us as Director of Maker Camp for 2017. Bridget has a background in informal learning, working as Learning Director at The Tech Museum of Innovation in San Jose and also with Summer Camps @ The Tech and Camp Galileo through Galileo Learning.

Maker Camp 2017 Starts Soon!

This is our sixth year organizing Maker Camp with the goal of introducing more young people to the practice of making. This year, Maker Camp kicks off as part of the National Week of Making (June 16-22). We are looking for leaders to organize local maker camps. Last year, we had over 700 affiliated camps, including libraries, youth centers, and museums. We provide some leadership training, offer a menu of projects that you can do with kids, and support a platform for sharing best practices and celebrating youth projects. Our belief is that making can be introduced into any kind of summer camp for almost any age level. You just have to make it your own and fit the needs of your local community! Please join us this year for Maker Camp! Register at MakerCamp.com More news to come as we ramp up. We're looking forward to Maker Camp 2017 and hope you will participate.

Minnesota Teacher Brad Weiger Asks Kids to “Support” Make: Magazine

The following tweet from Minnesota teacher Brad Weiger caught our eye: “How many copies of Make Magazine can a column made of 1 sheet of paper hold?” Weiger runs a fab lab and integrated science class at his middle school, and will be taking his students to the St. Paul Minnesota Maker Faire in June.

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