Informing Disaster Resilience
My solution is innovative for its long-term focus and capturing learning from those who have already worked through disasters.
About You
About You
About Your Organization
Organization Name
Prisere LLC
Organization Website
Organization Country
United States, NY, New York County
Country where this project is creating social impact
United States, NY, New York County
Is your organization a
For‐profit
How long has your organization been operating?
1‐5 years
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Innovation
Entry Form title
Informing Disaster Resilience
Select the stage that best applies to your solution
Start-Up (a pilot that has just begun operating)
How long have you been in operation?
Operating for 1‐5 years
THE NEED: Describe the need for your solution and the size/dynamic of the community (ies) you will engage
Natural disasters are increasing in frequency and severity, possibly as a result of climate change. My solution provides information by wireless communications to build disaster resilience by both educating on disaster reduction measures and by sharing the experiences of communities that have worked throughdisasters.
THE SOLUTION: Please explain what your solution offers and how it is innovative. How will you put your solution into the hands of users or beneficiaries? Be specific!
This solution is innovative in three respects: first, disasters fade quickly from the 24-hour news cycle, but recovery is a long-term process. This solution provides information for the long-term to those who need it. Second, communities that have recovered from disasters can share their experiences with those who face the challenge. As it stands now, we don't capture that learning with the result that we are learning the same lessons over and over again, which is very costly in both human and financial terms. Finally, it uses wireless telephony to engage those in ares not easily reached by other technologies.
THE MODEL: Walk us through a specific example of how your solution makes a difference through use of information technology and media
My solution helped small businesses working through floods caused by Hurricane Irene in communities that were not considered at risk for such disasters by putting them in touch with small business communities that had already worked through such risks. According to the U.S. Federal Emergency Agency, 40% of small businesses fail to re-open following a major disaster. They don't have room for error. My solution informs their recovery with tried and true experience from those who have worked through it and we provide the information long after the major news media have moved on to other stories.
THE MARKETPLACE: Who are your peers and competitors? What challenges could these players pose to your success or growth?
Disaster Relief organizations provide SMS services, but mine is unique for its focus on small businesses and micro-enterprises, which constitute most global employment and are the most vulnerable to disruption.
Social Impact
This Entry is about (Issues)
FOUNDING STORY: We want to hear about your “Aha!” moment. Share the story of where and when the founder(s) saw this solution’s potential to change the world.
I was a senior executive of the Swiss Reinsurance Company and dealt with business continuity and risk management on a daily basis. This experience proved critical when I started my own small businesses that was at the epicenter of a federal disaster area. Sharing my experience with small businesses affected by Katrina was critical to their recovery. My volunteer work was honored by the Hurricane Recovery Director of the American Red Cross.
Specify both the depth and scale of your solution’s social impact to date
I currently consult for the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, to bring these solutions to a global audience.
What is your projected impact within the next 1-5 years? Is your idea replicable? If so, how?
Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and mark growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact
A pilot in rural areas in the U.S. would be my six-month mileston
Six-Month Tasks
Task 1
Close on corporate funding sponsorship
Task 2
Conclude an agreement with a major media partner
Task 3
Code the site for information platform.
Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone
Developing the resilient small business project for UNISDR.
12-Month Tasks
Task 1
Task 2
Task 3
How many people have been impacted by your project?
More than 10,000
How many people could be impacted by your project in the next three years?
More than 10,000
Sustainability
Explain how your company, program, service or product is structured
Business
What barriers have hindered the success of your project to date? How do you plan to overcome these and other challenges as you grow your solution?
How do you see the information-technology and media sectors shifting over the next decade? How will your solution adapt to and/or drive that changing environment?
Failure is not always an option. If your solution fails to gain traction in the next two years, what other applications of the idea could you explore?
Expand on your selections, explaining how you will sustain funding
I am closing on corporate sponsorships to underwrite this program.
Tell us about your partnerships
Comcast and Verizon Wireless have provided funding.
What type of team (staff, volunteers, etc.) will ensure that you achieve the growth milestones identified in the Social Impact section?
I have a chief technology officer who developed the disaster recovery/future preparedness program for a global financial institution and has built out a leading business website recognized for its excellence by both the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. I have pro bono legal support and pro bono accounting support from top New York firms.
Changemakers is a collaborative and supportive space. Please specify any community resources you would need to grow and sustain your initiative. Select all that apply
Human resources or talent, Research or information.
Specify any resources you might offer to support other initiatives. Select all that apply
Marketing or media, Collaboration or networking, Mentorship.
Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren’t specified within the list
I am very experienced in media outreach and could help others seeking visibility for their ideas.
Summary
Define your company, program, service or product in 1-2 short sentences
This program will build a platform to engage small business communities facing disasters with those who have recovered.
Identify what is innovative about your solution in 1-2 short sentences
My solution is innovative for its long-term focus and capturing learning from those who have already worked through disasters.
 | 36 weeks agoDonna Childs updated this Competition Entry. |
| 36 weeks agoDonna Childs submitted this idea. |
