March 21, 2012

Ruth Dasso Marlaire
Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif. 
650-604-4789
Ruth.Marlaire@nasa.gov

Kim Nahas
Griffin Communications Group, Houston
713-249-6265
knahas@griffincg.com
MEDIA ADVISORY: M12-27

NASA HOSTS CONRAD FOUNDATION'S 2012 SPIRIT OF INNOVATION SUMMIT

MOFFETT FIELD, Calif. – Young innovators from around the world are 
invited to solve the challenges of the 21st century by creating 
breakthrough technologies for the Conrad Foundation’s 2012 Spirit of 
Innovation Challenge. Competition finalists will travel to the 
Innovation Summit March 29-31, 2012 at NASA’s Ames Research Center, 
Moffett Field, Calif. This year’s categories for team entries are: 
aerospace exploration, clean energy, and health and nutrition. 

The Spirit of Innovation Challenge is an annual Conrad Foundation 
competition challenging students to solve real-world problems by 
creating commercially viable science and technology-based solutions 
to global challenges.

What: 15 finalist teams and their teachers will be joined by 
well-known entrepreneurs, industry leaders, scientists and government 
officials for a three-day collaborative forum featuring student 
presentations, fireside chats, NASA tours, and interactive workshops, 
such as refurbishing a rocket. The event concludes with a ceremony 
awarding the coveted Pete Conrad "Spirit of Innovation Award."

When: March 29-31, 2012 

Where: Located in the NASA Research Park, the Summit will be held in 
NASA Ames Conference Center (building 3), 500 Severyns Road, and the 
interactive workshops will be held in building 596 on Edquiba Road. 
Security guards at the main gate will provide directions. 

Who: In addition to the finalist teams, the event features a roster of 
high-profile supporters, including: 

Thursday, March 29 - Aerospace Exploration 

Opening remarks: 8 - 8:15 a.m. PDT Pete Worden, director of NASA Ames

Fireside chats: 8:15 - 9 a.m. and 1-1:45 p.m. Vint Cerf, Google 
representative, and Rusty Schweickart, Apollo astronaut, entrepreneur

Finalist presentations: 9 - 11:30 a.m.

Ames facility tours: 1 - 2:45 p.m. 

Interactive workshops: 3 - 5 p.m. in building 596 

Evening entertainment Ozomatli, Los Angeles rock band

Friday March 30 - Clean Energy 

Fireside chats: 8:15 - 9 a.m. and 1-1:45 p.m. PDT Gina Rudan, 
entrepreneur, author and columnist for The Washington Post and 
BusinessWeek

Finalist presentations: 9 - 11:30 a.m.

Ames facility tours: 1 - 2:45 p.m. 

Bloom Energy tour: 2 - 4 p.m.

Interactive workshops: 3 - 5 p.m. in building 596

Evening entertainment by science comedian Tim Lee

Saturday March 31 - Health and Nutrition and Closing Ceremony 

Fireside chats: 8:15 - 9 a.m. and 1 - 1:45 p.m. PDT with Chip Yates, 
chief executive officer of Flight of the Century, Inc., ePilot and 
Rickson Sun, Chief Technologist, IDEO

Finalist presentations: 9 - 11:30 a.m.

Interactive workshops: 2 - 4 p.m. in building 596

Closing ceremonies: 4:45 - 6 p.m. Remarks by Dan Bena Senior Director 
of Sustainable Development PepsiCo, Inc.

Evening entertainment by air-guitarist Bjorn Turoque

For more information about NASA Ames, visit:

http://www.nasa.gov/ames
For more information about the Conrad Foundation and an updated 
schedule, visit:

http://www.conradawards.org

	
-end-