The truth is that in the Imagine Express everything happens very fast, I suddenly saw myself there with some 50-60 people I did not know, all dressed in yellow shoes and the black sweatshirt with the inscription "DREAMER", two clothes that in two days they become your favorite things in the closet. Among all those people there were two very special ones, Amanda Pettersson and Ana Gobartt,my project partners.
There are 5000 minutes left and as soon as the train starts moving towards Paris, the first phase of the Lombard method, Ideation, also starts.
At this point, it started a brainstorming and the windows begin to fill with Post-it with hundreds of crazy ideas and proposals to solve the same problem.
With the windows full of ideas and notes, the convergence phase begins, and after hours and hours of debate with the mentors and teammates, we had to choose a Post-it, which contained the idea that will change the world.
At this moment we were arriving in Paris, night of socialise and sleeping as much as possible because the next day start the prototyping phase. It was already Saturday and the rate was crazy, breakfast at the hotel, short meditation session and morning activation with Albert Ventura and DJ Blanca Ross. And then, throughout the day the whole team works to create something tangible to present to the jury, as well as to make an incredible presentation with the help and advice of all the mentors, especially Daria Shornikova and Albert Mikkelsen. At midnight the presentation is delivered, and it’s time to practice and try to sleep a little bit, because at 5 o’clock in the morning, the train leaves to London, and it must be presented at the London Eye.
It's Sunday and it's time to present. Everyone is moving and talking alone on the train memorizing what they have to say, because at this moment, you have practiced the presentation hundreds times with your group and you need to do it alone. The truth is that when you know the jury and you go up to the capsule of the London Eye you do not feel nervous (as it would be expected), you feel joy and satisfaction for the well done work. You only have to enjoy and wait for the decision of the jury, knowing that next day the six winning teams have to make the same presentation in front of a whole 4YFN scenario (in Nestlé’s stage, to be more concrete).
Unfortunately, we did not win with our project (a mobile video game designed to teach patients affected by schizophrenia more about their condition and how to treat it, sponsored by Otsuka Pharmaceutical). But this gave me the opportunity to encourage and support all the colleagues who did succeed, and celebrate with them when the minute counter reached zero.
Speaking for myself, I feel so grateful and proud to have participated in such a unique experience, and very happy to meet many people crazy enough to believe that it can change the world.
