He was excited about the technical and creative thinking involved in autonomous vehicles, but also, thanks to mentoring at GreenHouse, he began to see a role for himself in changing the future of transportation.
“GreenHouse focuses on resolving social issues to make the world a better place, but that doesn’t have to mean creating a business. For people like me, GreenHouse isn’t about building a business but figuring out how you want to create change and planning the best route for you.”
For Robert, this route involves not only a leadership position with WATonomous, the autonomous car team, but also bringing his finance skills and sense of social responsibility to the mix, hosting a public event on November 22 addressing autonomous vehicles from the perspective of social responsibility.
The November 22 event is co-sponsored by GreenHouse and WATonomous, with funds coming from Robert’s pitch to the recent GreenHouse Summer Social Impact Showcase. It will be held in the GreenHouse space and will include a presentation about WATonomous and the autonomous vehicle competition, a panel discussion, a group work session during which attendees can consider real-world scenarios involving autonomous vehicles, and opportunity for informal discussion.
Del Matto says, “As a university, we are highly focused on STEM disciplines and technological advancements, but we also have an opportunity to blend this with a wider dialogue on social impact and how society can benefit from technology. This is a unique area in which GreenHouse, and in this case, Robert, can bridge these two worlds.”
Make sure to attend the WATonomous x GreenHouse - Social Responsibility of Autonomous Vehicles Event Thursday, 22 November 2018 at 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM.