“One of the biggest challenges I see is the shortage
of strong leaders who understand the importance
of constructive feedback.”
EyeWriter, that was made of cheap sunglasses, zip ties,
duct tape and a web camera with some really smart
code. It allowed him to communicate and draw again for
the first time in seven years with just his eyes.
That act of doing that one thing, for
that one person, was the launching
point of Not Impossible Labs. We
realized the power of trying to
change the world for one person,
could actually change the world for
so many people—so we released
all of the plans and schematics
online so now anyone in the
world could build an
EyeWriter.
sonable silence of the world”. The mission of Not
Impossible is about seeing these human needs, these
absurdities that just exist and saying, “I’m not going to
be silent anymore. I’m going to actually go and do
something” or, “I’m going to try my best to try to figure
this out and change the world for
one person.”
P: As a storyteller, how do
you use your craft to change
the world?
E: We don’t come from infinite
resources. We come from a background
of people who just get stuff done and
because of that, we have to use the tools
that we have in front of us. Storytelling is
P: What did it mean
to you personally to
work on that
project?
E: For us, it was every-
thing. It was the
genesis of who we are,
what we stand for—to see
something that’s absurd from a human stand-
point and then say, “that’s not right. I’m going to go
change that.” Then we go out and we convene teams of
brilliant mad-scientists and misfit geniuses. We come
together and we solve that problem. We solve that
absurdity and make it accessible for people.
P: Not Impossible Labs creates “technology
for the sake of humanity”. What does that
mission mean to you?
E: Albert Camus has a quote... “The absurd is borne out
of confrontation between human need and the unrea-
incredibly important to us because that’s
what actually gives people the opportunity
to experience the solutions we’ve created.
It lets them relate to those stories, and see
those stories, and be able to say, “Hey, I
actually can use that for my loved one,” or “I
know someone who could actually benefit
from this.”
P: Questioning the status quo seems
to be a big part of Not Impossible Labs’
philosophy. Have you always been someone
who has challenged the status quo?
E: You would have to ask my mom, but I’m sure she will
tell you that I wasn’t just accepting [of] the status quo,
just because that’s the way it’s supposed to be or that it’s
always been. In fact, if you ask my kids the question,
“what are rules for?” they will all answer in their own
unique interpretation, “rules are for breaking, but not for
following.”
jULy
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