1. Contact: Joe Brisbois FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tel. 650.245.0368
Email: joe@doublobar.com
Date: 4/14/16
PASADENA TO HOST GLOBAL MAIN STAGE OF 2016 NASA INTERNATIONAL
OPEN DATA PROGRAM
NASA Space Apps Pasadena presented by Microsoft Azure: April 22 – 24, 2016
PASADENA, CA – April 14, 2016. NASA has chosen Pasadena to be the global main
stage location from over 175 participating cities in this year’s annual NASA Space Apps
Challenge, an event that brings together talented participants from around the world to
develop innovative solutions to challenges faced here on earth and in space.
“We’re traveling at light speed with this program. It’s been just one year since
Pasadena’s inaugural participation in this prestigious event and we’ve now emerged as
the global main stage,” said Joe Brisbois, organizer of the Space Apps Challenge in
Pasadena. “It is truly an honor that NASA picked Pasadena, but one that is well deserved
given the city’s long and storied contributions to space exploration and to pioneering
innovations in technology, art, engineering, science and design. We have the credibility,
authenticity and pedigree to serve as the global epicenter of the Space Apps Challenge
and look forward to showcasing many aspects of Pasadena’s past, present, and future
with this event.”
The NASA Space Apps Challenge was created in 2012 to help raise global awareness of
earthly and extraterrestrial issues and spur innovative solutions by harnessing worldwide
collaboration among participants from a variety of disciplines. Since its inception, the
NASA Space Apps Challenge has continued to grow in global popularity and is widely
acknowledged as the world’s largest hackathon event.
In addition to the Space Apps hackathon, Pasadena will host the NASA Space Apps
Women in Data Bootcamp. Developed through NASA’s Women in Data initiative, this
day-long event welcomes newcomers and seasoned experts alike for a high-level
introduction to coding, data science, technology platforms, and challenge
development. Bootcamp attendees will learn new concepts, strategies and skills from an

2. exceptional lineup of inspiring keynote speakers and panelists including Kimberly
Bryant, Founder and Executive Director of Black Girls Code; Dr. Anita Sengupta, Project
Manager and Aerospace Engineer at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory; and Kiki
Wolfkill, Studio Head - Halo Transmedia and Entertainment at Microsoft’s 343
Industries.
“One of the most exciting benefits of our main stage designation is the honor of hosting
this year’s NASA Women in Data Bootcamp,” noted Brisbois. “This interactive event
brings together many of the most creative and accomplished women in technology to
share their wisdom, stories, and ideas in order to bring a greater diversity of skills and
perspectives—particularly from women and girls—into the world of technology. It
promises to be an inspirational day for everyone involved.”
Strong Support for NASA Space Apps Pasadena
Backing for NASA Space Apps Pasadena has been growing steadily since the city’s
initial participation in the annual event last year. A number of local, national and
international organizations are providing generous support for and collaboration with this
event, including Innovate Pasadena, Intel, Socrata, Cross Campus, CDW•G, and To The
Stars Inc.
Microsoft has signed-on as the title sponsor of NASA Space Apps Pasadena 2016 and
will support the event in numerous ways. In addition to Kiki Wolfkill’s participation in
the Women in Data Bootcamp, Microsoft Azure Chief Technology Officer, Mark
Russinovich, will be speaking at several Space Apps events throughout the weekend.
Microsoft is also making their Azure development tools available to Space Apps
Challenge participants and providing direct access to engineering personnel for technical
mentoring.
“Microsoft is thrilled to support such an innovative showcase for great ideas in
Pasadena,” said Greg Myers, Vice President Microsoft Federal. “There is so much more
to this than putting a logo up. We have invested many of the top resources in the
company to work side by side with NASA, JPL, and the event organizers to make this a
huge success for all participants.”
“We are grateful and humbled by the widespread assistance and collaboration that NASA
Space Apps Pasadena 2016 is receiving and we are working extremely hard to ensure a
successful event for all involved,” said Brisbois.
Pasadena lies at the intersection of art and science, represented by both the California
Institute of Technology and Art Center College of Design calling the city home. This
inherent connection between the two is reflected in the official poster for this year’s
event, created by musician, author, and entrepreneur Tom DeLonge. In addition to
founding the popular band Blink-182, DeLonge, a long time space enthusiast, has also
written several space-related books including the new novel Chasing Shadows, and a
children’s book titled The Lonely Astronaut on Christmas Eve. DeLonge’s Space Apps

3. artwork continues the tradition begun last year when famed futurist and local Pasadena
artist Syd Mead contributed the vision for the inaugural event.
About the NASA Space Apps Challenge
This year the NASA Space Apps Challenge will be the largest to date, taking place in 179
cities in 71 countries around the world. During the weekend of April 22-24, 2016, in
cities from Perth, Australia to Pasadena, California to Pristina, Kosovo teams of
participants will collaborate and engage with publicly available data (including a vast
amount of NASA research, photos, and information) to design and present innovative
solutions to global challenges. An esteemed panel of local judges will choose winning
projects that will be submitted to NASA for global consideration.
Art Assets
The official NASA Space Apps Pasadena presented by Microsoft Azure logo and poster
featuring art by Tom DeLonge are available for download here:
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B9rCFAHOBLE7UlJMOXFVd1g1dlU&usp=s
haring
For more information visit: https://2016.spaceappschallenge.org/locations/pasadena-ca-
usa

4. NASA Space Apps Pasadena presented by Microsoft Azure 2016
FACT SHEET
CALENDAR of EVENTS
Friday, April 22, 2016
9am – 4pm: NASA Space Apps Women in Data Bootcamp
Designed to bring an even greater diversity of skills and perspectives—
particularly from women and girls interested in coding, data, and
innovation—to address challenges on Earth and in space.
5:00pm NASA Space Apps Press Conference
One-on-one interview opportunities with event luminaries available upon
request.
Saturday and Sunday, April 23-24, 2016
9:00am NASA Space Apps Pasadena
Saturday Hackathon begins
4:30pm Hackathon ends
Sunday
LOCATION: All events take place at: Cross Campus
87 N. Raymond Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91103
ADMISSION: Free: There is no cost to register or participate.
ONLINE REGISTRATION SITES:
● NASA Women in Data Bootcamp:
https://2016.spaceappschallenge.org/locations/pasadena-ca-usa/data-bootcamp
● NASA Space Apps Pasadena hackathon:
https://2016.spaceappschallenge.org/locations/pasadena-ca-usa
Contact: Joe Brisbois
Tel. 650.245.0368
Email: joe@doublobar.com
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