Over the past two weekends (August 2-4), Dell created and showed off the Dell Inspire House in the Hamptons. The house hosted cool, creative people from a range of industries and interests who converged to talk, banter, laugh and solve a slew of problems. I was thrilled to be able to attend last weekend to talk technology, world changing, and food.
They dubbed this last weekend as the “World Changers Weekend” because it brought together game changers from GirlUp, the UN Foundation, and Dwell to focus on inspiring and empowering girls to make a difference in the world. The lively event included organic brainstorms with a network of inspirational leaders and motivated youth all who were using Dell and Windows 8 to solve problems, make changes and bring tech front and center.
Themed around the #PayItForward movement, the house highlighted the power of women and youth. With technology as both a platform and vehicle for social change, women and youth who have otherwise been closed to opportunities now have the ability to express themselves. Elizabeth Gore and Aaron Sherinian from the UN Foundation led a Global Youth Brainstorm Session that captured the social entrepreneurial energy of the collective at #inspirehouse. Elizabeth gore inspired many with her words, “I have a really strong belief that everybody, no matter who you are or what you do, can actually save a life.”
GirlUp shared with the group how technology is playing a pivotal role in empowering women. Alexa Brewster, a teen advisor at GirlUp, said, “Just recently at the GirlUp 2013 Leadership Summit in Washington D.C., we were able to connect through Skype and video chat to girls across the country who were fighting for the same issues and had the same passions as us.” Through video-chatting, girls like herself have been able to be inspired by other girls’ ideas and experiences.
Throughout the weekend, the crowd at #inspirehouse was able to use Windows 8 Dell PCs to experience the connective power of technology. With beautiful Dell PCs such as the Dell XPS 12 and the Dell XPS 18 laid out around the house, young leaders had the opportunity to use Windows 8 to share with people both in the room and in remote locations new ideas, Smilebooth photos, and inspiring media.
Guest celebrity Chef Roble added to the creative juices of the weekend by demoing fun outdoor meals using Windows 8 recipe apps and hosted a beautiful dinner. He said, “A tablet is really useful, especially in the kitchen, because you can have something right there where you can see everything you’re working on and use your hands to rifle through the recipe […] and cook alongside a video cooking demo.” The Bing Food and Dining App coming in Windows 8.1 later this year offers Chef Roble a hands free cooking experience that is at once visual and informative.
Participants of Dell’s #inspirehouse weekend left with smiles on their faces and new motivation in their hearts. Check out the video here!