Venture Makers announces official partnership with Virbela for the next Innovation Challenge ‘Welcome to the Metaverse’
Venture Makers announces official partnership with Virbela for the next Innovation Challenge ‘Welcome to the Metaverse’
Western Sydney University and Virbela have come together to hold the Venture Makers second Innovation Challenge ‘Welcome to the Metaverse’ – an opportunity for students, researchers and staff to explore how the development of the Metaverse can be developed to ensure technologies are developed with a human-centric approach that delivers the most benefit to society.
Partnering in this Innovation Challenge is Virbela, an international leader in the Metaverse space that brings people together to work, learn, meet, and train in an immersive virtual world – from anywhere.
Through the challenge, Virbela will provide guest speakers and facilitators building opportunities for students to connect with industry leaders. Virbela will also provide a range of prizes for challenge winners.
The Launch Event for the challenge will be held on Monday 9 May, as part of the University’s new Venture Makers entrepreneurship training and development program for students, researchers and staff designed to build and support an entrepreneurial culture & ecosystem.
Delivered through Launch Pad and in collaboration with high profile industry partners, Venture Makers offers students immersive learning experiences focused on solving complex problems and addressing local and global challenges including within the context of Sustainable Development Goals SDG’s.
Key Dates:
Launch Event: 9 May, 12pm-1.30pm AEDT
Innovation Hackathon: 19 May, 11am-7pm AEDT
Showcase Event: 9 June
Join us for the Launch Event
The ‘Welcome to the Metaverse’ Launch Event will provide Western students, staff and researchers with the opportunity to build industry contacts and learn about how can they create change in the next Venture Makers Innovation Challenge.
As part of the Launch Event, Launch Pad will also introduce guest speakers Peter Xing, an educator and practitioner in transhumanism and emerging technologies, and Alex Howland, the president and co-founder of Virbela.
Learn more about ‘Welcome to the Metaverse’ Challenge here.
How do we build a Metaverse for Good?
The Innovation Challenge ‘Welcome to the Metaverse’ will be delivered over a series of key events providing students with opportunities to build industry contacts and practice key skills including ideation, teamwork and pitching. The challenge is open to all Western students, researchers and staff.
Working in teams, participants will propose new ideas and solutions for building the Metaverse with a focus on “technology for good”. Ideas could include; technologies, start-up companies, campaigns, policies and regulations, education programs or other ideas to address identified industry sector areas, including;
- Health
- Education and Training
- Media, Entertainment and Hospitality
- Retail and E-commerce
- For Purpose and SDG’s
For more information on Western Sydney University’s Venture Makers program and the Innovation Challenge, visit Launch Pad or register for the Launch Event.