On May 16th, people gathered to watch the 2012 Data Design Diabetes Innovation Challenge Demo Day at viewing parties across the nation. Boston, Cincinnati, Tempe, San Antonio and Washington, D.C. were all home to groups of healthcare enthusiasts, eager to participate by watching the live stream as the five semi-finalists presented their concepts to a panel of expert judges at Blueprint Health, a startup incubator in New York City.
As teams began to present and crowds watched on with excitement, updates rolled in from the viewing parties. From the Texas Diabetes Institute in San Antonio, Trish Mendoza reported that a cheer went up when the evening kicked off, and noted that the Texas crowd was leaning forward, captivated by the presentations. When one observer asked, “Why does Sanofi US host this challenge?” Trish replied, “Because patients and providers need innovation, so Sanofi US makes innovation possible. It’s that simple.”
Last year’s winning team, Ginger.io (@Ginger_io) hosted a viewing party at Dogpatch Labs, a startup accelerator and hub for innovators in Boston and Cambridge. In Arizona, facing busy schedules as the school year came to a close, a community of entrepreneurial students joined together in Tempe to watch Demo Day from ASU. In Washington, D.C., Donna Cryer of CryerHealth (@cryerhealth) hosted a group of technology staff from the office of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, as well as local venture capitalists. Rounding out the national viewing party groups, Sunnie Southern and the team from Innov8 for Health were joined by a strong crowd in Cincinnati, including local startups and healthcare organizations.
Viewing party attendees weren’t alone – people watched the Demo Day live stream from locations in over 13 countries around the globe this year! One of this year’s judges, Aneesh Chopra echoed what many felt, when he tweeted live from the event, “Inspired by the depth and breadth of our #DDDemoday finalists. You are why we will tackle America’s healthcare challenges.”
Which was your favorite presentation this year at Demo Day? Cast your vote to participate in the Innovation Challenge by showing your support through tomorrow, May 23rd!