Gavin Newsom, Singularity University, to Announce Winners of Drought Solutions Competition

Friday: Lt. Governor Newsom, Singularity University, to Announce Winners of Drought Solutions CompetitionCalifornia Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom and Singularity University will announce the three winning teams selected to be Entrepreneurs in Residence at the SU Startup Labs for their proposed technological solutions to address California’s water supply challenge.

Six finalists have been selected to present their proposals before fifteen expert judges at Friday’s event. In addition to a $5,000 grant, the three winning teams will serve as Entrepreneurs in Residence. They will have the opportunity to interact with the university’s community and gain access to a valuable network of technological expertise and other potential financial support towards the goal of solving California’s water supply challenge.

The Drought Impact Challenge, launched in July 2015 by Lt. Governor Newsom and Singularity University, invited entrepreneurs from around the globe to present innovative drought solutions where competitors will be judged on the use of exponential technology, technical feasibility and rigor, innovation, market viability, salability, and design and utility functionality.

Credentialed members of the media are welcome to cover all, or part of Friday’s event detailed below, including a tour of the university’s Innovation Lab and other workspaces.

– WHEN –

October 30, 2015 — from 9:15 am, including:

9:20 am – Introduction, Rob Nail, CEO of Singularity University

10 am – Pitch Sessions

11:30 am – Keynote, Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom

11:45 am – Awards Ceremony

Noon – Innovation Lab Tour

– WHERE –

Singularity University: NASA Research Park in Mountain View

Room 583c

20 S. Akron Rd.

Moffett Field, CA 94035

September Polling information from the Public Institute of California (PPIC):

What is the most important issue facing Californians today?

• Residents are more likely to name water and drought (32%) than other issues, followed by jobs and the economy (20%). Less than 10 percent of adults name any other issue.
• A record-high 70 percent of adults say the supply of water in their part of the state is a big problem.
• With data from June and July indicating that California has met the goal of reducing statewide water use by 25 percent, residents are less likely today than they were earlier this year to say that their neighbors are doing too little to respond to the drought.

Although nearly half (48%) say that people in their part of the state are not doing enough, this share has declined 18 points since March (66% March, 60% May, 52% July). About half of Californians in Los Angeles (54%), the Central Valley (52%), the Inland Empire (49%), and Orange/San Diego (48%) say people are not doing enough, while half of San Francisco Bay Area residents (51%) say people are doing the right amount to respond to the drought.

CONTACTS:

Diane Murphy, Singularity University @ 310-658-8756 / diane@SingularityU.org

Rhys Williams, Office of Lt. Governor Newsom @ 415-686-6383 / Rhys.Williams@ltg.ca.gov

Alexa Lee, Ogilvy PR @ 650-417-5184 / alexa.lee@ogilvy.com