Earl Dickson, an employee of Johnson & Johnson, sought an easier way to bandage his wife's hand back in 1920, and the Band-Aid was born. An outbreak of deadly cholera in his native India in 1992 inspired Ashok Gadgil to invent a UV water disinfection system that cleans enough water every day for 1,000 people. And Tim Berners-Lee, well, we all know his story. Back in 1991, he created the largest collaboration and information-sharing tool known to man-the World Wide Web-and the very thing that makes this extraordinary contest possible.
Every entrepreneur's dream starts with a great idea-an idea that seeks to overcome a challenge, solve a problem, or present an entirely new way of doing things. Inspired Innovations: The Great Idea Contest wants to hear about yours.
Between now and 11:59 p.m. EDT on May 9, 2008, you can enter for a chance to win our Grand Prize-your profile published in Fast Company & Inc. magazines, and online at Fastcompany.com and Inc.com, plus $5,000 to help develop your winning idea. In your own words, we'd like you to share your idea with us. Let us know how this idea was inspired, what its potential market is, and why it would transform how we do or experience things in our world today. The contest has two parts: First, 10 finalists are chosen by the edit staff at Mansueto Ventures. Second, those finalists' ideas are shared with Inc.com users via these Web pages, giving them the final say in who will be our Grand Prize Winner.
To learn more about how to enter, click here.
To read the official contest rules, click here.
How Fast Can This Thing Go, Anyway?