AXSChat Podcast with Michael Fembek, Zero Project Director, Essl Foundation

After graduating from the Vienna University of Economics, Michael Fembek (born 1961) joined GEWINN, an Austrian business magazine, serving between 2000 and 2007 as editor-in-chief.

In 2009 he initiated “Sinnstifter”, a project by Austrian philanthropists, and launched the annual Austrian CSR-Guide on corporate responsibility. In 2010 he joined the Essl Foundation as Programme Manager and – until 2014 – the bauMax group as its Head of Social Affairs.

Since 2011 he is the Director of the Zero Project, a project of the Essl Foundation, and organizes the annual Zero Project Conference in the UN Headquarters in Vienna.

In 2014, he co-initiated the Verband für Gemeinnütziges Stiften, the Austrian philanthropic association, where he serves as Vice President. In 2015, he became the Chair of the Thematic Group on Disabilities within the European Foundation Centre (EFC), in 2016 he co-initiated the Haus der Philanthropie in Vienna, and in 2019 he co-initiated the Sinnbildungsstiftung, a foundation focusing on innovations in education, and now serves as a Board Member.

Transcript

WEBVTT

1
00:00:03.449 --> 00:00:10.440
Neil Milliken: hello, and welcome back to axschat we're here for another weekly chats and i'm delighted this week we're joined by.

2
00:00:10.769 --> 00:00:25.830
Neil Milliken: Michael Fembek, who is the director of the zero project zero project has been doing amazing work over many years now, and if you don't know about it you're about to be blown away by all of the things that they're doing.

3
00:00:27.390 --> 00:00:30.660
Neil Milliken: Every year, there is a conference in Vienna.

4
00:00:31.830 --> 00:00:45.060
Neil Milliken: Just last year was online, but but but generally there's been a conference in Vienna, which is really a great gathering of people doing great disability inclusion work around the world and zero project.

5
00:00:45.960 --> 00:01:04.680
Neil Milliken: Is a coordination and collaboration curation hub for all of this great work so Michael it's a real pleasure to have you join us today yeah tell us more about zero the organization what you're doing and, of course, how you came to be in this space.

6
00:01:05.880 --> 00:01:18.420
Michael Fembek: yeah thanks nice i'm delighted to be here today yeah Sera Portuguese around for some 1011 years now, and to tell the story a little from the beginning.

7
00:01:19.020 --> 00:01:34.830
Michael Fembek: So my personal background is i'm a journalist, I was 20 years working for an Austrian business magazine, so my my world until I started with this project was the world of stories of of curating of.

8
00:01:36.450 --> 00:01:42.660
Michael Fembek: Finding the right people telling their stories right but also analyzing in the magazine also organized conference.

9
00:01:43.830 --> 00:01:48.540
Michael Fembek: It was a business magazine still around, and it was all about financials.

10
00:01:49.650 --> 00:01:59.010
Michael Fembek: In yeah we'll see around 272 thousand seven 2008 I decided that I, the second half of my professional career, I want to do something different.

11
00:01:59.970 --> 00:02:12.450
Michael Fembek: And the cool thing about being a journalist, you know a lot of people and also do Martin So who is a comes from a well known Austrian business family and he at the stage was one of the few students who started.

12
00:02:12.900 --> 00:02:25.380
Michael Fembek: The charitable foundation in the company that he old at this time was just kind of do it yourself company like Kingfisher in the UK or or alert so home depot in the in the US.

13
00:02:25.950 --> 00:02:34.320
Michael Fembek: In this company had a large and well established deployment model for people with disabilities, so in it at his peak.

14
00:02:34.800 --> 00:02:41.910
Michael Fembek: This company employees, I think some some 400 people with disabilities in every store there was at least one person with a disability.

15
00:02:42.570 --> 00:02:52.200
Michael Fembek: So when I came with marketing after some initial other work, we decided that we should use this drinks and this expertise of the company.

16
00:02:52.560 --> 00:03:00.210
Michael Fembek: And also have the family and my journalistic background and do some kind of research projects that supports that.

17
00:03:00.840 --> 00:03:09.660
Michael Fembek: Especially also this year at the Convention for the rights of persons with disabilities, this that was also quite you at this time 2008 2009 2010.

18
00:03:10.110 --> 00:03:24.210
Michael Fembek: And we try to create a project that supports implementation of the COPD yeah and we did some work on indicators measured how countries are doing and what kind of progress you're making.

19
00:03:24.720 --> 00:03:31.590
Michael Fembek: In the implementation, but after some time we really we realized that my original strength, the storytelling.

20
00:03:32.070 --> 00:03:39.240
Michael Fembek: Telling the story of good models are finding the right language that other people understand what's going on trying to make this.

21
00:03:40.110 --> 00:03:44.820
Michael Fembek: is connected as possible, so people want to talk to each other, because there's a story here.

22
00:03:45.480 --> 00:03:50.880
Michael Fembek: That this is also destroying that is a big lead and then of jumping to the work that we're doing right now.

23
00:03:51.390 --> 00:04:00.990
Michael Fembek: A big need for a kind of, as you said, decoration up it's also kind of convening hub it's a kind of catalyst were on the professional usual.

24
00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:12.690
Michael Fembek: Pure level innovations are selected showcase presented in 10 in a way that the people that are doing this work also the one.

25
00:04:13.290 --> 00:04:20.790
Michael Fembek: That use it or are encouraged to use it so it's a it's a network project together with this curation and selection model.

26
00:04:21.210 --> 00:04:27.210
Michael Fembek: we're not in university we don't do research for the sake of research we do it because we we.

27
00:04:28.080 --> 00:04:38.190
Michael Fembek: We we wanted to present and promote it with with people who can do it, so those decision makers those policymakers those business leaders.

28
00:04:38.820 --> 00:04:44.130
Michael Fembek: That are basically in a situation and interested, they should get better information, better content.

29
00:04:44.430 --> 00:04:53.490
Michael Fembek: get in touch with people that will not have met understand the story, they will not be understood, so this is what we have you for in this what we developed in the in the past eight years.

30
00:04:54.150 --> 00:05:06.570
Michael Fembek: With them and i'm stopping here with an annual with a four years research cycle, we are, we are covering for topics which are employment accessibility.

31
00:05:07.230 --> 00:05:16.650
Michael Fembek: Education and independent living slash political participation in a four year cycle, this year we are again, starting with with accessibility.

32
00:05:17.400 --> 00:05:29.670
Michael Fembek: And around this topic, we have a full year cycle of research, then selection then presenting the research publications and with this project conference in February.

33
00:05:30.180 --> 00:05:42.030
Michael Fembek: Is a highlight flagship event, and then we started this out, so this is the backbone of what we're doing and the vehicle is the foundation in based in Vienna.

34
00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:54.840
Michael Fembek: Competitive small foundation, who is using all it means basically to to run this your project and also getting some project standing on the ground, as well as the the core story.

35
00:05:57.150 --> 00:05:58.800
Neil Milliken: And and and I know that.

36
00:06:00.090 --> 00:06:16.200
Neil Milliken: Many of my colleagues and friends in the Community, I was going to say industry, because it is it's both an industry and and a Community you know all attend i've had the pleasure of presenting, albeit remotely.

37
00:06:18.420 --> 00:06:25.950
Neil Milliken: And all say that there is something special about the feeling of Community and.

38
00:06:26.970 --> 00:06:39.540
Neil Milliken: common purpose about the events, so I think that congratulations to you and the Organization for creating something that's that's that's really special.

39
00:06:42.150 --> 00:07:01.140
Neil Milliken: i'm really interested in the in the fact that you have a global focus, but also focusing in the developing countries, and this is an area that we're always interested in on access chat because there's there's all too often, you know.

40
00:07:02.400 --> 00:07:04.560
Neil Milliken: Over emphasis on the Anglosphere.

41
00:07:05.940 --> 00:07:20.400
Neil Milliken: So So what are the some of the innovations that you see you know, particularly coming out of Africa and Latin America, for example, where where there's differences both culturally and linguistically.

42
00:07:23.460 --> 00:07:28.320
Michael Fembek: Let me, let me start with a little loop, but I promise to connect directly to the to your.

43
00:07:28.320 --> 00:07:28.770
Control.

44
00:07:29.850 --> 00:07:40.110
Michael Fembek: I think what's what's highly needed, and this is also one of the reasons why we got so much attention in such a competitive short time is there's a lot of innovations out there.

45
00:07:40.890 --> 00:07:45.660
Michael Fembek: But they never see the light the the they are recognized and when only the small community.

46
00:07:46.230 --> 00:07:55.260
Michael Fembek: Maybe a city, maybe a smaller vision even some people use it, but the meat even don't know themselves that they have created something that senior different it's unique.

47
00:07:55.590 --> 00:08:03.720
Michael Fembek: and think they also only get the attention because of the network that we are developing at the width of a report and and with a conference.

48
00:08:04.200 --> 00:08:14.040
Michael Fembek: Your DC is innovation see delight and and get an opportunity also to be connected with people, they would normally wouldn't have a chance from.

49
00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:23.670
Michael Fembek: organizations like the World Bank, like you, any organizations who ILO and the likes, so this is, I think, was important to.

50
00:08:24.180 --> 00:08:30.810
Michael Fembek: To follow up directly on equation, and this is especially true outside so so the the the English speaking world.

51
00:08:31.410 --> 00:08:46.470
Michael Fembek: And, especially for an African context or Latin American countries, many things happen there that would not be seen or recognize the economic connected to anything happening outside they're just a small was in great things happen there.

52
00:08:47.490 --> 00:08:55.920
Michael Fembek: So with this year project and it's approach to to be really global from from its beginning and also have been from Australia and not from the.

53
00:08:56.610 --> 00:09:07.410
Michael Fembek: From the from the the the the the Anglo American context where you call this we also put some we have Eastern Europe on our doorstep.

54
00:09:08.190 --> 00:09:20.490
Michael Fembek: So we started right away with working with in countries and with our peers in Bosnia or in Moldova and and Serbia so looking outside our own language.

55
00:09:21.420 --> 00:09:24.960
Michael Fembek: crossing our own language barriers was was at the beginning of this year project.

56
00:09:25.230 --> 00:09:32.820
Michael Fembek: And then, working with the Sunni, the European Union and getting the attention of your enterprise organizations encouraged us to follow up on this, because this.

57
00:09:33.120 --> 00:09:41.490
Michael Fembek: was a was expressed by many stages to say look, especially as African you have a model that can work there, too, with because if you do it's then.

58
00:09:41.760 --> 00:09:52.710
Michael Fembek: it's getting more interesting, so there was a kind of pull effect from me for major organizations that are the founder very interesting and then discouraged us to to continue that way, looking at.

59
00:09:54.300 --> 00:10:02.100
Michael Fembek: Let me give you three ideas about Latin America, Africa and and also India and the whole savage.

60
00:10:03.150 --> 00:10:12.840
Michael Fembek: South Asian continent or subcontinent in Latin America, we can be now found a great partner in China, which is from this from this group of women.

61
00:10:13.830 --> 00:10:30.960
Michael Fembek: And they have now covered and and fully accepted this year project model translating everything that we do in Spanish and trying to establish a kind of regional happy the Latin American complex, so the reports that the publishing the Republican Spanish.

62
00:10:31.230 --> 00:10:33.030
Debra Ruh: This your butcher conference that we do.

63
00:10:33.330 --> 00:10:41.640
Michael Fembek: They are doing a Latin America con conference in the in Santiago in Spanish language, and I think this makes a lot of sense because thinking of it.

64
00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:49.410
Michael Fembek: Of course, some of about why looks what's happening in July, or in Argentina and maybe not what's happening in Hebrew or in Denmark.

65
00:10:50.310 --> 00:10:58.440
Michael Fembek: And it's in the language so this this regionalisation is a word context orientation is especially important in a lot coordinate with.

66
00:10:59.040 --> 00:11:05.940
Michael Fembek: Like Latin America, which is accepted, apart from from procedure in the few prevent states order for common language.

67
00:11:06.630 --> 00:11:15.240
Michael Fembek: So this makes a lot of sense, it is a very fruitful development of this year project and we're looking for more more partners like like from the Sunday school my.

68
00:11:15.630 --> 00:11:33.570
Michael Fembek: ideal its foundations, who have this kind of a mission and we've also kind of liberty to do this more Meta level of work that we're doing in African there's we made a lot of progress, because one of the drivers are intonation and development.

69
00:11:34.920 --> 00:11:40.350
Michael Fembek: Agencies like light for the world or Christopher blind mission or a sight savers.

70
00:11:41.670 --> 00:11:50.490
Michael Fembek: Limitation disability humanity indicators from France, and also the developing agencies that support their work, the Disability Rights fund.

71
00:11:51.600 --> 00:11:56.280
Michael Fembek: Many of them working there or funding projects there in the health is also the world of.

72
00:11:56.910 --> 00:12:06.060
Michael Fembek: An infrastructure, meaning people that are evil and willing to peer review models and and compare them, which is also core to a model and thinking of it.

73
00:12:06.390 --> 00:12:14.130
Michael Fembek: We don't know a lot here in Vienna, this year project, especially not in this context, but we have, as you mentioned the beginning, and it could network.

74
00:12:14.550 --> 00:12:25.140
Michael Fembek: Now, also in African context where these are data partners are able and engaging in peer reviewing and voting and then also communicating and sharing models and.

75
00:12:25.500 --> 00:12:29.340
Michael Fembek: Bringing those stakeholders together is it is thinking of you, the.

76
00:12:29.700 --> 00:12:36.090
Michael Fembek: value in itself so we're developing now networks and platforms readies developing agencies empty DPS.

77
00:12:36.330 --> 00:12:51.000
Michael Fembek: Also, working together getting applied for my webinar ready can share thoughts were to conduct discuss about innovation that were to Burundi and how to transfer this to another context, so this is, this is what what works in Africa.

78
00:12:52.020 --> 00:12:56.100
Michael Fembek: And of course the especially proud, in the end, willing to engage.

79
00:12:57.300 --> 00:13:04.950
Michael Fembek: Because for them it's not it's even more rare in Salem that the key to kind of international recognition and attention so.

80
00:13:05.820 --> 00:13:14.100
Michael Fembek: If you can is it is, it is a context in the geography, is very much wants to engage with us, not only with them poses necessary.

81
00:13:14.760 --> 00:13:25.290
Michael Fembek: And finally, in in India, India, I think we have is the is the character, with the third most a word is that we have regarding our system, out of 660 I think.

82
00:13:25.770 --> 00:13:44.970
Michael Fembek: Maybe 5% are from India and also lot from the part of and Bangladesh, they also highly interested in working in presenting their work and also interacting, so this is another yeah that's a low income context, aware that we are really present.

83
00:13:47.340 --> 00:13:47.700
Neil Milliken: Random.

84
00:13:49.170 --> 00:13:50.790
Debra Ruh: that's amazing it's amazing.

85
00:13:51.930 --> 00:14:04.500
Debra Ruh: i've been following the work for so long, but it's you're done so much it's hard to keep up with everything, so we definitely want to encourage the Community to go out to the website and look at it, but Michael how have.

86
00:14:05.670 --> 00:14:10.680
Debra Ruh: I think it's wonderful that you've been focused on the DPS disability persons organizations and the partners and.

87
00:14:11.100 --> 00:14:21.210
Debra Ruh: I really liked that you're focused on the developing countries, because what I keep seeing is i'm seeing innovations coming from other places outside you know.

88
00:14:21.600 --> 00:14:24.720
Debra Ruh: places like US and UK and I think a lot of the.

89
00:14:25.140 --> 00:14:33.090
Debra Ruh: stories that you're finding a lot of the efforts that you're finding they're very innovative and and stuff that we can actually apply to other parts of the world, but.

90
00:14:33.390 --> 00:14:43.080
Debra Ruh: I was just curious, how are our corporate corporations supporting what you're doing, because I know corporations want to be more engaged in these conversations.

91
00:14:43.320 --> 00:14:53.880
Debra Ruh: And it seems like supporting zero project would be a really good way for them to truly have impact, so I was just curious about that, and then I know Antonio has a question after me yeah yeah.

92
00:14:53.910 --> 00:14:59.910
Michael Fembek: Thank you to the next question and something that we're working on and dealing with all the time.

93
00:15:00.600 --> 00:15:11.400
Michael Fembek: It should we have some companies that they keep engaging with us and and working with us, including nominating their own model, so I think from artists from UK we get.

94
00:15:12.030 --> 00:15:25.860
Michael Fembek: away from every year and in an award as a gallery through your for the past 10 years we also have some peers from Austria like bank, Australia or the Austrian railway company and you're supposed to companies are we get some but.

95
00:15:27.030 --> 00:15:31.950
Michael Fembek: Actually, to be honest, this is not the easiest community that for us to work with.

96
00:15:33.180 --> 00:15:41.010
Michael Fembek: Thinking of what we do with sports, we have some projects and models and technologies that companies have businesses interested in but.

97
00:15:41.730 --> 00:15:46.350
Michael Fembek: A lot is, for example on Independent Living it's on on getting people out of institutions.

98
00:15:46.620 --> 00:16:02.880
Michael Fembek: is about access to health care services from the public sector it's about political participation organizing people in a way that they have their voice, and so on, this is not really business oriented so putting test it is core to work and we we don't leave a mission by millimeter.

99
00:16:04.080 --> 00:16:13.860
Michael Fembek: So there's only parts of our work that are really interesting for business that that's that's one of the answers, why we are thinking that we could do better, to be honest.

100
00:16:14.490 --> 00:16:24.180
Michael Fembek: On the other hand, employment models are core to the business sector and technology, many innovations in technology also relevant very much interested interesting for.

101
00:16:24.720 --> 00:16:31.470
Michael Fembek: For the business sector, and this is where our current focus in also with this year's coming focus on accessibility, so we definitely have a.

102
00:16:32.160 --> 00:16:42.600
Michael Fembek: Have a focus on on the business sector, and we have also internally we organize ourselves a little, so we have our we call them the sector heads, so we have.

103
00:16:43.380 --> 00:16:54.360
Michael Fembek: Another from a team, who is in charge of the business sector and Wilfred who's in charge of ICT slash business sector So you see, we really want to develop this we also would see potential for.

104
00:16:55.140 --> 00:17:05.430
Michael Fembek: For Tulsa corporations for in kind support, but actually it's we did not do so well to be to be really honest with me to directly engage more.

105
00:17:06.690 --> 00:17:06.960
Debra Ruh: And more.

106
00:17:08.100 --> 00:17:16.650
Debra Ruh: Maybe we can help with that because we I know a lot of people from corporations are part of the access community, so the access chat Community I should say.

107
00:17:17.580 --> 00:17:28.800
Debra Ruh: And recently Twitter verified our account, which was really cool so Twitter has been very supportive about what we're doing as well, so we appreciate it Antonio I know you had a question, let me turn it over to you.

108
00:17:29.220 --> 00:17:37.500
Antonio Santos: Thank you never know i'm very interested in a you are mentioning that you are able to look at projects coming from the different parts of the world.

109
00:17:37.830 --> 00:17:46.200
Antonio Santos: There are some at the summit so much knowledge being generated so many people provide different types of solutions, but how we, how can we.

110
00:17:46.800 --> 00:18:00.810
Antonio Santos: able to find a way where solutions that we find in one place can be shared and maybe implemented in in a different place where they are looking for a solution that already exists, but they just don't know it.

111
00:18:02.070 --> 00:18:15.630
Michael Fembek: yeah excellent is this is, this is the best question to ask because it's all going to be formal and this we call this the context of innovations is, of course, you see someone develop something extraordinary in.

112
00:18:16.680 --> 00:18:25.350
Michael Fembek: Sweden or Norway or the UK Australia there's a force of bigness trust from anyone in an African context, to see what they're doing.

113
00:18:25.950 --> 00:18:37.800
Michael Fembek: is not really relevant for us and and vice versa, so to getting the context right getting also the the the story right, so it is a lot on storytelling neutral way.

114
00:18:38.400 --> 00:18:49.920
Michael Fembek: in a positive way, if you tend to innovation have to give an example, we have a sound quite innovative and an easy to replicate the model in India.

115
00:18:50.400 --> 00:19:02.880
Michael Fembek: That support line which does not need the Internet, it just needs mobile phones smartphones so almost everyone in Indian Indian or American country has a kind of mobile phone, that is, it can also use them.

116
00:19:03.420 --> 00:19:14.550
Michael Fembek: In a week with a lot of calls from India, this is a really support system, you can type in something darlene something use SMS educator really on demand service with smartphones.

117
00:19:15.210 --> 00:19:24.180
Michael Fembek: With mobile phones smartphones a lot models out there because works and mobile phones and yeah and to get the story out, for example, that there is a mobile phone model.

118
00:19:24.660 --> 00:19:34.590
Michael Fembek: In this mobile phone works only also in areas where there is no real greed, you have just solar energy, this works also they are because people such as mobile phones there.

119
00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:43.650
Michael Fembek: To tell the story in this way, makes it easier for other other people to understand the uniqueness of these models so there's an autumn a.

120
00:19:43.950 --> 00:19:50.190
Michael Fembek: On telling the story and understanding what makes it unique inspiration, but also, this is also one of the.

121
00:19:50.490 --> 00:20:02.730
Michael Fembek: Of the new approaches that we're developing this year or so, to get the kind of community around this model is sticking with a with his mobile phone application, what would be most interested in that, of course.

122
00:20:03.930 --> 00:20:18.930
Michael Fembek: decision makers in in countries that are you going on summer related to India, maybe also that see themselves on a similar income level, maybe he also want to implement this maybe governments who want to provide you solutions, maybe.

123
00:20:20.490 --> 00:20:23.520
Michael Fembek: Public funding agencies were looking for things to share.

124
00:20:24.390 --> 00:20:34.620
Michael Fembek: so young, and we want to be these communities that as a new approach bring people together, but this is where it being a foundation where services.

125
00:20:34.950 --> 00:20:40.710
Michael Fembek: As an extra to end at some point we're not consultants, we cannot, which we want to bring people together.

126
00:20:41.370 --> 00:20:49.320
Michael Fembek: lot more license and hopefully with we something new develops and a conversation starts some invitations start to be.

127
00:20:49.890 --> 00:21:08.970
Michael Fembek: sent out that accepted some publications appear, where does innovation, so this web savvy articles are published and shared some social media campaign is using the models, UN agencies gets a focus on the whites tend to speak to this is what the where we see our our our work.

128
00:21:09.990 --> 00:21:11.610
Michael Fembek: And where we see the impact that we.

129
00:21:12.630 --> 00:21:19.140
Michael Fembek: created and we were trying to measure this to also improve and see what actually happens.

130
00:21:20.910 --> 00:21:34.950
Neil Milliken: And I think that that's really aligned with our mission here at access chat as well, we see ourselves as partly as a community and partly as matchmakers and connectors.

131
00:21:36.090 --> 00:21:43.290
Neil Milliken: You know, essentially what what we're doing is we're again curating good practice around the world, so so that.

132
00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:57.060
Neil Milliken: You know some of some of the things that we're doing it, although, albeit through slightly different means and methods, I think, is is greatly aligned, and I was in a conversation, the other day.

133
00:21:58.110 --> 00:22:00.060
Neil Milliken: With someone that is doing.

134
00:22:01.380 --> 00:22:12.120
Neil Milliken: charity and development work in Africa around neuro diversity and and so, and again we were talking about mobile phone distribution and innovation on mobiles and.

135
00:22:14.010 --> 00:22:29.520
Neil Milliken: And she said what but there's even diversity within country, because actually there are a huge conurbations in Africa, where you know smartphones are ubiquitous you've got your own smartphone brands, you know and all the rest of it, so the end relatively.

136
00:22:30.540 --> 00:22:38.730
Neil Milliken: i'm not gonna say inexpensive because this technology is not inexpensive but they're relatively affordable, because people have employment and.

137
00:22:39.240 --> 00:22:49.380
Neil Milliken: and all the rest of it and then you've also got the areas where there's been a very low conductivity very low electrical power actually you're more likely to have.

138
00:22:50.820 --> 00:22:53.670
Neil Milliken: phone signal than you are have electricity.

139
00:22:55.350 --> 00:22:56.700
Neil Milliken: So I think that.

140
00:22:57.900 --> 00:23:08.550
Neil Milliken: i'm also interested in the innovation that people can bring like we interviewed Tony recently for Tony Ellis who's an inventor.

141
00:23:09.660 --> 00:23:13.350
Neil Milliken: He was a toy maker, but he's also invented this.

142
00:23:14.400 --> 00:23:21.180
Neil Milliken: This sort of portable power device which which, which is you know, like the old.

143
00:23:22.230 --> 00:23:27.420
Neil Milliken: Trevor bayless radio, the clockwork radio, but this thing uses supercapacitors.

144
00:23:28.650 --> 00:23:33.060
Neil Milliken: So you, you can wind up and you can create enough power to.

145
00:23:33.780 --> 00:23:43.950
Neil Milliken: Like the House charge the mobile devices and all of this stuff within within within relatively few minutes of little effort and then you're enabling people to then.

146
00:23:44.340 --> 00:23:55.470
Neil Milliken: You know, with the connectivity access information access tools access all of these things that you wouldn't have because you can't get power, and of course it's not reliant on solar.

147
00:23:56.610 --> 00:23:57.150
Neil Milliken: Because.

148
00:23:58.860 --> 00:24:01.440
Neil Milliken: You eat this at night.

149
00:24:02.730 --> 00:24:11.550
Neil Milliken: But but but, but again it's it's it's it's trying to bring all of these people together and also not assuming that expensive tech is always the answer.

150
00:24:12.030 --> 00:24:25.680
Neil Milliken: I think is a is something that i'm always really keen to see that innovation is coming from unexpected places like playmaking where they keep costs super low like.

151
00:24:26.610 --> 00:24:38.070
Neil Milliken: You know around mobile money and the way that they're communicating in Africa, like the sort of community of photographers in India that are using smartphones to.

152
00:24:39.450 --> 00:24:40.200
Neil Milliken: To help.

153
00:24:41.610 --> 00:24:43.650
Neil Milliken: Young people with disabilities and cancer.

154
00:24:44.670 --> 00:24:45.540
Neil Milliken: cope with.

155
00:24:46.770 --> 00:24:48.420
Neil Milliken: Their illnesses, but also.

156
00:24:49.530 --> 00:24:51.210
Neil Milliken: Come back out into society so.

157
00:24:52.740 --> 00:24:59.250
Neil Milliken: it's eclectic and we're not trying to make money from from what we're doing but we see that.

158
00:24:59.700 --> 00:25:10.410
Neil Milliken: You know we're powering connectivity and I think that's what's really interesting about zero as well you're you're connecting people because it's through making those connections that we have this.

159
00:25:11.820 --> 00:25:18.060
Neil Milliken: Incredible so the fertilization of Philip inclusion topics and so on yeah.

160
00:25:18.420 --> 00:25:23.760
Michael Fembek: I think you're raising a really interesting topic in a I think only on this, we could expand for two hours.

161
00:25:24.600 --> 00:25:39.990
Michael Fembek: Talking about this innovation process isn't thinking of it, the problem is not there, that are not enough innovations around the problem is that not everything that's innovative is also good and really works on the ground, and many people have developed his attitude.

162
00:25:41.220 --> 00:25:51.180
Michael Fembek: Everyone every day I get some information about something this works I don't know it cost me so much time and effort to have a look at it and there's an attitude against.

163
00:25:51.960 --> 00:25:58.380
Michael Fembek: Dealing with the Union with many decision makers it's a risk there's always a higher risk in doing something new that continuing with the old.

164
00:25:59.400 --> 00:26:07.470
Michael Fembek: And the of what you're doing it we're doing is also to get ahead of these new to create something where also the the big decision makers, at least in in.

165
00:26:08.130 --> 00:26:18.570
Michael Fembek: In our case it's not that we have an in depth research and definitely closer to the ground and then we are, but we have this broad this broad scope and this many people involved.

166
00:26:19.020 --> 00:26:28.020
Michael Fembek: In also you have a big civilization variety of innovations and you can pick the ones that you're interested in either conference on a website, in a report.

167
00:26:28.890 --> 00:26:38.850
Michael Fembek: And yeah this is, this is a kind of also a value in itself that that decision makers are listening and interested and you overcoming this this period of.

168
00:26:39.540 --> 00:26:47.670
Michael Fembek: Of over information and of these against innovation attitude that are normally not another dress one of the things is or older people's please.

169
00:26:49.770 --> 00:26:50.130
Neil Milliken: yeah.

170
00:26:51.390 --> 00:27:00.390
Debra Ruh: I think yeah I think what we should do, on access chat is, we should encourage the people we think are being innovated to apply for the zero project towards.

171
00:27:01.650 --> 00:27:05.370
Debra Ruh: yeah We really should because we have some really, really interesting guest and.

172
00:27:07.170 --> 00:27:15.000
Debra Ruh: Michael hi i'm curious about two things and i'm going to apologize, I know these are big questions so but I also know you got it but.

173
00:27:15.840 --> 00:27:25.590
Debra Ruh: I would be curious because, as you know, because all three of you are going to be partners we're creating billion strong about identity encouraging people with.

174
00:27:26.070 --> 00:27:30.750
Debra Ruh: disabilities to really be empowered and live their best lives but.

175
00:27:31.470 --> 00:27:38.700
Debra Ruh: What I don't know is where it's really going to go after it's all said done so, I would be curious based on what because you're very.

176
00:27:38.880 --> 00:27:49.410
Debra Ruh: you're very innovative now, but to even have started this is very, very innovative to it, but so i'm curious what lessons you've learned, as you walked along the path.

177
00:27:49.740 --> 00:28:06.060
Debra Ruh: And i'm also curious about you know where does the real project coke to go, because I, I would like you to please consider access chat is one of your partners, because we want to help more, because we really believe in what you're doing, but how can other people help more as well.

178
00:28:07.680 --> 00:28:09.000
Michael Fembek: yeah well, thank you for this.

179
00:28:10.050 --> 00:28:12.090
Michael Fembek: yeah so I start with the lessons learned.

180
00:28:13.980 --> 00:28:21.930
Michael Fembek: I think what what made this your project is it is that we started with a vision and this division was rather broad being.

181
00:28:23.340 --> 00:28:32.130
Michael Fembek: A tool to support implementation, if you answer it, but we also were able to change the mission and adapt and really listen to the needs.

182
00:28:32.880 --> 00:28:48.810
Michael Fembek: Of the users and, at the end user, of course, you also need your peers and and but you really have to be in constant touch with the people who are the beneficiaries and the user that's what we do for them, but normally is talking about me.

183
00:28:49.830 --> 00:28:58.710
Michael Fembek: My peers are, as we all have appears there is a group of some hundred 200 people some with disabilities, some without at all of them are some of the privileged position.

184
00:28:59.010 --> 00:29:07.380
Michael Fembek: are in, but not to lose the touch the ground and to the grassroots what what is actually needed and have some kind of.

185
00:29:08.550 --> 00:29:20.280
Michael Fembek: Your sound boards on the ground, so that the advice of course you also need to develop your relationships and and the collaborations and the corporations and I think this is what made us, in the end.

186
00:29:21.660 --> 00:29:26.430
Michael Fembek: grow thinking of it, you and any artists.

187
00:29:26.970 --> 00:29:37.560
Michael Fembek: are interested in this year, Portugal, working with us giving us your time you because your expertise many cases a lot of times, a lot of expertise when when nominating takes an hour or two or maybe even longer than.

188
00:29:38.430 --> 00:29:49.260
Michael Fembek: And you manipulate aegis, a time to peer review to vote to come to the conference, so I think we people give us every year 10s of thousands of hours of time and expertise.

189
00:29:49.740 --> 00:29:54.000
Michael Fembek: Why are they doing this, and so you have to create this this this kind of.

190
00:29:54.600 --> 00:30:02.970
Michael Fembek: win, win situations it says and given talks about we've been for 20 years but actually it is like this and that we could also be that it's fun that is entertaining.

191
00:30:03.750 --> 00:30:12.450
Michael Fembek: that you have a kind of lukens, for your kind of jewelry you can connect you find people who find your work interesting you get new people that.

192
00:30:13.530 --> 00:30:20.850
Michael Fembek: chat with you that and to to to create models that are easy to understand, transparent and that also.

193
00:30:21.510 --> 00:30:33.210
Michael Fembek: fun and create additional value to everyone involved, you would have to pay anyone for giving us a volt are phenomenal this is working on it, for whatever the Sigma babies don't know exactly what you're up to.

194
00:30:33.840 --> 00:30:42.690
Michael Fembek: But I think that would be the same thing, people should have an incentive not because they're getting paid, but more intrinsically because it's fun you see the value.

195
00:30:43.800 --> 00:30:52.530
Michael Fembek: That different motivations, but you have to find them and engage with the people, so that could be some twice is from how this year project developed.

196
00:30:54.690 --> 00:31:00.450
Michael Fembek: yeah you shouldn't mention ready, the next call for nomination on that we started me through it or.

197
00:31:01.800 --> 00:31:02.790
Debra Ruh: You know lately yeah.

198
00:31:03.030 --> 00:31:11.790
Michael Fembek: So you encouraged me we there's an accent, he will be this opportunity to engage with this project to be reading the.

199
00:31:12.270 --> 00:31:21.360
Michael Fembek: Account on both two major it on may 3 relaunching or a new what we call the call for nomination The topic is accessibility, you will share.

200
00:31:22.110 --> 00:31:31.080
Michael Fembek: The link for the nomination that from broadly and also with access chat, of course, many times, and all this now will not forget.

201
00:31:31.680 --> 00:31:44.220
Michael Fembek: And what you're looking for is is is in the core the article line of this year at accessibility so we're looking at with environmental looking at infrastructure and transportation looking at product and services and.

202
00:31:44.760 --> 00:31:52.680
Michael Fembek: ICT, we have a special focus on tourism rows of business community comes in, hopefully in big numbers were looking.

203
00:31:53.700 --> 00:32:14.970
Michael Fembek: For years ago we had schools, we had ymca as we had theme parks, we had at the same time, we had in house smart home communication tools urban planning models universal design plan the things devices design, but also, of course, a lot on ICT orientation system.

204
00:32:16.200 --> 00:32:35.670
Michael Fembek: communication system so everything that supports accessibility is this huge topic they covered up open on tiller for four or five weeks in June so there's plenty of time to dominate in their time, so we really hope that the access jet Community comes in, because time.

205
00:32:35.940 --> 00:32:42.960
Neil Milliken: Great well we'll we'll make sure that we try and engage them during the chat and encourage them to also.

206
00:32:43.560 --> 00:32:50.340
Neil Milliken: suggest some some some things that they think might be worth nominating as part of the chat next week so.

207
00:32:50.760 --> 00:33:08.910
Neil Milliken: Thank you, Michael it's been a real pleasure chatting with you, yes, we could definitely go on for several hours more so, looking forward to continuing the conversation on on Twitter on on Tuesday need to also thank the people that keep our lights on and keep us captions.

208
00:33:09.960 --> 00:33:19.800
Neil Milliken: That will be our friends at Barclays access micro link and also my clear text so Thank you everyone then special thanks to Michael and zero project.

209
00:33:20.790 --> 00:33:22.230
Michael Fembek: it's sort of your thanks for having me.