Leading Engineers, Impact Investors, Scholars and Social Entrepreneurs Gather Online Dec. 3-4 to Cultivate and Accelerate Engineering Driving Sustainable Development

ASME’s fourth annual Impact.Engineered forum draws leaders from The Caterpillar Foundation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, The United Nations,  Top Engineering Universities, and Private-Sector Tech Companies
 

What: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)’s Engineering for Change (E4C) hosts its fourth annual Impact.Engineered forum, a FREE virtual event and networking experience, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. EST, Thursday and Friday, Dec. 3-4, 2020.

The program focuses on “partnerships advancing the decade of action,” in recognition of the 2030 agenda for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and acknowledging that global challenges from climate change to COVID-19 and economic downturn require jnnovative technical solutions, workforce development, resilient infrastructure and public leadership to drive implementation. The virtual format creates new opportunities to connect with E4C’s global audience of more than one million people worldwide.

Impact.Engineered will also honor the important contributions of the ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW) 2020 cohort of innovators and two Innovate for Impact: Siemens Design Challenge winners, who will exhibit their social impact hardware in the Tech Gallery. Impact.Engineered Awards will recognize “the best of the best” across several categories, including “Connecting the Unconnected,” “Hardware Trailblazer,” “Industry Driving Social Impact,” “Rising Star,” and “Women Leading in Technology and Impact.”

Visit the event agenda for more details.

Who: The only event that recognizes and amplifies the role of engineers in solving global challenges, Impact.Engineered offers participants the opportunity to meet and learn from engineers, social entrepreneurs, multilateral agencies, impact investors, industry leaders, and rising stars who are shaping the future of business and engineering. The two-day program includes a full roster of global thought-leading speakers – more than 60% of whom are women.

• Keynote speakers Asha Varghese, president of The Caterpillar Foundation, and Jenny Frankel-Reed, climate adaptation strategy lead for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, will open and close the event with their remarks. Varghese, a thought leader in workforce readiness, international business development, and sustainable infrastructure, and Frankel-Reed, an advocate of technology enabling climate resilience, will share their unique perspectives on engineering pathways to achieve the U. N. SDGs.
   
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) – Tom Costabile, Executive Director/CEO
   
• Engineering for Change LLC – Iana Aranda, President

Among the 2020 ISHOW winners who will showcase their inventions for social good are teams from Canada, India, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States.

Where: Online via web conference; Free registration officially closes Dec. 2.
Journalists interested in covering any portion of the event can contact [email protected] for last minute login credentials.        

When: Thursday and Friday, Dec. 3-4, 9 a.m. to 2p.m. EST

Program highlights include:

Thursday, Dec. 3

9-9:20 a.m. EST – Opening Keynote by Asha Varghese, president of The Caterpillar Foundation

9:20-9:35 a.m. EST – “The State of the SDGs” with Astra Bonini, U.N. Dept. of Economic and Social Affairs

12-12:35 p.m. EST – “Engineering 2030: Societies Driving Social Change,” with representatives of AAES, ASME, E4C, and IEEE

1:10-2 p.m. EST – “How Software Companies are Driving Tech for Good,” featuring panelists from Red Hat, IBM, and We Are Open Co-op

Friday, Dec. 4

9-9:40 a.m. EST – “Pole to Pole Innovation: Inclusive Growth and Job Creation through Social Enterprise,” with panelists from Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs (ANDE), German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), IKEA Foundation, Siemens Stiftung/Empowering People Network, and World Bank Group

12-12:35 p.m. EST – “Engineering 2030: Academic Institutions Driving Social Change,” with panelists from Cornell Tech, Gearbox, Harvard University, NYU Tandon School of Engineering, University of Colorado Boulder, and Yale University

12:40-1 p.m. EST – Closing Keynote by Jenny Frankel-Reed, climate adaptation strategy lead for Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

1:05-2 p.m. EST – Awards Ceremony, hosted by ASME Foundation and E4C with presenters from Autodesk Foundation, Change Labs, Engineers Without Borders USA, New Lab, and Red Hat

About Engineering for Change (E4C)
Now celebrating its tenth anniversary, Engineering for Change (E4C) is a knowledge organization dedicated to preparing, educating, and activating the international engineering workforce to improve the quality of life of underserved communities worldwide. E4C provides access to resources, talent and platforms that accelerate the development of impactful solutions and infuse engineering rigor into global development. Our diverse, global community of more than one million people comprises engineers, technologists, social entrepreneurs, and development practitioners. 

Jointly founded by ASME and other leading engineering societies, E4C has attracted the support of a variety of partners and sponsors ranging from industry, academia, non-profits and multilateral organizations, and corporations including Siemens.

      @Engineer4Change

About ASME
ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges.  Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society.  ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education, and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. ASME recently formed the International Society of Interdisciplinary Engineers (ISIE) LLC, a new for-profit subsidiary to house business ventures that will bring new and innovative products, services, and technologies to the engineering community. For more information, visit www.asme.org