September 24, 2012 – Los Angeles, Calif. – International Medical Corps announced at the 2012 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting a Commitment to Action to address the lack of clean water following natural disasters, where the number of deaths caused by disease can exceed those caused by the disaster itself. International Medical Corps will pilot and pre-position the innovative DayOne Waterbag™ which uses water purification packets developed by Procter & Gamble (P&G). Over the next year and a half, International Medical Corps will target disaster-prone communities routinely affected by seasonal flooding to evaluate training and distribution methods prior to an emergency to maximize this technology and to ultimately provide clean drinking water in the aftermath of a disaster.

“With our innovative partners DayOne Response and P&G, International Medical Corps will be able to better address the threat of disease from a lack of clean drinking water following rapid-onset disasters,” said International Medical Corps President & CEO Nancy A. Aossey. “Thanks to the Clinton Global Initiative’s extraordinary platform for bringing together like-minded organizations to solve global health problems, this commitment will allow us to train disaster-prone communities in using this innovative water treatment technology to help ensure more lives saved.”

The DayOne Waterbag™ – a 2.5-gallon water backpack – provides all four elements of municipal water supply:  collection, transport, treatment, and protected storage and is specifically designed for use with P&G’s water purification packets. International Medical Corps will pilot the Waterbags in flood-prone areas such as Sudan, South Sudan, and Kenya where communities have to rely on unsafe surface water. It will work with communities to stock Waterbags in households and community centers; promote water and hygiene education through training with the Waterbag; evaluate the training and obtain community feedback. After a flood, its teams will evaluate correct use and compare health indicators affecting sanitation and hygiene.

Since its inception nearly 30 years ago, International Medical Corps’ mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster, and disease, by delivering vital health care services and sustainable development projects that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit: www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org.  Also see us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

DayOne Response, Inc. develops and supplies innovative solutions for disaster relief, increasing the effectiveness of relief organizations and ultimately improving and maintaining quality of life. Since its inception in 2010, DayOne has helped address the vital need for clean drinking water through the DayOne WaterbagTM, working in countries such as Nicaragua, Thailand, and, Haiti, while continuing to expand globally.  DayOne values prompt recovery, embraces new technologies, and takes pride in saving lives.  For more information, visitwww.dayoneresponse.com and follow us on Twitter @DayOneResponse and Facebook at facebook.com/dayoneresponse.

About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to create and implement innovative solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges. CGI Annual Meetings have brought together more than 150 heads of state, 20 Nobel Prize laureates, and hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations and NGOs, major philanthropists, and members of the media. To date CGI members have made more than 2,100 commitments, which are already improving the lives of nearly 400 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued at $69.2 billion.

CGI’s Annual Meeting is held each September in New York City. CGI also convenes CGI America, a meeting focused on collaborative solutions to economic recovery in the United States, and CGI University (CGI U), which brings together undergraduate and graduate students to address pressing challenges in their community or around the world. For more information, visit clintonglobalinitiative.org and follow us on Twitter @ClintonGlobal and Facebook at facebook.com/clintonglobalinitiative.

Following the catastrophic 2011 earthquake in Japan, as many of 2.5 million households lost their drinking water supplies, and at least six days were needed before clean water could be provided to some communities. Unfortunately, major disasters occur every year, and this scenario re-plays in many communities around the world. The names are familiar from the news, with catastrophic disasters in Haiti, Pakistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, New Orleans, Bangkok, India, Philippines, and, in the past weeks, typhoons in China. Each year, over 255 million people are affected by natural disasters, and without access to clean water, they face potentially life-threatening waterborne illnesses.

Disaster relief organizations do a tremendous job in instantly reacting to disasters anywhere in the world, but damaged roads and long distances mean days can pass before water bottles, chlorine tablets, or big pump-powered treatment units are brought in. In the meantime, victims risk illness by drinking whatever water is at hand.

For me as engineering student, I knew there must be a way to reduce the time needed to provide clean water after disasters. I already had experience with the importance (and difficulty) in providing clean water in developing regions. As a member of my university’s Engineers Without Borders chapter, I had helped build water filters for villages in rural Thailand. And after learning about the drinking water challenges after the 2005 Southeast Asian Tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, I wanted to continue to work on developing clean drinking water solutions. Fortunately, I met a Cal Poly State University Professor, Dr. Tryg Lundquist, who shared the same passion for solving water problems. Together we created a compact, lightweight treatment technology that could empower survivors to immediately treat their own water from highly contaminated local sources. It became the new DayOne Waterbag.

The DayOne Waterbag is personal water treatment gear that provides all four elements of municipal water supply: collection, transport, treatment, and protected storage. It is a 2.5-gallon water backpack designed for use with the small Procter & Gamble water treatment packets that are already distributed all over the world. The Waterbags come with universal pictographic instructions that allow untrained individuals to convert even muddy water into clean drinking water. As a backpack, it greatly decreases fatigue in hauling water long distances, and, inside the sealed bag, the treated water is protected from recontamination.

After finishing my thesis work on prototype waterbags, I graduated and, like most engineering grads, looked to secure a job with an engineering firm. But the potential of the Waterbag kept drawing me back. With millions around the world in need of clean drinking water, especially following a disaster, what if I pursued this as my full-time job? With some encouragement and support from advisors and family, I took the plunge and decided to start my own business. It was quite a risk, but in 2010, I founded DayOne Response, Inc. to complete development of the Waterbag and bring this innovative product to market. Our subsequent work was recognized with an award presented by former President Clinton at a Clinton Global Initiative meeting in New York City.

Many other awards and opportunities have followed. Our DayOne Response team has been working around the world, including in communities affected by Hurricane Mitch in Nicaragua; with military personnel from both the U.S. and Thai Marines Corps; alongside first-responder relief organizations in hurricane-devastated areas; and in cholera zones of Haiti.

In Haiti, we met Dimitry, who regularly walked nine miles (15 km) to water distribution points, only to get a single one-liter water bottle, which was not enough for his family. He told us the DayOne Waterbag would change everything for him, including providing his family with clean drinking water and hope to recover from the disaster. DayOne Response, Inc. is working with relief organizations and the military (for example, LDS Humanitarian Services, International Medical Corps, the U.S. Navy) to address the needs of disaster survivors like Dimitry.

So, was it worth the risk of starting a new company? Yes! Now two years into my campaign to start a business, I have had the opportunity to team up with passionate people and organizations who are working hard to improve the global reach of clean water. But we are not done. At DayOne Response, we do not want to miss an opportunity to provide fast clean drinking water to post-disaster communities. As we continue to grow as a company and in partnerships, we are focused on providing clean water on Day One after a disaster with our compact, easy-to-deploy Waterbags.

Huffington Post

To celebrate its 10th anniversary and reinforce company culture, Venables Bell & Partners recently chose four entrepreneurs and creatives to share office space in their San Francisco headquarters for a year. Meet the lucky winners here.

Paul Venables has long prided himself on creating an agency with “heart.” A champion of engendering office culture deeper than a veneer of pizza Fridays and foosball tables, Venables, executive creative director and founder of Venables Bell & Partners, wanted to communicate his shop’s principles to the world outside of its San Francisco office while simultaneously commemorating the shop’s 10 year anniversary.

Team discussions and rounds of brainstorming coalesced into an office sharing contest that was an open call for local entrepreneurs to rent working room for the symbolically nominal cost of $10 for a year in VB&P’s office located in swanky downtown Union Square.

The idea of startup incubation and creative cohabitation is certainly in practice in the tech world–most recently and most highly-profiled with Google giving 22,000 square feet of its New York headquarters to Cornell University for five-and-a-half years. Though Google would unquestionably be a veritable holy ground for any startup or budding tech developer, agencies–including Wieden+Kennedy and BBH–are putting their own spin on the overall concept of integrating startup talent and other outside creative and business influences. Venables argues such an opening of arms is increasingly important to the structure (or sometimes lack there of) of creative shops.

“Agencies are sort of amorphous–they grow and change and adapt both in terms of people and skill sets,” he says. “And agency culture is generally about where is the next idea coming from and getting people to talk and share and be a crucible of ideas. I think it’s ideal for startups and entrepreneurs to step into that environment.”

VB&P’s cheeky Craigslist ad, posted early last December, drew an overwhelming response, but Venables says he and his crew were looking for something specific. “Throughout the process it became really clear that we were attracted to good souls–we basically asked, who are the people we want to hang out with?”

Meet the four winners who are doing just that with VB&P staffers, and find out how they’re using their almost-rent-free year in the Q&As below:

Tricia Compas-Markman, founder and CEO of DayOne Response, Inc.

Tell us about your company.
DayOne Response is saving lives in disaster areas worldwide with the DayOne Waterbag, a solution addressing the vital need for clean water. Within hours of a disaster, thirst can force survivors to drink contaminated water. However, with the Waterbag, people are empowered to treat their own water, enough for a family of four for 10 days.

Why did you respond to the ad?
Last summer, I participated in the Unreasonable Institute, in Boulder. This institute provided an environment where I worked with other entrepreneurs, shared worked space and living quarters, and cultivated news ideas. Upon returning to San Francisco, I was energized to work in a similar environment. Fortunately, I came upon VB&P’s ad, and knew this was the type of office culture and space I was looking for. Plus, you can’t beat $10/year for a very unique office space in downtown San Francisco.

How are you utilizing the office space?
I start work at my designated desk on floor 2–writing proposals, emailing contacts/partners/customers, and doing research. Then, I generally head up to floor 4 or 5 and work in the side pods to have many of my conversations with potential investors, and with my team and partners to strategize our milestones and next steps in getting the DayOne Waterbag out in the field.

Christian Amundson, filmmaker

Tell us about your company.
AmundsonFilms provides branded narrative and documentary film and video content. I work directly with clients and agencies, brainstorming, collaborating, and honing in on creative and effective ways to tell their stories. And then we saddle up and execute with style and aplomb!

Why did you respond to the ad?

I actually found the posting directly on the VB&P site. I was chasing down the creators of the latest Audi ad and came across the posting which referred to an office space contest in Union Square. Working out of my apartment closet was wearing thin fast, and this posting hit me like a lightning strike–one of those things that you just know is the right step. I literally dropped everything and put together a pitch for the opening. I figured someone’s going to sober up and retract this unbelievable offer. I wanted to catch them before the warm generous feeling faded.

How are you utilizing the office space?
I like to arrive a few hours before everyone else so I can sneak onto one of the super-powered editing bays in the Lumber Yard. There are some talented folks in the office and they’ve been super generous with their time, answering questions and even contributing their talents to my projects. Sometimes I stay very late–knowing there’s a ticking clock on the privilege of being here pushes me to make the most of my time.

Kalon Gutierrez and Luis Garcia, co-founders and CEO and CCO, respectively, of Schoolbags for Kids

Tell us about your company.
Kalon: Schoolbags for Kids launched around August of last year, and it’s based on Luis’ trip to 13 countries. We worked together at Ralph Lauren fragrances so we’ve known each other in the luxury arena.

Luis: Yeah, I needed a career break after 20 years of working for brands like L’Oreal and Ralph Lauren fragrances, and I really wanted to make time to volunteer with children. I started with an organization in India that built orphanages for girls. Working with them, I saw the need for school supplies–they would share a whittled down one-inch pencil and use every inch of white paper in a notebook. I was inspired by what Blake [Mycoskie] was doing with TOMS Shoes, and being at a career crossroads myself, I had the idea of why can’t I create a product that with the purchase of it can actually help one of these kids and give them school supplies and a backpack.

Why did you respond to the ad?
Kalon: We get a lot of these types of opportunities passed to us, but we thought this was so innovative and interesting for a few reasons. We loved the idea of a company indirectly incubating other companies, especially companies that have a larger social mission and could be a platform for other companies to follow. There was an article with Paul Venables at the time about his background and some of his thinking when he was starting VB&P, and it really resonated with us personally as far as where we were at with our lifecycle, so we felt a very personal draw to it.

How are you utilizing the office space?
Kalon: VB&P has been nice enough to allow us to use their resources such as their printer. We just had a celebrity event in Los Angeles and some of the collateral we printed we actually collaborated with VB&P’s creative team to make it look better. We have a lot of meetings here as well, from board members to potential investors to retail partners and manufacturers. So to have a space in downtown San Francisco that’s so buttoned-up and professional helps us to convey our substance and credibility to these other parties.

Fast Company Co.Create- By: KC Ifeanyi

Cartier, in partnership with the Women’s Forum, INSEAD Business School and McKinsey & Co., today announced the finalists of the 2012 Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards.

The 18 finalists – 17 finalists and a team of two co-finalists – were selected among over 1,000 applications. They will be coached by professionals from Cartier, INSEAD and McKinsey & Co. to prepare for the Jury presentations in October. The Laureates will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on October 11, 2012, at the Annual Global Meeting of the Women’s Forum for the Economy and Society, in Deauville, France.

The international business plan competition is in its sixth year, supporting women-run enterprise in the six major world regions. This year’s businesses are making an impact in healthcare and sanitation; online business and employment; eco-commerce and fair trade; fashion and culture.

“We are honoured to help our finalists build their businesses and make a responsible difference around the globe,” said Bernard Fornas, President & CEO of Cartier.

Applications for the 2013 Edition of the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards will open on November 12, 2012 and end on March 11, 2013.

LATIN AMERICA

• Gabriela Flores, Kirah Design, Bolivia: Markets and designs high-end interior accessories crafted by rural artisans from recycled glass, wood and textiles.
• Mildred Mayr, Medical & Nursing Care, Chile: Manages and administers in-patient hospital wards providing personnel and management skills through a public-private partnership.
• Elizabeth Ojeda Gómez, Almemories, Colombia: Promotes and develops tools, services and day care to support Alzheimer patients and their families.

NORTH AMERICA

• Patricia Compas-Markman, Dayone Response, United States: Designs and manufactures an easy-to-transport personal water treatment system that cleans water in emergency situations.
• Ting Shih, Clickmedix, United States: Offers cost-effective access remote doctors for diagnosis, treatment, research and training via a mobile healthcare platform.
• Anna Stork, Luminaid Lab, United States: Develops and markets an inflatable solar-powered light for disaster relief, humanitarian aid and recreational outdoor use.

EUROPE

• Michèle Boisdron-Celle, Onco Drug Personalized Medicine, France: Markets tools and services to predict and monitor toxicity from chemotherapy and optimise dosages for safer, more effective treatment.
• Cécile Real, Endodiag, France: Develops non-invasive diagnosis and advanced biopsy tools to fight endometriosis.
• Valentine Van Der Lande, Tenpages.com, Netherlands: Promotes crowdfunding for aspiring writers and connects them with publishers who then print and launch their books.

SUB-SAHARIAN AFRICA

• Elizabeth Scharpf & Julienne Ingabire, Sustainable Health Enterprises, Rwanda: Produces low-cost and eco-friendly sanitary pads on a franchise model fostering local entrepreneurs.
• Nthabi Sibanda, Puo Educational Products, South Africa: Develops printed and digital educational content for children, based on Africa’s languages and heritage.
• Lindsay Stradley, Sanergy, Kenya: Provides Kenyan slums with affordable sanitation units that facilitate clean transportation of waste, reprocessed into energy and fertiliser.

MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

• Iba Masood, Gradberry, United Arab Emirates: Connects students and graduates to internships and graduate job opportunities through an online careers portal.
• Nermin Saad, Handasiyat.net, Jordan: Promotes opportunities for female engineers by consolidating non-core engineering services in a remote platform.
• Rania Seddik, Gebraa For Egyptian Treasures, Egypt: Markets Egyptian handicrafts to link rural artisans with the global market while conforming to fairtrade standards.

ASIA-PACIFIC

• Sairee Chahal, Fleximoms, India: Connects women and mothers looking to enter or re-enter the workplace with job opportunities, information and mentoring.
• Lianna Gunawan, La Spina Collections, Indonesia: Designs and produces hand-made shoes that highlight Indonesian culture and heritage using traditional fabrics and craftsmanship.
• Jeannie Javelosa, Echostore, Philippines: Sells natural, eco-friendly and fair-trade products made by marginalized communities and women’s groups.

Women’s Forum