The Tech Interactive

Congratulations to Prinda Wanakule for being recognized as a Silicon Valley Business Journal #40Under40 honoree! Before joining The Tech 11 years ago, Prinda earned her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. As Senior Director of Exhibits and R&D (interim), Prinda passionately leads initiatives in STEM inclusion and accessibility. She has also served on numerous committees and boards with organizations Association of Science and Technology Centers, National AI Literacy Day, etc. and introduced pivotal exhibits like The Tech Studio and Biotinkering Lab, enhancing the learning experience for 400,000+ annual visitors. Last, but not least, she is a proud mom to two kiddos (who LOVE visiting Tech Interactive😉). Let's hear it for Prinda!  🎉👏 #40Under40 #SiliconValleyBusinessJournal #SiliconValley #Innovators

Due to the recent situation in Kenya, officials have advised The Tech Challenge Kenya team not to hold any large events. Unfortunately, this means we will be postponing The Tech Challenge Kenya showcase. We will be announcing new dates once we have confirmed with our Kenyan partners. The Tech Interactive recognizes and appreciates the immense amount of work that our partners in Kenya have done to prepare for the 2024 Tech Challenge. However, our biggest priority right now is the safety of the students, teachers, volunteers, guests and the Tech staff. Though schools have been resilient through closures due to weather and civic concerns, these events have limited students’ ability to prepare and limited our access to students. It is our hope that with this postponement, students will have more time to work on their solutions before presenting to judges and their community. We remain excited to see what students have been designing.

Before this month ends, we want to take a moment to recognize our very own TJ Lauters and The Trash Punx team for being awarded the San Jose Community Hero Award from Mayor Matt Mahan! Not only does TJ consistently go above and beyond to ensure The Interactive is well-maintained for our patrons, but he also works tirelessly to protect our environment. His passion for the community is nothing short of inspiring! Join us in congratulating TJ and The Trash Punx team on this outstanding achievement! 🎉 #CommunityHero #Leadership #Service #Innovation #SanJose #CommunityService #Recognition

I recently had the pleasure of speaking on an #AI panel at the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley and The Tech Interactive's 2nd annual Community Day! Community Day is an effort to inspire Latino youth to pursue #STEM education and careers and to empower families with tools to support them. I was nervous to speak at this event (despite my public speaking and AI experience) because I knew my words would be impactful to people just like me. The audience was full of impressionable Latine youth and parents excited about their children's future. I was proud to talk about Latinos' role in AI. Latino engagement in the AI evolution is critical--we bring diverse experiences and perspectives that can improve AI models, how AI products are created, and even how it is sold (and to who). The Latino community may ask questions or see data differently from their peers. That's why we as Latinos must engage in this conversation. My co-panelist Giselle Alvarez and I also touched on our career journeys, how Latinos can engage with AI, and the opportunities AI presents for our community. AI brings opportunities for incredible growth to our community, and we must also take care that it does not cause us harm. I hope that what I shared was informative and inspiring to the Community Day attendees. Thank you to the Hispanic Foundation of Silicon Valley for inviting me to speak. I am so thankful to have had the privilege of engaging with my community in this way! #AI #edtech #latinasintech #panel #AIrevolution #STEMeducation

The Tech Challenge Kenya 2024 showcase is happening in Nakuru, Kenya on the 6th and 7th of July: Approximately 3000 students, 500 teams, 2 days, 1 big problem to solve! For months, students from 3 counties have been learning to solve problems collaboratively, building STEM skills and strengthening their innovator mindsets. All of this work has prepared them for The Tech Challenge, inspired by Silicon Valley program, where students design a mechanical engineering solution for a complex real world problem. At the July showcase, student teams will test their designs and present to volunteer judges from Safaricom PLC, Amazon, Microsoft and many more. Teams from 5th-12th grade will present over two days, including awards and a celebration! 🎉  'Kuvuka mabonde’ - ‘Rock the Ravine’ This year’s challenge, called Rock the Ravine, explores how supplies can be moved across canyons with no existing bridge. Students must use recycled materials to build a device that can be launched across a gap without leaving anything behind - It’s a problem they are ready to solve! #Education #STEM Shital Patel Shikoh Gitau Winfred Njeri

The Tech Interactive is proud to welcome a new board member to the family: Ken Washington, PhD Washington! Many know that Ken is no stranger to The Tech. Before making waves as Senior Vice President and Chief Technology and Innovation Officer for Medtronic, Ken was Chief Technology Officer at Ford Motor Company and General Manager of Consumer Electronics at Amazon. He was instrumental in securing funding for our Solve For Earth exhibit, immersing curious minds of all ages in the art and science of sustainable living. More recently, Ken and his wife, Angela Stribling, hosted our 2024 Tech for Global Good Celebration, an annual event to recognize the innovative changemakers who are using technology to tackle the world's biggest problems. In his day-to-day work, Ken inspires his teams to think big and fosters that same innovative spirit we see in The Tech Challenge, The Tech's signature program that he's supported for many years. We are not only excited to have such a distinguished technology leader on our board, but we're thrilled to welcome back a dear friend who shares our mission to inspire the innovator in everyone.

🏳️🌈 June is Pride Month, and we are honored to celebrate the remarkable contributions of local LGBTQ+ individuals who have made significant strides in science and technology. Additionally, we are proud to support local organizations dedicated to advocating for the rights and wellbeing of the LGBTQ+ community. #Pride #Pridemonth

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, we're sharing valuable insights from Dr. Nivedita More, a pediatrician at Stanford Children's Health. Dr. More offers crucial advice on supporting children dealing with anxiety or depression, a challenge many parents face. Read the full article below to learn how you can support kids who may be dealing with mental health concerns. https://lnkd.in/gW5Gy68R

We're excited to announce the appointment of Shikoh Gitau to The Tech Interactive's Board of Directors. As the first international board member, Dr. Shikoh brings invaluable insights and expertise to our mission of inspiring and empowering innovators worldwide. Dr. Shikoh's visionary leadership as CEO of Qhala, a pioneering digital innovation company in Africa, perfectly aligns with our goals as an organization. Her appointment coincides with our successful expansion of The Tech Challenge to Kenya, an initiative that reflects our commitment to inspiring the innovator in everyone - from Silicon Valley to the Silicon Savannah. Dr. Shikoh's passion for leveraging technology to solve complex challenges and her commitment to fostering Africa's startup ecosystem are truly inspiring. We are honored to welcome her to our board and look forward to the transformative impact she will undoubtedly bring to The Tech Interactive and beyond. Join us in welcoming Dr. Shikoh to our board as we embark on this exciting journey towards a more inclusive and globally-minded future!

Did you miss The Tech Challenge 2024: Cosmic Quest, presented by Amazon? We have you covered with the official photo album! Relive moments of amazing ingenuity from our participants during the most inspiring weekend of the year.