Samsung Solve for Tomorrow

April 2018. New York City, Samsung 837 & The Loft

Empire was proud to work with Samsung who hosted some of the brightest, young minds for the final round of their annual Samsung Solve for Tomorrow Contest. The nationwide competition encourages students to use STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics) to address real-world problems in their local communities. Students from the top ten schools flew in to New York from all over the country to pitch their innovations to a panel of esteemed judges.

After a nine-month journey through various phases of the contest, the final event kicked off at Samsung 837, a cultural destination and digital playground. Hosting the event were Michele Mosa, Senior Manager of Corporate Citizenship at Samsung Electronics America and Kyle Hill, a science editor/ YouTube educator. They introduced the co-founder of the program, David Steel, Executive Vice President and Head of Corporate Affairs at Samsung Electronics America, to welcome contestants and their supporters. Students then presented their project ideas and prototypes to a panel of esteemed judges. The themes of kindness and empathy, health and safety, and environmental solutions led the winning ideas for the finalists, including an app-based outdoor home fire extinguishing sprinkler system to contain wildfires and a device that allows first responders to safely collect hazardous needles left behind by opioid and other drug users. These student inventions show how STEAM learning can take a simple idea to the next level, empowering students to reach a new potential and make a difference.

The event was also live-streamed so friends and families were able to watch from their home states. To wrap up a great day of presentations, Samsung surprised the students with a video announcement from Tim Baxter, President and CEO of Samsung Electronics North America, informing them they would be featured on Good Morning America to announce the winners. Following the big reveal, students boarded "The Ride" for a personalized bus tour around Manhattan, followed by a celebratory dinner at a top Italian restaurant in New York.

On Tuesday evening, the students and teachers were invited to unwind and mingle at a Samsung loft location. Students took photos in the Samsung low-light photo booth and journeyed into space using the new Samsung Virtual Reality Headsets, all while sipping on custom mocktails. Each of the ten national finalist schools were awarded with $50,000 in Samsung technology, and the top three winners each won a total of $150,000 in Samsung technology for their schools.

Empire was thrilled to collaborate with Samsung Solve for Tomorrow by helping coordinate the final event at Samsung 837 and fun evening at the loft. For most students, it was their first visit to the Big Apple and an experience they will never forget. The future sure looks bright to us!

To learn more about the student's innovations, click the links below: https://news.samsung.com/us/2018-samsung-solve-pitch-event-live-streaming-video/ Good Morning America Winners Reveal: https://news.samsung.com/us/2018-Samsung-Solve-for-Tomorrow-National-Winner-Announcement/