Open Source for Good - How One Company Harnessed Tech Against Natural Disasters

Call for Code is a multi-year global initiative that rallies developers to create practical, effective, and high-quality applications based on cloud, data, and artificial intelligence that can have an immediate and lasting impact on humanitarian issues.

Call for Code brings startup, academic, and enterprise developers together and inspires them to solve the most pressing societal issues of our time. The prototypes that are generated through Call for Code are incubated and deployed on the ground in areas of need through the IBM Code and Response program.

Come check out this event to learn more about Call for Code and hear from Project OWL - NYC Locals and Winners of Call for Code 2018 Global Challenge! The team was inspired by the images they saw of the devastation in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and sought to create a mechanism for civilians and first responders to stay connected in times of disaster.

You will learn more about their solution - A physical “clusterduck” network made of hubs that are powered by LoRa, easy to deploy, and solar-powered. This solution uses a mesh network that can send text-based communications using a central application and their data management system, using predictive analytics and multiple data sources to build a dashboard for first responders. Their solution bakes in the latest IBM Watson Studio, Watson Cloud APIs and Weather Company APIs – all built on the IBM Cloud!

Come spend an evening getting inspired by this team and join their efforts to build with them on their open source technology!

Sign up for your free IBM cloud account via: https://ibm.biz/BdqDJj

**Please bring your Meetup RSVP Confirmation & ID to check-in**

Agenda :

6:30pm: Doors open, check-in, and get some food
6:45pm: Round-robin introductions & get to know each other
7:00pm - 8:30pm: Fireside Chat with Project OWL
8:30pm - 9:00pm - Q&A
9:00pm - Venue closes

About the Presenters :
Bryan Knouse (@bryanknouse) is a co-founder of Project OWL and is focused on building technology with impact. Bryan is committed to expanding the business opportunity of OWL, developing and improving the hardware DuckLinks, and is actively involved in the development of the OWL Data Management System in the cloud. Bryan previously spent years competing in hackathons around the globe and truly enjoys working alongside passionate, creative folks dedicated to building incredible technology. Bryan lives in and loves New York City.

Nick Feuer (@nickfeuer) is Co-Founder and COO of Project OWL.

Daniel Krook (@DanielKrook) is the Chief Technology Officer of Call for Code, a multiyear competition that inspires developers to create sustainable software solutions to the world's most pressing problems. He ensures that those ideas are delivered where they can make the greatest impact as CTO of the IBM Code and Response Initiative.

Derek Teay (@derekteay) is a Developer Advocate working on the Call for Code initiative. He’s worked with 2018 Call for Code winner Project OWL and 2019 Call for Code winner Prometeo, both solutions involving IoT, sensors, and IBM Cloud. He is an avid Node-RED user and enjoys bringing solutions to life.

Pooja Mistry (@poojamakes) is a developer advocate for IBM Cloud. She works on expanding the reach of IBM's technology to New York City's developer community. Her area of interest includes prototyping with NodeRED and working with AI services to build fun and exciting things! Before living in NYC, Pooja resided in Boston, MA, where she was working as an API automation engineer in the healthcare tech industry. She mainly works in Javascript and Java; however, she tinkers with Python. She is currently passionate about Node-RED and building IoT applications using Node-RED services. She is a firm believer in helping new technologists get up and running with technology and feel confident in their abilities to make!