Danielle Yariv has joined IMI
Danielle brings over 20 years of international sustainable development experience to IMI, having founded two non-profits in Latin America.

OCTANe Foundation Social Impact Award
IMI has been chosen as the recipient of the Social Impact Award from the OCTANe Foundation for Innovation (OFI). The OFI Social Impact Award recognizes individuals who have developed an innovative idea that showcases the region's strength in biomedical technology and its ability to create social impact on a large scale. For the full press release, see this link: http://www.businesswire.com

New Prototype
IMI has completed a new prototype with its new cutting template. IMI will test the comfort, durability, and ergonomics of the chair in the coming weeks. Check it out here.

E&S Article
IMI is featured in E&S, Caltech’s alumni magazine. Click here to download the article.




 

PBS Project Enterprise Competition
IMI has been chosen as a finalist in the PBS Project Enterprise Competition. Project Enterprise will follow social entrepreneurs as they implement innovative business models to enact lasting social change, and showcase the story on national television. More than 100 people were nominated for the contest from all around the world. Now there are four left. Cast your vote for IMI!

NCIIA Advanced E-Team Grant
IMI has been awarded an Advanced E-Team grant from the National Collegiate Inventors and Innovators Alliance (NCIIA). The grant will help IMI advance its product and manufacturing process development and perform high-level business research to develop the business model in Guatemala.

Housner Discovery Fund
The George W. Housner Discovery Fund has awarded the IMI founders with fellowships to advance the wheelchair design and development. Grant funds provide stipends and cover all expenses related to the development of the wheelchair and its manufanturing process.

Guatemala Research Trip
IMI Board Members Rudy Roy and Daniel Oliver just returned from a research trip to Guatemala. With Paulina Quinones, IMI’s VP of Business Development, they researched the developing world terrain and potential applications for the chairs. They also met with key potential partners Vamos Adelante and the Transitions Foundation to look into strategic production and distribution channels for the company's wheelchairs.

Engineering Design for the Developing World
Two of IMI’s founders, Ben Sexson and Rudy Roy, have won Caltech’s Engineering Design for the Developing World Contest. Their team, called Independence Through Mobility (ITM) was comprised of four Caltech engineers and an industrial design student from Landivar University.