Microsoft Imagine Cup judges unveiled and they are out of this world

Click here to load media
Imagine Cup is a magical time at Microsoft. It’s a time when young student developers from all over the globe descend upon Seattle to share their visions for transforming the world around them through the power of technology.

A few weeks ago, we unveiled an exciting lineup of 35 student developer teams that will compete head to head from July 26-29 to become the next Imagine Cup Champion. To say I’m excited by the prospect of seeing these future innovators in action would be an understatement.

Adding another level of excitement to the event, today we are announcing two very specials guests who will be on stage to help choose the next Imagine Cup Champion – from Star Wars: The Force Awakens, lead actor John Boyega, and Dr. Jennifer Tang, part of the duo behind the 2014 Imagine Cup Champion, Team Eyenaemia.

Here’s what Mr. Boyega had to say about the prospect of being onstage when the next Imagine Cup Champion is revealed: “As an actor, I work with special effects all the time. And the only thing more amazing than Hollywood movie magic is the passion and creativity of the students at the Imagine Cup.”

As for Dr. Tang, well, she is certainly no stranger to Imagine Cup. In addition to being co-founder of Stat Innovations and creator of Eyenaemia, a simple, non-invasive screening tool for anaemia, she is currently a medical doctor at a tertiary trauma center in Melbourne, Australia. Since the Imagine Cup, she and Eyenaemia co-founder Jarrel Seah have continued to build Eyenaemia, most recently working on field trials in Mombasa, Kenya. Jennifer was also recently named one of Forbes Magazine’s Asia 30 under 30 for 2016.

We are thrilled to have both Mr. Boyega and Dr. Tang as judges and can’t wait for them to bring their passion for students and technology to the competition.

Of course, Imagine Cup is really about student innovation and how the next generation of developers will employ cutting-edge technology to change how we work, live and play in the years ahead. From a prosthetic smart hand to a 3D virtual reality horror game to a solution designed to help doctors and patients diagnose amblyopia, these student projects are both inventive and ambitious.

If you haven’t already, I highly encourage you to learn more about the 35 teams of students and the solutions they’ve developed as they ready themselves to compete on the global stage and demonstrate their power to better our world through their love of technology.

Games

Innovation

World Citizenship

I’d like to offer a hearty congratulations and thanks to all the students who have participated in Imagine Cup this year, and, to all the World Finalist teams, I wish you the very best of luck!

Be sure to tune into the World Championship livestream at 9 a.m. PT on July 29 (Update: See the full video of the final round on Channel 9) to catch all the action and root for your favorite team.

Cheers,

Guggs

Tags: Imagine Cup, Imagine Cup World Finals