BBH says it’s walking the walk on diversity as it launches The Moonshot Challenge
BBH last week launched The Moonshot Challenge, a creative accelerator project in partnership with Women in Tech that aims to fund ideas that bring creativity and technology to social good, a well as encouraging diversity in tech.
BBH lanches Moonshot Challenge in Southeast Asia
The agency is asking the creative community of Southeast Asia to submit ideas by 16 October, with the winners being selected to be mentored and supported by the agency. The three-month accelerator project will see the startups develop a strategy, fine tune the creative concept, identify the right partners and raise funding to bring the ideas to market.
For BBH, an additional reason for launching this project is to walk the walk on creating a better balance in gender in technology. According to Dillah Zakbah, creative technologist, BBH Singapore, taking action is important.
“Diversity, inclusion, and producing work that has a great impact, are all important to us. But rather than talking, we prefer to get on and do things that can help. We won't necessarily get it right every time, but that won't stop us trying,” she said.
The project ties into a wider remit for the agency to promote creative potential outside of traditional advertising, according to Zakbah, such as BBH Labs and BBH Maker Lab. However, it does allow the agency to flex its talents and the experience of its staff on work outside of client briefs.
“We have talent within our walls that have launched, started and even sold tech products, and worked in leading tech companies. We have continuing partnership with amazing founders, tech service providers and investors who are on-board on this mission with us. We are happy to have quite an exciting and committed line-up of people all ready to roll up their sleeves to be part of The Moonshot Challenge,” she explained.
“Women in Tech was a brilliant partnership because we share the same values of inclusiveness and diversity and to lead by example in nurturing women leaders. We are not limiting The Moonshot Challenge to just women ‘in technology’ but any woman with a keen interest in solving issues in a creative way,” she added.
The next step for the project is to decide the winner and then work alongside them to turn it into a real project, as Zakbah added: “our aim is to make sure solutions don’t remain on paper but are made real.”