We love seeing RSM graduates engaging in social enterprise globally. Here is an opportunity to connect with and advance their service to children.
Since moving to China, Mark van der Maas (RSM MSc Strategic Entrepreneurship 2012) teamed up with Beijing startup veterans, Sigbjørn Dugal, Josh Chaim and Thomas Winther-Rasmussen, to build an educational startup called Pickatale, a service designing interactive children’s books for tablets and phones. The apps are focused on improving literacy and language skills. Mark claims, “It's been a long rough road, but a number of large projects are taking shape are we’re moving forward quicker than ever.”
In addition to the creation of apps, their small team has spent free time working on a side project called 150Alice, with the long-term goal of building an art school for children in Zunnkharaa, Mongolia. As you may know, Mongolia has one of highest number of NGOs per capita in the world, mostly focused on education, food, shelter, human rights, and environment. What differs for Pickatale is that they designed a project that adds a splash of colour into children's lives, in the form of 150Alice.
Watch the video clip.
For background: this year marks the 150th anniversary of the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland; a story that many of us love and cherish.To celebrate this anniversary, the Pickatale team divided the original story into 150 pages, and identified 150 artists from 42 countries to each illustrate one page.Some are already calling it "the world's most collaborated art book", The result is a truly unique version of the story, published as a massive hard-cover coffeetable book.
The books will be sold on Indegogo as part of a crowd-funding campaign, and the proceeds will be collected in a fund to build the school.The campaign launched at 10:00AM CET today, Wednesday,1 July on Indiegogo.
Mark asks consideration of support; backing the project and spreading the word with friends and colleagues today. A large success factor for crowdfunding is securing as much support as possible on the first day; backing and sharing.
Pickatale is interested in advancing Lewis Carroll’s encouragement of children’s art and creativity. With our support, we are helping a generation of children develop their imaginations.
As a wise person once said, “Art saves lives."