Optoma Technology, Inc.

Revolutionary international humanitarian organization builds powerhouse team to reduce global poverty through video education

Chico, Calif., November 19th, 2020 – illuminAid, a non-profit organization fighting world poverty through video technology, taps experience from consumer technology leaders, Bob Scaglione and Maria Repole, to build awareness of its mission and gain support from leading technology brands and industry associations.

illuminAid provides educational training and equipment to organizations in developing countries enabling them to deliver instructional messages to effectively evoke positive behavioral changes to at risk populations.  By leveraging video instruction through projection technology, educational messages teach participants to adopt positive behaviors such as hand washing for disease prevention, proven methods for agriculture management, and the use of bed nets to protect children from malaria.

illuminAid has trained staff from international humanitarian powerhouses such as the World Health Organization (WHO) in Liberia to identify and prevent transmission of Ebola, UNICEF in Burkina Faso on healthcare and farming practices, and Plan International in Guatemala to combat chronic malnutrition.

"One of our most powerful observations is watching a population view video for the first time. When we turn on a projector, the rural community is amazed," shared Matt York, Founder and Executive Director of illuminAid. "That’s why we are thrilled to add executives from the technology sector, Maria Repole and Bob Scaglione, to our Board of Directors to help drive our mission," stated York.

Most recently given the COVID-19 pandemic, international travel has impeded illuminAid’s mission overseas, but many domestic initiatives are being executed within local communities. In Chico, California, short behavioral videos were developed to educate the homeless population on how to stay safe from coronavirus; CHICO BUSINESS USES VIDEO TO TEACH CORONAVIRUS SAFETY TO THE HOMELESS.

IlluminAid brings life-saving information to remote, off-grid communities without access to the internet or electricity. Using battery-powered cameras and projectors to capture and disseminate important knowledge, they work with aid organizations to increase engagement in rural communities. Video messaging is proven to increase participation resulting in a higher adoption rate of key behaviors, such as hand washing or disease prevention. In fact, presentations by the Catholic Relief Services in Guatemala that incorporated video and handheld projectors increased community attendance by 33%.

"Seeing is believing. The power of projection extends beyond our business and that’s why it’s so important to leverage our technology to deliver life changing messages to create a positive impact," stated Maria Repole. "I’m very grateful and it’s been a privilege to be part of the CTA and AVIXA industries delivering innovative products, but I have a strong desire to give back. My vision is to engage our community and harness the strength of our industries to give back whether it’s through product or monetary donations or simply volunteering time," added Repole.

"I have been blessed with a long career in the consumer technology space, one that allowed me to provide for my family and provide premium education for my three daughters," said Bob Scaglione. "Working with illuminAid provides me with the opportunity to show that video technology can not only be used for entertainment purposes, but it can also be used to teach people in the poorest sections of the world how to modify their behaviors so they can lead safer and better lives," added Scaglione.

Make a difference.  Giving Tuesday is December 1st.  Join us in this rewarding effort; visit https://donorbox.org/illuminaid

Biographies:

Maria Repole:

Currently, Maria is Head of Marketing at Optoma Technology, the #1 brand worldwide in 4K UHD projection technology, bringing over 25 years of experience across the CTA and AVIXA industries. As former V.P. of Marketing at Toshiba, Maria developed consumer campaigns for products including; LED, 3D, and 4K TVs and led joint initiatives with Hollywood studio companies, Universal Studios Home Entertainment, DreamWorks Animation and Paramount Pictures. Her global collaboration resulted in an experiential partnership with ESPN and Toshiba’s LED Vision sign in Times Square, NYC. Maria’s philanthropy extends within her local community as V.P. of Fundraising and Events for a new breast cancer center and children’s hospice program.\

Bob Scaglione:

Most recently, Bob was the V.P. of Strategic Account Development at Ziff Davis where he ran the brand licensing practice. Prior to Ziff, he was the S.V.P. of Strategic Channel Development at OwnerIQ, responsible for driving adoption of their advertising solutions among consumer electronics manufacturers and retailers. In addition, Bob served as the CMO at Sharp Electronics responsible for the management and communication of the Sharp brand across all of its consumer and business-to-business product lines. Bob devotes his time supporting several charities and served on the board for the non-profit Clean the World foundation.

About illuminAid

illuminAid’s mission is to help fight poverty in the world’s poorest places through instructional video. They envision a world where electricity, illiteracy, location, language and materials are no longer barriers to positive social change. Through locally-created video messages and testimonies, small improvements in knowledge dissemination can empower developing countries to lift themselves out of poverty and toward a brighter future. Learn more at www.illuminaid.org.