Designers to Take On Urban Energy Challenges during NYC ACRE Design Jam

BROOKLYN, New York—On Saturday, May 10, the New York City Accelerator for a Clean and Resilient Economy (NYC ACRE) at the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering will host its second annual Design Jam, inviting designers to bring their creative insight to the challenges faced by the clean-tech incubator’s entrepreneurs.

During the one-day Design Jam, which is part of NYC Design Week, five entrepreneurs from New York’s flagship clean-energy business incubator will connect with 25 designers to brainstorm, prototype, and present transformative solutions to urban challenges touching on transportation, energy efficiency, and electric vehicles. The participating companies are: Bandwagon, EnerKnol, Project Economics, Radiator Labs, and Smarter Grid Solutions.

“Designers are great problem-solvers, and we’re excited to match their perspectives with our engineering resources to help our startup companies build a more livable and resilient city,” said Micah Kotch, NYC ACRE’s executive director.

David Mahfouda, founder and CEO of Bandwagon, whose main product is a ride-sharing application, said he is looking forward to his company’s participation. “Bandwagon members have already reduced greenhouse gas emissions by over 3.7 tons by sharing rides to and from New York-area airports,” Mahfouda said.  “Design is central to our work at Bandwagon, and we're looking forward to the Design Jam as an opportunity to really dig in and define the mechanics of our new mobile application.”

The Design Jam will take place on Saturday, May 10, at the NYU Polytechnic School of Engineering’s Urban Future Lab, 15 MetroTech Center, 19th floor, in Downtown Brooklyn. That evening, the teams will present their work during a celebratory happy hour open to the public. To register, visit bit.ly/acredesignjam2014.

The event is made possible with the generous support of the NYC Economic Development Corporation, New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), National Grid, and ADT Security Systems. It is organized with assistance from OpenThink, a strategic design consultancy launched by two Parsons graduate students to help startups to mid-sized organizations work out their direction, then design services that deliver on that direction.

For more information on NYC ACRE, visit www.nycacre.com or follow @nycacre on Twitter.