December 8, 2019
ITS AMERICA ANNOUNCES GLOBAL START-UP COMPETITION
In the lead up to the 2020 ITS World Congress, ITS America has launched a global competition for start-ups designed to highlight emerging technologies and solutions that create a safer, greener, smarter mobility system.
The Global Innovation competition is hosted by ITS America, ERTICO and ITS Asia-Pacific in partnership with Prospect Silicon Valley and Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator. Along with its sister organizations in Europe and Asia, ITS America will hold a regional semi-final to select two North American finalists who will showcase their solution at the ITS World Congress in Los Angeles, October 4-8, 2020.
“Today’s innovators will help transform mobility in the United States and across the world,” said ITS America President & CEO Shailen Bhatt. “We have significant transportation challenges both globally and in the U.S, and we are really looking forward to seeing all the great new solutions that will help create future that is safer, greener and smarter.”
Finalists
The three regional semi-finals will produce two finalists by July 1, 2020. The two finalists from each region will pitch their emerging technology in front of global attendees and judges at the World Congress in October 2020 and will have the opportunity to showcase their solutions to all attendees.
Semi-finalist winners for each region will receive $5,000 (USD). At the 2020 ITS World Congress , judges will select a U.S. winner as well as a global winner. Each winner will receive $20,000 (USD), a robust marketing package and extensive networking opportunities with leaders in the ITS industry. Along with this grand prize package, the winners will have the opportunity to attend ITS Asia-Pacific, ERTICO, and ITS America annual meetings in 2021.
Submissions Process
Start-ups interested in participating must be less than five years old, have less than $5M in revenue, and have a product in pilot, beta, or prototype stage. Each start up must answer the following questions:
- What is the product or service?
- Under which focus category does it fall (Safer/Greener/Smarter)?
- What critical issue in the mobility sector is being addressed?
- What is the expected impact of the product or service?
- What is the unique selling point?
Judging
Judges for the 2020 Global Innovation Competition will include:
- CEO representation from each region;
- Representative with deep technical expertise;
- Representative from a corporate entity;
- Representative with policy and regulatory expertise; and
- Representative from the funding industry.
More information on the Global Innovation competition is available here.
MEMBER CONNECTION: ANDREI GREENAWALT
Name: Andrei Greenawalt
Title: Head of Public Policy
Company: Via
Short Job description/Role Responsibility: I am the head of public policy at Via, a leader in providing public mobility solutions. He leads the company’s policy and government affairs work.
Current or previous #ITS Project: I participate in the Mobility on Demand Alliance, and Amy is kind to always pretend like my comments are useful. I also spoke on one recent panel and moderated another at the ITS Annual Meeting.
Accomplishments: My most important accomplishment is being the father to 3-year-old Gibson and 1-year-old Millie who keep me young and tired at the same time. On the career front, I previously worked on regulatory and policy issues at the White House for several years (2009-14), including as the Associate Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA), and as Policy Advisor in the Office of the Chief of Staff. I also served in the offices of Cabinet Affairs and Legislative Affairs. In 2014, I was awarded a Council on Foreign Relations Fellowship in Tokyo, Japan, where I was a visiting scholar at a think tank and taught an undergraduate course on The American Presidency. I have also served as a law clerk to two Federal judges and worked for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Government Reform. I graduated with honors from Princeton University with a degree in Politics, and earned a J.D. from Yale Law School.
What’s the future of #ITS look like to you?I think it’s a mobility system that delivers on the promise of economic and social mobility for all, while dramatically reducing greenhouse gas emissions and congestion. It’s connected, electric, SHARED, and eventually autonomous.
Favorite place to travel: Opatija, Croatia (where my mother grew up and where I used to visit my grandparents every summer)
If you could Switch jobs in your company, who would you switch with and why?: General Manager of Amsterdam, because it’s my favorite city in Europe.
Hidden Talent: Amateur DJ
Any other fun fact you would like to share? I played in the 1998 Ultimate Frisbee World Championships for South Africa (it’s a long story).
