Here is innovation at its best: A billboard created to actually generate potable water from nothing but thin air. And this incredible invention was unveiled in the city of Lima, Peru, a place where a fresh water shortage has been one of the biggest problems for those in the community and nearby villages. The project, developed at the University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC), is inspiring.
Innovation arises when passion and purpose come together, when people collaborate across different domains and expertise and when different technologies are combined. As in the case of this billboard, it happens when imagination meets a genuine problem that needs to be solved. Have a look at how this invention was designed to capture moisture from the air around it, and how its output of clean drinking water has been impacting the lives of local families:
This thirst-quenching billboard that’s helped so many is ideal for the environment of Lima, because of the infrequent rainfall and high humidity in the air. The internal system reportedly cost approximately $1200 to construct, as a promotion for UTEC.
Here in this South American nation, advertising, engineering and science came together – along with perhaps the most distinguishing quality found in innovations that matter: Empathy.
Rabbi Irwin Kula is a 7th generation rabbi and a disruptive spiritual innovator. A rogue thinker, author of the award-winning book, Yearnings: Embracing the Sacred Messiness of Life, and President-Emeritus of Clal – The National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership, he works at the intersection of religion, innovation, and human flourishing. A popular commentator in both new and traditional media, he is co-founder with Craig Hatkoff and the late Professor Clay Christensen of The Disruptor Foundation whose mission is to advance disruptive innovation theory and its application in societal critical domains. He serves as a consultant to a wide range of foundations, organizations, think tanks, and businesses and is on the leadership team of Coburn Ventures, where he offers uncommon inputs on cultural and societal change to institutional investors across sectors and companies worldwide.