Entrant three

Stakeholders Warning: This proposal is a fantasy, but is still technologically, logistically, and economically sound. Please suspend disbelief for a mere five minutes and try not to be offended by attempted humor directed at your native country, especially Romania. I watch the Discovery channel all the time and I’m very intrigued by the people who choose selectively primitive lifestyles, so I had to include them in my fantasy. If we are not awarded this project, I will be heartbroken. Yes We Can: Bake a Around the World Thirty people around the world, in teams of up to eight people, have been chosen to participate in a cultural activity event. This event is baking a cake. Each team will submit a recipe for a cake, all teams will vote on just one cake to bake, and all teams will bake the cake simultaneously, with proof that they did so. Teams will try to use the same ingredients, but the cooking methods will differ according to the equipment available. As the event takes place, it will be videotaped and later edited into a four hour reality show miniseries. The reality show will be the first of its kind and the world audience will experience the daily life of people who can teach us in ways we never knew. Yes We Can: Bake a Cake Around the World Obsidian Technical Services 3522 White Oak Street Houston, Texas 77007 Is pleased to submit the following proposal to: Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SETAR) Linda Pilling, President Jan 22, 2009 Stakeholders Proposal Background “Yes We Can” Grant Program The “Yes We Can” Grant program was created by President Obama in February, 2009 with the objective to: • Inspire international leadership and growth in teaching, research and service. Encourage respect, cultural understanding, and tolerance among all people. Showcase worldwide communication, cultural differences, and cultural similarities. Through its achievements, further worldwide educational interdependence, planetary evolution and intercultural understanding. Provide proof that obstacles can be overcome collectively. • • • • Yes We Can: Bake a Cake Around the World SETAR has received one of these grants. The Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research of Houston, Texas, has previously received a seed grant to explore the viability of synchronous activities and communication across continents. This project was completed and deemed partially successful. Consequently, based upon the success of the pilot project, SETAR has been awarded another grant for a project of larger scope, provided that matching funds can be found and that likely success is shown by finding solutions to the challenges previously encountered in the pilot project. Obsidian understands that the purpose of the Request for Proposal is to choose a vendor that can supply the skills and deliverables necessary to make this project successful by providing solutions to the unique challenges that were discovered during the pilot project. Partners: Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research (SETAR) University of Houston Department of Sociology Discovery Channel Special Challenges The challenges are many, but each challenge presents an opportunity for insight, education, and yes, respectful humor. Many of the teams do not speak a common language, and many team members do not read or have ever been exposed to television, computers, telephones, and other commonly used modern devices. What if communication breaks down? The word “Cake” is open for interpretation. Ingredients may not be recognizable from one team to the next. However, all teams must submit a favorite recipe and all team members will vote for the cake they will all eventually bake. Lessons learned from the pilot project are that communication must account for different native languages, different resources, and different physical and cultural environments. What if the ingredients cannot be found? Scope / Requirements Requirements are to: Obsidian Proposes to: • Design and develop a solution that allows simultaneous communication worldwide Provide services for coordinating the event and assisting teams Develop a method of delivering the event and the activities leading up to the event to a worldwide audience • Design and deliver the iCAN, Intercultural Communications Assistance Network that will allow synchronous communication Deploy site leaders to each country to coordinate the event, all fluent in the native language of each team Provide designers and consultants to assist the Discovery Channel to produce a televised reality miniseries of the event • • • • The Teams Through a rigorous selection process, thirty people around the globe, working in teams of up to 8 people, have already been selected by the University of Houston to participate in the project. Each team will bake a cake, the recipe of which they will have all voted and agreed upon. They will bake the cakes simultaneously at numerous locations around the world. In the process, they will overcome language barriers and major differences in food availability, equipment, cultural values, and geographic dispersement. The Event and the Series The Discovery Channel will videotape the event and activities of the team leading up to the event to produce a 4 hour reality show miniseries. The program will be the first in a series of shows that changes the definition of “Reality Show” deriving entertainment and education from teamwork, respect, and positive achievement in the face of obstacles that are not manufactured for the show,but simply come from the natural culture and environment. This is not a competition. A substantial television advertising campaign will precede the event. Obsidian will supply design and consultation services to the Discovery Channel to produce the TV miniseries. Why Obsidian? Our staff and our products are unique. Strategists Obsidian’s strategists, Kim Cambron and Tina Berger are recognized leaders in the frontier of mobile communications technology design and deployment and have extensive experience working with fortune 500 companies, resulting in many critically acclaimed solutions. Owner Shelly Immel, a futurist of unparalleled vision, has created a team capable of handling all aspects of this project. She will assure that this project team will operate in a green, respectful manner that will not interfere with the environment or traditions of the countries to which the team will be deployed. Tom Stell, a leader in cultural research, will provide relevant research data about customs, languages, and logistics. Project Managers Our project managers Micheline Duguay, Joel Stretch, and Cindy Landers are known in the business world as the “Mission Possible” team. They have a combined total experience of 30 years managing highly complex and high profile projects for a multitude of industries. They are led by Monica Savage, who has a background in chemical engineering, nutrition, and intercultural communication, to round out the impressive qualifications of the management team. Why Obsidian? Our staff and our products are unique. Creative Design Team Steven Westmoreland, young software prodigy programmer and winner of the 2006 Addy award, will combine his skills with the designers to provide Obsidian’s proprietary technological solution to cross continent communication. Graphic designer and Flash developers Chris Gore and Chris Cambon will adapt their previous invention, the iCAN, to translate in 10 different languages. Why Obsidian? Our staff and our products are unique. Our Site Leaders Team provides the backbone upon which all communications and deliverables will depend. They are fluent in numerous languages and have spent many valuable years abroad. The Onsite Team Leaders are: Amsterdam: Angelique Florez Steven Westmoreland Chris Gore Kenya: Lubos Janoska Peggy Floyd Shannon Hart Cyprus: Kika Guadiano Jeanne Steen Australia: Vicki Gardner Tina Berger Cindy Landers Bill Jacobs Vergel Vergara Romania: Monica Savage Chris Cambron France: Tiffany Richard Micheline Duguay Ireland: Roslyn Metchis Susan Watson Tim Nurre Kimberly Cambron iCAN Intercultural Communication Assistance Network Obsidian will debut it’s long awaited iCAN. This innovative solution uses the Macintosh Flybook computer modified for touch screen, and is combined with custom programmed software, the communication hub for the cooking teams. iCAN No mouse no electrical connection no keyboard no browser no written words An Adobe Air networking solution eliminates the need for a browser and also eliminates the limitations imposed thereof. Even without a connection, the translation and image databases are accessed from the computer. Teams unexposed to computer technology will be able to interface with this solution. The mouse has been replaced with a touch screen, the keyboard is optional due to the voice recognition and translation module, and literacy is not an issue since written words are also optional due to the massive image database. Solar and battery powered dc charge pads handle the electrical requirements. iCAN Intercultural Communication Assistance Network Obsidian’s iCAN features: • Conduct team meetings Submit recipes and vote on the recipe for all worldwide teams to bake iCAN • • • Pictorial interface guide to 10,000 food items Automatic translation database in 10 languages Virtual meeting interface • • • • • Start the time for the actual event of baking the cake See updates of team activity Use resources to make substitutions of ingredients when required Use the real time translation voice recognition system module to communicate with each in their own native languages Stakeholder Benefits University of Houston • • PHD students will research how the project and interview the producers and the teams. Sociology, anthropology , psychology, international business, nutrition, health education, and public policy students will write journal articles. Undergraduate students can be assistants to the translation and production crews, and on site logistical teams, giving opportunities to students studying foreign language, event management, and broadcast journalism. Funds from the Discovery Channel will go to support the living stipends, travel, and scholarships. • • Stakeholder Benefits Discovery Channel Network • The Discovery Channel will enter the market of reality television producers, but will so in way that changes the face of reality television forever. Connected with the legitimacy of a nonprofit grant and an educational institution, the Discovery Channel will have the opportunity to be considered for other “Yes We Can” projects, some of which will be far more complex than baking a cake. • An Interview with the Teams Cyprus Our cake, even using the same recipe as the others, will of course have the aroma of our distinctive smoke that comes from our home grown Cyprus wood chips burned in our four hundred year old oven. Site Leaders and Qualifications: Kika Guadiano – Fluent in Greek Jeanne Steen – Rooms well with Kika and loves people who hug back Australia We know of city ways, but we also honor the ways of our ancestors. We will put down our spears and make this cake that will hold the spirit of the forest. We will use fire. Site Leaders and Qualifications: Vicki Gardner – Genetically related to Aborigines Tina Berger – Meditates on a tribal level Cindy Landers – Loves everybody Bill Jacobs – Will try anything once Vergel Vergara – Fluent in Phillipino (we’re hoping that’s close) Amsterdam We have many years of experience together as a team. Our scientists have given us a state of the art oven that will bake the perfect cake and surprise the world with our technical excellence. Site Leaders and Qualifications: Angelique Florez – Fluent in Dutch Steven Westmoreland – Fluent in Guitar Hero Chris Gore – Wizard of invention Kenya We hope that the others will vote to make our black-eyed pea cake. Our sun will make us proud. We will make our cake in our parabolic solar cooker and it will have the taste of the earth and the warmth of the sun. Site Leaders and Qualifications: Lubos Janoska - traveled the area as a toddler Peggy Floyd - loves wild cats Romania I will make this cake by myself. It does not take so many people to make just one cake. It will be like no work at all, even if it rains or snows. It will be wonderful and if it isn’t, you must eat it anyway and be happy. Site Leader and Qualifications: Monica Savage – Licensed in PUH (Performance Under Hardship) Chris Cambron – Master of intelligent comic relief France We are French, so our cake will reflect the love we have for cooking, and of course for each other. Site Leaders and Qualifications: Tiffany Richard – Fluent in fashion statements Micheline Duguay – Fluent in French, wine, and romance Ireland We look forward to having fun baking a cake around the world! We hope to convince the world to make every cake have a green center. Site Leaders and Qualifications: Roslyn Metchis - A pragmatic miracle Susan Watson - The negotiator Tim Nurre - Studying Russian Kimberly Cambron - An Irish pirate in a previous life Timeframe Obsidian will prepare a project plan that will include detailed timelines for deliverables and events. It is understood that negotiations will take place between the University of Houston, Obsidian, and the Discovery Channel. Negotiations will have as an objective the following result: • Pre-production plans completed by June 1, 2009 Production plans completed and site teams on location by June 15, 2009 The main event will begin between June 17, 2009 and June 25, 2009 Program editing will begin no later than June 30, 2009 The show will air in the fall of 2009 • • • • Fees and Expenses Obsidian has estimated the cost of this engagement to be: • Over a 3 week period, Obsidian will accumulate a total of $240,000 of services billed to SETAR and the Discovery Channel. To fulfill the obligation of matching funds, assumptions are: • The Discovery Channel will provide all transportation and costs thereof for Obsidian employees to event locations The Discovery Channel will pay Obsidian 3.5 million dollars for consultation, assistance, and TV program rights in perpetuity. • For those of you who doubt this is real: Why bake a cake around the world? Because we can.