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- All Subjects: Founders Lab
- All Subjects: Economics
- Creators: Department of Information Systems
- Status: Published
In the 21st century economy, life moves pretty fast, and change is happening all around us. For example, it was common to drive to shopping malls with your friends or family and spend the whole afternoon browsing through hundreds of items until you found the perfect purchase. Or, only a few months ago, the entire world was put on lockdown to stop the spread of COVID-19, which caused a recession when consumers stopped spending as much to start saving. Americans also used to enjoy their loud, gas-guzzling cars and trucks to get them from place to place. Now what changed, and why? The study of economics justifies how we, as human, fundamentally live and make choices every day. As we notice the results of our choices, we may continue to do the same the next day, temporarily go another route, or alter our behavior permanently. This framework presents the concept of innovation. By applying this logic to the business world, I will attempt to analyze and defend why the innovations of e-commerce, COVID-19 vaccines, and electric vehicles were the natural cause of society changing perspective to move forward toward a better tomorrow.
This thesis was conducted to study and analyze the fund allocation process adopted by different states in the United States to reduce the impact of the Covid-19 virus. Seven different states and their funding methodologies were compared against the case count within the state. The study also focused on development of a physical distancing index based on three significant attributes. This index was then compared to the expenditure and case counts to support decision making.
A regression model was developed to analyze and compare how different states case counts played out against the regression model and the risk index.
Consider Steven Cryos’ words, “When disaster strikes, the time to prepare has passed.” Witnessing domestic water insecurity in events such as Hurricane Katrina, the instability in Flint, Michigan, and most recently the winter storms affecting millions across Texas, we decided to take action. The period between a water supply’s disruption and restoration is filled with anxiety, uncertainty, and distress -- particularly since there is no clear indication of when, exactly, restoration comes. It is for this reason that Water Works now exists. As a team of students from diverse backgrounds, what started as an honors project with the Founders Lab at Arizona State University became the seed that will continue to mature into an economically sustainable business model supporting the optimistic visions and tenants of humanitarianism. By having conversations with community members, conducting market research, competing for funding and fostering progress amid the COVID-19 pandemic, our team’s problem-solving traverses the disciplines. The purpose of this paper is to educate our readers about a unique solution to emerging issues of water insecurity that are nested across and within systems who could benefit from the introduction of a personal water reclamation system, showcase our team’s entrepreneurial journey, and propose future directions that will this once pedagogical exercise to continue fulfilling its mission: To heal, to hydrate and to help bring safe water to everyone.