As we shared with you in March, IDEO.org has taken the human-centered approach from IDEO to work with partners in the social sector focusing on design solutions for addressing problems in health, agriculture, water and sanitation, financial services and gender equity. Today, they announced their three initial projects:

• New water models for Winrock International - Develop programs that allow for safe access to daily water needs including drinking, sanitation and agriculture.
• Strategic opportunities with the Rockefeller Foundation - New intervention opportunities related to problems facing poor and vulnerable communities
• TEDx in a Box - Develop tools for organizers without access to technology to create TEDx experiences in informal settlements around the world.

Partnering a cross-section of IDEO.org fellows from within the IDEO family and from outside, this year's inaugural class of 8 Innovators in Residence have set the bar high. They include: Emily Friedberg, a business designer and seasoned veteran of international development; Liz Ogbu, an architect, professor, and expert on sustainable design and the spatial conditions of challenged urban environments; Marika Shioiri-Clark, an architect committed to social change with experience designing hospitals in Rwanda; Jessica Vechakul, a mechanical engineer with extensive experience working with local inventors and rural communities; and Salvador Zepeta, a systems designer and former McKinsey consultant with public sector expertise. Fellows from inside of IDEO include Robin Bigio, a passionate and charismatic industrial designer from IDEO London; Sarah Lidgus, an experienced writer, strategist, and storyteller from IDEO New York; and Adam Reineck, a seasoned project lead and industrial designer from IDEO Palo Alto.