Industrial Design student helps kids breathe easier

Above: Industrial Design Alumna, ShanShan Wang developed a new type of oxygen device. Photo: Australian Women's Weekly

The Women of the Future Scholarship recognises women aged between 18 and 30 years old with a great business idea, charity or creative venture to fund or innovation to research that will transform the lives of others. It recognises young female entrepreneurs, philanthropists, community workers, academics, scientists and business professionals from all over the country. Each winner showcases a project whose ultimate aim is to improve the lives of their fellow Australians

Now in its fourth year, the Women of the Future awards celebrate dedicated and inspirational young women. Eight winners share in a prize pool of more than $100,000 which includes prize money, Qantas travel bursaries and 12 month Qantas Club memberships.

This year, the nation’s most influential women gathered to judge the Women of the Future awards, welcoming Lucy Turnbull, businesswoman, lawyer and wife of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, to the judging panel. Mrs Turnbull joins Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, Qantas Group Executive Olivia Wirth, Today show host Lisa Wilkinson, Corporate adviser and wife of Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, Chloe Shorten and TV presenter and model Jesinta Campbell on a stellar panel who will judge this year’s awards.

Above: High profile Australian Women, including the Prime Minister's wife, Lucy Turnbull (also a UNSW Alumna) were the judges of the awards. Photo: Australian Women's Weekly. 

As Lucy Turnbull said of the entrants, “Each one of them, in their own way, will change the world.”

Hosted by Today's Lisa Wilkinson, the event was held at est. restaurant at Establishment in Sydney. Among the guests were Dame Quentin Bryce, Former Governor General, Anna Bligh, Former QLD Premier, Sylvia Jeffreys, Channel 9 news presenter, Carla Zampatti, Fashion Designer, Pip Marlow, Managing Director of Microsoft and Jesinta Campbell, model, who all came along to see the winners of 2016 award.

UNSW Alumni, ShanShan Wang has been developing a new type of oxygen device. She formed Roam Technologies to revolutionise oxygen delivery and improve quality of life for the chronically ill. “My team and I have spent the past two years developing a new type of oxygen device to improve the lives of the people who need it,” says Wang who was announced as one of the eight winners and receives $5,000 for her project and a $5,000 Qantas travel bursary.

Watch and read more about ShanShan Wang below.
 

Video: Australian Women's Weekly

ShanShan Wang 25, NSW.

Founder and CEO, Roam Technologies.
 
ShanShan Wang knows the simple things healthy people take for granted are an impossible dream for those who rely on portable oxygen devices to breathe. She formed Roam Technologies to revolutionise oxygen delivery and improve quality of life for the chronically ill. The result is a lightweight oxygen device called Roam. “My team and I have spent the past two years developing a new type of oxygen device to improve the lives of the people who need it,” says Wang. She would use the scholarship to fund research to take Roam to the world.

Parts of the above story were originally published by the Australia Women's Weekly.