1/21: I decided to apply to the the Global Social Impact Fellows program because I want to help make an impact in the world. Although we are working with specific communities, the success of our individual projects could have various effects. These effects positive effects could spread to other communities with similar challenges and help change their lives too. I am very excited to be part of the community engagement and environmental initiative team going to Kazakhstan because I know we’re going to work on something meaningful and use our intelligence and other skills to create something effective and with our engagement and effort.

1/28: In Kazakhstan one of the most difficult issues to combat air quality is limiting the usage of coal. Coal mining is a big industry and for Almaty many people develop on it. It ties into the cultural aspect because people in Kazakhstan really admire modernization, so their ability to control heating power is something personal. And the fact that people highly depend on cars to commute would also interfere with how their modern culture is. One thing is for sure that the Kazakhstan people will have their own personal views on the air quality and would believe to them it is not that bad. So finding a way to educate them in a formal and respectful manner would help this issue.

At home I don’t really have an issue with my culture and my views. My parents and I were born in Colombia, and they have raised me with the culture they grew up with while also embracing our culture in the U.S and also respecting American culture too.

From what I’ve learned in my group meetings, the people of Kazakhstan have a lot of pride in their land and what their land means to them. So using this cultural meaning to help promote the improvement of air quality could potentially help pour project. The people in Almaty really like seeing their mountain range and having their glaciers protected. They have banned and protested construction of roads through the mountains in order to preserve the glaciers and beauty of the land. So it would be crucial to educate and emphasize the importance of finding a solution to the smog that blocks the view of the mountain ranges. Also to try promote the beauty of Almaty can be preserved by taking better initiatives on air quality control.

2/4:

1. What is the main objective of our project? 
2.  Who are we trying to impact?
3. Who is most impacted by the issue?
4. What sector of air quality can we impact?
5. What impact are we going to have?
6. What are the externalities of Kazakhstan’s air pollution? 
7. What are the main pollutants affecting the community?
8. What side effects do the pollutants have?
9. How does air pollution impact the rest of the environment in Almaty? Water? Soil? 
10. How can we use culture to our advantage?
11. How does outdated technology impact the project and our direction?
12. What work are people there already doing towards combating the poor air pollution?
13. What factors into the poor air quality?
14. What bias are there in the information we receive due to the type of government there is?
15. How has Kazakhstan attempted to address this issue before?
16.  How can we show that improved air quality can have a positive impact on the economy? 
17. How can we adapt to their culture while doing fieldwork? 
18. Will the government play a part in the solution that we come up with? 
19. How can we most effectively use our resources?
20. What are the people in Almaty’s perspective of air quality? 
    1. How aware are people in Almaty about air quality issues?

 

Our project’s logic model: 

• Inputs: 
  • Collaboration with people  
  • Developed partnerships 
  • Research 
  • Planning 
  • Outside funding 
• Outputs 
  • Improved air quality measuring methods
    • Detailed models→ More substantial data 
    • One concern was that the Kazhydromet’s measurements provide an inaccurate conclusion that nitrogen oxide is the only pollutant that should be of concern that is in the Almaty air.  With the help of upgraded air monitoring we hope to improve the quality of information regarding the risks air pollution poses to Almaty residents. Such information is essential for the subsequent efforts to address the air quality problem.
  • Advocate for better air quality (Overall, environmental) education and workshops 
  • Install sustainable heating systems 
  • Improved human health 
    • Example: Improvement of cardiovascular health and a decrease in respiratory diseases
• Outcomes
  • People that are more educated about the air quality issue
    • More environmentally aware and conscious 
  • Improved quality of life 
    • More outside recreational activities 
      • Being relieved from the worries centered around the health impacts that come with being outside for long periods of time

 

M & E Model: 

• Assumptions: 
  • We’re assuming that the people of Almaty
  • Almaty doesn’t need help to fix air quality because they expect the government to do something.

 

Long Term Goals:

• Almaty Local Government will use our ideas and published research in some way to assess and improve air quality.
• People of Almaty will be better informed about pollution and continue taking initiatives.
• People will avoid high pollution time of day and use nasal strips to reduce inhaling Contaminants
• For Almaty residents to see their mountains all times
• Decrease amount of respiratory diseases
• Behavioral change in which people reduce and limit their carbon footprint 

Short Term Goals:

• Have published a paper or journal 
• Have had collaboration with the nonprofit organization 
• Have a business idea to pitch nasal strips for residents to use 

2/11:

1. There are two sides to the project: the prevention side and the side of fixing the side effects. The prevention side includes working with the current companies and government of Almaty, which can be long and extensive. For this reason, we’re choosing to go on the route of cleaning the air as it is. Through our design process, we need to further research the technology behind filter technology. Specifically, after identifying the main pollutants in the air, we will need to conduct further tests on what is the best way to capture them and help clear the air. Possible technology includes a few brands that have created nasal screens that help prevent allergens, pollutants, from entering your lungs. The design is simple, yet sold costly of around $11 per package which includes 7 pairs. Our creation would be to expand on this technology and try to make them reusable since the ones Avalon the market are one time uses for 24 hours. They are expensive and not an accessible product for a population such as Kazakhstan. Through our design process we would need to find effective ways to bring down the cost, yet keep the functionality. To create a product like this we would have to first get our hands on it, and research and test its capabilities. We would need to bring this issue to our engineer peers and professors who can give us feedback and help us. We would need funding to acquire the tools necessary to test the product. 
2. Most important stakeholders
   1. The citizens of Almaty
      1. All social classes could be positively impacted 
         1. The effects of air pollution are not limited to one type of class. 
      2. 67.98% are Kazakhs, while the remaining are Russian 
      3. Islamic- 70%, Christian- 30%
      4. 55 percent female, 45% male
      5. They value their city- mountains, environment, culture
   2. The state government
      1. Wealthy→ Top of the social class  
      2. As the government, there is an interest in bettering the health of the residents. 
      3. They have the legal power
         1. One of the issues that are causing such poor air quality is the loose regulations. 
            1. The government needs to reinforce more 
      4. The interest in making money
         1. Stimulating the economy of Kazakhstan. ( This depends on the direction we go with our plan/ project 
      5. Connections
         1. The legal power allows them to be connected to other people in power. 
      6. Intelligence through experience 
   3. The NGOs or nonprofit 
      1. Not just focused on the economy 
         1. More concerned about the impact on the common people  of Almaty 
      2. Funding→ Can help with making sure that the money needed to successfully implement a plan is provided. 
      3. Possible connections 
         1. Like one of the SGDs has listed, the collaboration and connections are crucial. 
      4. Power 
         1. Can pressure the government to make sure there is change and that the air quality issues are being addressed 
      5. Influence 
         1. From personal experience, I noticed that communities tend to “trust” NGOs a lot more than organizations and individuals directly connected with the government. 
3. Validate Project Concept, Technology, Usability, and Business Model
   1. The reactions of the people in Almaty about our idea
      1. Making sure our idea aligns with their values and culture
      2. Having the people accept the issue we are trying to fix and understanding that we want to help
      3. Wanting the people to be accepting of our ideas
   2. If the technology/concept produce effective results in preventing air quality health issues
      1. We need to run tests and to ensure that if we create a product that it does what we need it to. 
         1. If we go with our nose strips idea, making sure that they are filtering out the correct pollutants
         2. If we create public service announcements making sure they are effective and reach the people that need to see them
   3. Usability 
      1. Making sure it is easy for everyone that needs to be using it to use so that the product works correctly or if we have public service announcements; making sure that they are clear and easy to understand and noticeable
      2. Assuring that the technology used is durable and long-lasting. If it is an announcement we must assure they will be up and sustain the weather. 
      3. Instructions must be clear

 

1. My friend Ryan told me about how you biomimicry is an underrated field of study. He said it’s observing nature from microorganisms, to plants, to animals and how humans can recreate those behaviors for our benefit.

2/18:

What makes Josue feel Human?

1. Breathing air feeling it flow through my nose and inside of my lungs then exhaling it out.
2. Being conscious and having thoughts about people, the future, emotions, memories, goals, the world.
3. Having knowledge and skills I am constantly improving and being able to pass it down.
4. Feeling the most intense emotions such as love, excitement, pain, and shock.
5. Being able to speak and listen.
6. Feeling my heart pump.
7. Rethinking how my body and mind react to situations and interactions.
8. Seeing my growth in everything I am and everything I touch and craft.
9. Sympathy for those who have passed on and those who are growing to face the challenges we will have
10. Having deep thoughts beyond what can be explained. I am seeing the world and people and history. When I think deeply about who I am it almost feels like I am seeing the story. Like I think about do others see the world the same way. Are people conscious in the same way I am.

My philosophy of engagement is that those who can receive feelings and strong ones from learning knowledge and stories from others is one who has passion. The ability to grasp information and get excited about it.

By bringing some valuable information to the group you are showing engagement. Asking questions and improving your questions as time goes in your project. I must engage with my group and leading professor. Also networking with other peers who may have experience on the topic. Challenges in which the group needs further clarification. Networking opportunities and being able to use funds for testing and product design.

2/28:

• Does your work require IRB approval? 

Our plan to address the air quality issue in Kazakhstan is being developed. We have many different ideas floating around regarding our plan, so we are still working out the specifics. However, based on the rough draft of our plan, we will need IRB approval. One component of our plan is to interview locals regarding the air quality problem in their city. The interviews will allow us to strengthen our approach to the issue by learning about the first-hand experience of living in Almaty with the challenges of dangerous air quality.

We are aware that people are extremely concerned just by scrolling through Facebook pages. For example, there is a Facebook page named, “SMOG ALMATY” which is used as a platform for Almaty locals and allies to discuss their concerns and opinions on the way people in power are handling the air quality issue. 

Although we will be receiving a lot of constructed criticism regarding our plan and presentations before abroad fieldwork, the most impactful criticism will come directly from the people of Almaty. 

We might also set up a survey that provides feedback for our project. As a result, in order to interview, we need IRB approval. According to the certification that my group completed, we learned that any research that will consist of surveying requires IRB approval to make sure that we protect any revealing information of the participants. 

Another idea that we are working towards finalizing are nasal filters. In order for my group to review whether or not our filters are effective and used amongst the Almaty population, it will involve having locals test them out. We might not be the exact group of undergraduate students that will have this filter finalized because of it being a long process of lab work and engineering. However, we recognize that this type of research needs to be reviewed by IRB in order for any of it to be implemented and continued. 

 

• Develop an outline for your mid-semester presentations. What supporting evidence will you provide for each point? How will you boost your credibility every step of the way?

 

1. Introduction slide: 
   1. Picture of Almaty’s mountains and introduce team members
2. 1st Slide: (problem/ solution)
   1. Jumps right into the problem with a statistic or two about the severity of the air quality problem in Almaty
   2. Picture of Almaty on a day with bad air quality 
   3. State our proposed solution: 
      1. Increasing data collection points
      2. Mappings of specific areas that are suffering more due to air pollution (include image)
      3. Creating an easily accessible server for the population to access data
      4. Giving strategies to minimize exposure to air quality
3. 2nd Slide: 
   1. List causes of the problem in Almaty
      1. Traffic
      2. Power plant 
      3. Coal-burning furnaces 
      4. Bad air circulation, cold weather
   2.  Sighting health risks from being exposed to air pollution
      1. Cardiovascular disease death rates
4. 3rd Slide: Potential Solutions
   1. Addressing possible solutions (our ideas of what we came up with or ones other cities have tried implementing)
      1. Public services announcements 
      2. Government policy 
      3. Increasing greenery 
      4. Creating new power plant filters (nasal strips, other)
5. 4th Slide: Details on our solution
   1. Showing app we found that isn’t reliable
      1. Providing images of what it looks like
      2. Data and statistics is provides
      3. Including single data points 
   2. Improving the quality of data (Account for more air pollutants)
      1. Getting more air quality detecting devices to distribute throughout the city
      2. Including public areas like parks, walkways, schools, neighborhoods… 
6. 5th Slide: Existing Kazakhstan Proposed solutions
   1. Government Regulation
   2. Improve Transportation with efficiency and reliability
   3. Reliable Bike Lanes (Promoting bike riding)
   4. Greenway
   5. Investigate Airflow in city 
   6. All long term solutions, no short term
   7. Public announcements on when pollution is high and low
7. 6th Slide: Prototype
   1. What kinds of air quality testers are we going to use? 
      1. Still pending, but have a meeting with an expert on 3/3
      2. Sustainable, maintainable, cheapish
   2. Pollutants we are trying to target
      1. PM 2.5
      2. CO, SO2, NO2
8. 7th Slide: Our overall plan 
   1. What are we planning to do with the data
      1. Create understandable models and analyzing the impacts of specific polluted areas
      2. Connecting info to health advice and actable things to do to minimize exposure
      3. Detecting -> Transmission -> Public Awareness

Potential new slide: Analyzing the information gaps between income classes about their knowledge on the air pollution issues-

Do they know what they’re doing that could be causing it Do they know some of their own actions are adding to the air pollution? Do they feel helpless? Do they think someone else is going to fix it? Do they know the actual health outcomes from it

3/21: 

1. Summarize and report out on the results of the SKS exercise.  (start, keep, stop)

2 things we want to start doing as a team:

1. Delegating tasks effectively according to each team member’s strengths and weaknesses. Having a record of what tasks are completed, in progress, and upcoming. 
2. Generating fresh ideas and not being reluctant to share them with each other even if they seem minor. Have SMART tasks and goals.

2 things we want to keep doing as a team 

1. Keep committing time outside of the classroom to be able to collaborate 
2. Keep being open-minded with constructive criticism on ideas and not being afraid of changing the direction of the project 

2 things we want to stop doing as a team 

1. Stop assuming everyone knows what you are doing and communicate to the team what is being done and what needs to be done. Also not being afraid to ask for help
2. Stop setting goals and then not upholding them.
3. Develop a detailed Collaboration Plan for your team clearly articulating your Goals (Small and Big), Roles, Procedures, and Relationships. 

• Goals: 
  • Have a rough draft completed of the paper we are submitting to the IEE CHTC Conference in Seattle by mid-April
    • Send to Prof. Mehta so that he can review before submitting 
  • Touching base with our connections in Kazakhstan
    • Formulating a plan with them
  • Have a model laid out for the website by the end of April 
• Roles: 
  • Alondra
    • Implementer, Monitor-evaluator, 
  • Hugo
    • Specialist
  • Josue 
    • Team worker, resource investigator 
  • Nathaly 
    • Monitor-evaluator: critically analyze information before coming to conclusions 
    • Completer/finisher: detects errors and omissions; ensures adherence to deadlines

• • Rebecca 
    • Implementer: actually gets things done; turns ideas into actual plans 
    • Resource investigator: develop external contacts; negotiate for the team’s resources
  • Ulan 
    • Shaper: maintains a positive mental attitude; finds the best ways to overcome challenges facing the team 
    • Specialist: expert knowledge in a particular area 

• • Professor Duvanova 
    • Team worker, coordinator, specialist 
• Procedures
  • Decision Making: 
    • Majority Rule
    • If we are split down the middle, we will use our advisor as a mediator to help come to a consensus. 
  • Effective Meetings: 
    • Setting up goals for each meeting 
    • Checking in with each other→ Where people are with their designated tasks, etc. 
    • Splitting up work so that we are being proactive and productive with the time we work on tasks
    • Creating documents that have everyone’s assigned tasks for the week so we know how to check up on eachother 
  • Communication:
    • Best time to work: In the mornings, any day of the week, preferably the end of the week
    • Frequency: Meet at least once a week besides our weekly advisor meetings
    • Location: Online
    • Type of Technology: Google Docs and Zoom
  • Relationships 
    • Make sure to consider everyone’s perspective 
    • Do not get frustrated with each other

3. If we can’t go in the summer what will we do?

• Trying to finalize the design/function of our website
• Creating online surveys that we can send out to people in Almaty 
• Formulating algorithms to help organize survey data and determining the best forms of advice
• Learning more about the country through partners in Kazakhstan
• Good communication with the Kazakhstan students 

Presentation Outline:

1. Title Slide (15sec)
2. Stating the Problem (Macro) (30secs)
   1. Alarming stat
3. Stating the Problem (Micro) (30secs)
   1. Specific pollutants
   2. Health effects
4. 4 main causes for air pollution
   1. Traffic
   2. Furnaces
   3. Weather/ geography
      1. Find picture that maps out weather patterns
   4. Power plant
5. Our solution
   1. Diagram with the triangle 
6. AUA app analysis (20-30secs) (Backup Slide) 
   1. Say how we want to do something similar, but better
   2. More specific advice, considering multiple pollutant effects
7. Website Design/ layout/ explanation 
8. Comparing to other solutions(coronavirus websites, other cities) 
9. Examples of advice and habit changes that we want to instigate

3/24:

1. List five compelling takeaways from the Art of the Start.

• It’s not about the money your venture will make, it’s about the value it brings to the society and the world through the increasing quality of life
• Have your mission statement be specific and simple, three to four key terms. 
• Don’t ask people to do something that you wouldn’t
• Higher people that are better than yourself (i.e. smarter, more proactive, more creative, etc…) 
• Have the ability to provide a unique product or service that gives value to the customer   

2. Articulate your value propositions for your diverse customer segments.

We want Almaty residents to improve their quality of life by limiting air pollution causes. We want them to breathe fresh air. Changing the current mindset about the effects of poor air quality in Almaty could potentially save people from obtaining respiratory and cardiovascular diseases.  Fewer people diagnosed means less money spent on hospital bills and medical costs. Currently, there is little to nothing being done for the people who are at risk in Almaty. Through our guidelines, we give a starting place for people to begin living healthier lives. This project also seeks to change the habits of the people of Almaty so that their daily routines do not put their health at risk. Finally, all our information will be accessible online. 

3. Discuss your Total Available Market and Total Addressable Market. List all your assumptions and hypotheses. 

Almaty had 1,863,000 residents in 2019. We can assume that the residents with health conditions, children, parents, and the elderly will have heard or been influenced by our efforts to minimize exposure to pollution. If our group can create a solid product and service, then we can have it become profitable in someway in the future. Since we don’t have a product with value in money on it we can’t assume our total addressable market. 

4/10: 

1. Develop a Business Model for your venture using the Osterwalder Business Model Canvas.
2. List ten lessons from the Business and Operations model of the Aravind Eye Hospital.

 

1. Develop a Business Model for your venture using the Osterwalder Business Model Canvas
   1. Offer 
      1. Expert System that gives people the tools to make informed decisions and change lifestyle habits to reduce their exposure to air quality
   2. Customer Relationships: 
      1. Automated service 
      2. User community
   3. Distribution Channels
      1. Expert system
   4. Customer Segments
      1. City residents of Almaty
         1. People susceptible to air pollution effects
   5. Revenue Streams 
      1. Subscription Based
      2. Licensing 
   6. Key Activities 
      1. Platform/network
   7. Key Resources 
      1. Experts in web/app development
      2. Data from IQAir
   8. Partner Network
      1. University in Almaty
      2. Company partner that collect air quality data
      3. Users 
   9. Cost Structure 
      1. App/web development
      2. Advertisement
2. Ten lessons learned from the eye-care video:
   1. Developing a system that will make the provided services accessible all around the world to all types of people 
      1. Break the access barriers 
   2. Equitable system that does not exclude any people (class, finances,etc)
   3. Having reliable and skilled staff is crucial to making sure that the system flows and productivity is high 
   4. Navigating how to be efficient both financially and productivity
      1. Aravind had a very effective amount of productivity but at much lower costs compared to the UK
         1. <1% of what it cost in the UK to provide the eye care services 
   5. Not everything has to be centered in India, they had information going from patients to expert doctors in other areas to observe the patient’s eye screens and then send results back
   6. Even with producing a product at low cost or no cost to some patients, they still made a profit
      1. Taking individual’s financial background to account
   7. Establishing a culture of compassion and problem ownership is paramount in a need based service delivery
   8. Efficiency in providing the eye care to people, created an efficient supply chain to get care to people quickly and effectively
      1. Having people get checked, going right to the buses, having an efficient surgical room, and going back to the buses to go home
   9. “…there is no exploitation/ It is ourselves we are helping/ It is ourselves we are healing.” 
      1. Don’t measure a venture’s success solely on profit. The amount of people who were able to receive the eye care services are an indicator of success as well. 
   10. A venture takes time to expand.
       1. Networking and collaboration to make the system flow more efficiently

4/17:

1. Business Model: 
   1. Offer 
      1. Expert System that gives people the tools to make informed decisions and change lifestyle habits to reduce their exposure to air pollution 
   2. Customer Relationships: 
      1. Automated service 
         1. Having an online platform 
            1. a app or website 
         2. Interactive with the customer to get to know aspects of their life and understanding their individual needs to reduces air pollution exposure
      2. User community
         1. Users can share their profiles and information with each other to better interact
   3. Distribution Channels
      1. Expert system
         1. Database of information that links air quality protection information to individual needs of the user
         2. An algorithm will help provides tips and insights to users based off their needs
   4. Customer Segments
      1. City residents of Almaty
         1. People susceptible to air pollution effects
            1. Elderly, infinats, young children
            2. Individuals suffering air pollution induced health problems (respiratory and cardiac diseases)
            3. Individuals living in pollution dense areas
            4. Pregnant women
   5. Revenue Streams 
      1. Subscription Based
         1. Members either pay for monthly or yer;y membership to use all aspects of the app
      2. Licensing 
   6. Key Activities 
      1. Platform/network
         1. Managing our online platforms
   7. Key Resources 
      1. Experts in web/app development
         1. In order to get our ideas developed into something tangible, we need to have web developers that can build and maintain our platform
      2. Data from IQAir
         1. This allows to validate all the information on our platform
      3. App and website platform
         1. The way we will be communicating our desired outcomes and ideas to create change
   8. Partner Network
      1. Almaty Management University
      2. Company partner that collects air quality data and shares it with us (IQAir)
      3. Sponsors (Not determined yet)
   9. Cost Structure 
      1. App/web development
      2. Advertisement (Social Media ads, Radio, Video, 
      3. Webmaster

Ten Lessons-

1. Creating a venture that has more than one purpose or impact
   1. Greystone Bakery- makes brownies but also helps incarcerated people, their social impact helps the image of the company and distinguishes them. People go buy their products because of the difference they are making.
2. Make sure your venture or product is easy to use. Provides an incentive to use it
   1. Reel Garden simplifies the gardening process
3. Attempting to sculpt our venture to fit the needs of different demographics
   1. Envirofit creates a similar oven to the one their demographic uses but creates less smoke and fuel
4. Do not be afraid of doing or attempting something radical. 
   1. Everyone thought the creator of Barefoot college was crazy for wanting to work in rural communities with his college degree
5. Having a good way of presenting venture, make it exciting
   1. Even though Envirofit is only selling a stove their advertisement makes it look step above and interesting
6. Creating a subscription-based revenue stream
   1. Spotify, Netflix use this 
7. Accept all different types of workers
   1. Greystone bases their revenue model off having happy workers
8. Making the product personalizable 
   1. StichFix is a company that personalizes clothes for their consumers through data
9. Reel Garden is environmentally conscious/sustainable 
   1. This serves the goal of attracting customers who are willing to make a bigger impact by doing a regular activity like gardening
10. Investing in the health improvements of consumers
    1. Weight Watchers creates revenue from people who are willing to buy their products to improve their health

4/22:

1. Develop a detailed income statement for your venture for two years (at six month intervals). Explicit state the assumptions that underlie your financial model.
2. Identify two SPECIFIC funding sources for the design phase of your project and two SPECIFIC funding sources for the dissemination (implementation / distribution / commercialization) phase of your project. For each funding source, explain why this is a good fit for your project, and what SPECIFIC aspect of your project might the funding source support.
3. Identify five specific partnerships that you need to forge to advance your project forward with the ultimate goal of positively impacting at least one million people. Describe exactly how that partnership might help you achieve scale and why that entity might be willing to work with you.

Answers: 

Question 1: Income Statement (We are just starting out so our income statement is for the next two years since we won’t be making money for a while)

Revenue: +

• Subscription income from individuals: for individuals who take it upon themselves to download our app
• Digital medicine “prescription insurance”: for either hospitals or health insurance companies that want to offer our app as an addition to their medical care
• Premium profile income: for potentially added special features of our app that more specific groups for people such as athletes to use
• Direct charge towards a company for app use among workers: for companies that want to reduce liability for their workers by providing our app

 

Cost of Revenue: –

• Functional Services (domain fee + fees for features in the app)
• Administrative Services
• IT Support Services (App updates/maintenance)
• Marketing cost 

Gross Profit: Revenue – Cost of Revenue

Operating Expenses (Overhead): –

• Web Developers (Those that create website/app)
• Webmaster (Person that updates and overviews the website/app in the long run) 
• Domain
• Pay for air quality data usage (License)

Net Profit: (Gross Profit) – (Overhead)

Question 2: Funding Sources

1. 1. Design Phase
      1. Angel Investors
         1. These would be very good for our project because they typically fund the early-stages of projects, which we are in right now.  They could also add a lot of value to our project besides money.  Since we are still in the early stages it would be great to have someone that is also able to help us with which directions to go in order to make our project successful.  This funding source could help us with funding for web development and app design.  

 

• Federal Government

 

1. 1. 1. 1. This source of funding aligns well with our venture because we are serving as a way to spread public health awareness, therefore; aiding the federal government. This funding could specifically help strengthen or solidify our information maybe through accreditation or certification. If there was a way to get our information certified it could easily foster trust with customers in the next phase.
   2. Dissemination Phase
      1. Strategic Partners
         1. Our strategic partners that we pick would be a great funding source for the later phases of our project.  Especially if we have web development  companies as partners.  They could help fund the maintenance and continuing development of our app as well as paying for domain fees and functional services that have costs

 

• Federal Government

 

1. 1. 1. Having the Almaty government as a funding source for our project would be a huge benefit in terms of getting the government to start taking action and helping the city combat air quality.  They could also help us get into the healthcare system and fund 
   2. Let the business pay for itself?
      1. As a software/ online-based venture our cost of revenue is not a lot. So technically after getting past the design phase, we could rely on the venture to cover some cost in the dissemination phase. Especially the aspects of spreading awareness of our application. 

 

Question 3: Partnerships 

1. IQAir
   1. IQAir is an air quality data collection website that tracks different pollutants all over the world.  We need them to be able to advance our project because we need to have access to real time air quality data that we can feed into our app.  It will help us achieve scale since it will be able to justify our warnings and notifications that we want to distribute to people so that our app is more trustworthy and reliable.  IQAir already has data that we can use, but by partnering with us it could help them sell more of their air quality devices and be able to access even more data in Almaty
2. Hospitals and the Almaty health care system
   1. Partnering with hospitals and the health care system will help us reach a lot more people that are suffering from air pollution-related health issues like respiratory diseases, asthma, and cardiovascular diseases.  If we take a telemedicine approach and have doctors prescribing our app to their patients to help them reduce their air pollution intake, we would be able to reach a lot more people that need our app the most.  They might be willing to work with us because we are giving the doctors a way to help their patients stay aware of the air pollution they are bringing into their lungs.  Doctors will also be able to monitor exactly how much exposure their patients are receiving and can help adjust their medications better.  
3. Web developers for development and maintenance 
   1. Partnering with a web development company could be very beneficial for us to keep our app running quickly and efficiently.  We’re going to need someone that is good with not only app maintenance, but also updates and adding new features.  THis will help us scale our product because as we get more users we are going to need a bigger and bigger team to be able to manage all the information that the app is taking in and distributing.  A company that does web development would be willing to partner with us because we are creating something that has never been done before and could, if successful, be implemented in a lot of other countries and areas for helping track air pollution.
4. NGOs
   1. Partnering with NGOs will help give our venture credibility and allow us to reach more individuals through their connections.  It’s really important that we gain their support so they can help promote our app.  They would be willing to work with us because we are trying to provide help with the impact of pollution on individuals and that is something NGOs are constantly combatting along with environmental injustice.  
5. Power plant
   1. Partnering with the power plants in Almaty would be a really great way for us to help individuals that are more at risk from suffering from air pollution health issues.  All the workers in the power plant are being heavily exposed to air pollution and it would be great if we could reach all those individuals.  The power plants would be willing to work with us because a lot of their workers are being put at risk of health issues and our app can reduce the liability that the power plant has for causing those health issues.  

4/30:

Business Model: 

1. 1. Offer 
      1. Expert System that gives people the tools to make informed decisions and change lifestyle habits to reduce their exposure to air pollution 
   2. Customer Relationships: 
      1. Automated service 
         1. Having an online platform 
            1. an app or website 
            2. Interactive with the customer to get to know aspects of their life and understanding their individual needs to reduces air pollution exposure
      2. User community
         1. Survey will help approximate exposure to pollution with factors such as district, the volume of traffic in the area, and algorithms of precise air quality. This input of data of users will make better adjustments to what risks the community is in.
   3. Distribution Channels
      1. Expert system
         1. Database of information that links air quality protection information to the individual needs of the user
         2. An algorithm will help provides tips and insights to users based on their needs
      2. Appstore (Online App)
         1. Users will download our application through their phone’s AppStore to access our expert system/data
      3. Hospitals: 
         1. Will advertise our app and prescribe it to patients that need it
      4. Businesses: 
         1. Will distribute our app to their workers to use
   4. Customer Segments
      1. Hospitals and Insurance Companies: 
         1. Hospitals and Insurance companies will be able to medically prescribed our app to their patiences 
      2. Big Businesses/ (Ex: Powerplant, mining industries, etc..)
         1. Businesses will buy this app for their workers to use so they will be able to protect themselves during jobs that expose them more to air pollution.  Helps reduce liability for the company
      3. Individual Users (Including athletes, elderly, children, pregnant women etc..)
         1. Everyday users that download our app because they want to reduce their air pollution exposure
         2. Pregnant Women: 
            1. A highly susceptible group that requires a different marketing strategy.  Will help mother’s reduce vulnerability.
   5. Revenue Streams 
      1. Individual Users
         1. Members either pay for monthly or yearly membership to use all aspects of the app
      2. Digital Medicine: 
         1. People will get prescribed our app and the money for their membership will come from insurance companies
      3. Direct Charge:
         1. Charging businesses to use our app for their workers
   6. Key Activities 
      1. Platform/network
         1. Managing our online platforms
   7. Key Resources 
      1. Experts in web/app development
         1. In order to get our ideas developed into something tangible, we need to have web developers that can build and maintain our platform
      2. Data from IQAir
         1. This allows to validate all the information on our platform
      3. App and website platform
         1. The way we will be communicating our desired outcomes and ideas to create change
   8. Partner Network
      1. IQAir
      2. Hospitals and the Almaty health care system
      3. Web developers for development and maintenance 
      4. NGOs
      5. Power plants
   9. Cost Structure 
      1. App/web development
      2. Advertisement (Social Media ads, Radio, Video)
      3. Webmaster

3. Develop an M&E plan for your venture.

• Clearly list all assumptions.
  • There will be no hospital users during the first quarter (6 months of launching venture) 
  • Business users will not start using our app until the second year.
  • We’re assuming that we will meet the criteria that hospitals have. 
  • We’re assuming that the hospitals will recommend this to their patients. 
  • Businesses will be interested in investing in our venture for their workers’ sake. 
  • Workers will actually use the app if provided by the employer. 
  • Workers will understand that their information is protected. 
    • Workers will not be skeptical 
  • Employers will communicate the service to workers. 
• Identify short-term and long-term success metrics.
  • Short-term success metrics for our venture is the number of mobile app downloads. The increasing rate of downloads would show how effectively our venture entered the market. Also, it demonstrates the efficiency of our marketing strategy. 
  • Long-term success metrics would be a decrease in morbidity and mortality rate from respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Also, we are planning to implement a built-in demographic feature in the app that would get information from the user regarding their health condition and build statistics for all the app users. That way we could track if the guidelines we provide are working for them. 
• Identify specific methods to measure the metrics.
  • Health statistics of Almaty
    • Analyzing a decrease in the number of respiratory, cardiovascular diseases
    • Analysing the rates of morbidity in the city to see if there is a decrease
  • Specific Workers
    • Businesses can encourage workers to use our app to monitor their health based on working conditions. The data provided by the worker will be CONFIDENTIAL and PRIVATE to us. We will use working conditions provided by present workers to better evaluate health risks.
  • User Profiles
    • Name, district/city/state, age, occupation (Public Information)
    • Questionnaire will include, but is not limited to, 
      • Health history related to cardiovascular and respiratory issues
      • Family health history
      • Daily habits (Exercise, diet, work/school, commuter)
    • We can record user’s health data within the app (Private Information)
    • With given health data, risks of potential or developing health issues can be advised
      • Track the number of hospital visits due to air quality-related visits
        • Ask how many times they have been to the hospital in the past year
      • Ask them to log their visits
        • Then compare data with their previous year
  • Hospital relationship
    • We can ask hospitals to ask patients if they use our app
    • Then we can track if people who use the app are going to the hospital
      • Compare data with people who do not use the app