Prodigy Network launches "Prodigy Design Lab"

Prodigy Network unveils the launch of Prodigy Design Lab, the first crowdsourcing platform dedicated to real estate, architecture, interiors, and urban planning. The first competition hosted on the new platform is for the design of the interior spaces of Prodigy Network's newest project, 17John. As the world's first Cotel,a term coined by Prodigy Network, 17John will be an innovative hotel designed for the modern business traveler where guests can network, share ideas and foster like-minded connections. In the spirit of collaboration, this community-driven design effort will be hosted online on Prodigy Design Lab and will focus on three separate competition categories. Each category is focused on a different part of the Cotel experience, including collaborative public spaces, guest suites and digital services. The finalist for each category will be determined through online voting that will last for two weeks. Winners will be selected by the competition’s jury of experts, including Prodigy Network’s CEO and founder, Rodrigo Nino; Piers Fawks, editor-in-chief and founder of PSFK; Graham Hill, founder and CEO of LifeEdited; and Karim Lakhani and Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School and Director of NASA Tournament Lab. The Prodigy Design Lab is an international think tank where the crowd can collaborate on the ideal travel experience for the highly engaged traveler. “We have learned that crowdfunding not only democratizes investments, it also makes projects viable that otherwise would not be possible. The next step is to create a way in which the crowd can design our crowdfunded projects and this platform is the international stage to showcase the creativity and ingenuity of the community,” said Nino. 17John is located next to the new Fulton Center, the third-largest transportation hub in Manhattan, and one block away from the new World Trade Center. 17John is an extended stay “Cotel” designed to service the growth in the financial district and beyond. Individual accredited investors can purchase REPs (Real Estate Participations) of this project for $50,000 each. Once completed, 17John will stand 23 stories high, and have 191 furnished units. Architects will combine the building’s existing classic architecture with the modernism of a glass tower to showcase 17John’s extensive views of Manhattan. Prodigy Design Lab will kickoff on February 20 at 12:00pm EST, during the panel, “Crowdsourcing and Crowdfunding: A Social Media Revolution In Real Estate” at the Highline Studios in New York City. The panel will also present how society can address complex issues and impact fields like real estate through social media, and how an interdisciplinary approach integrates crowdfunding, crowdsourcing, innovation, design and business thinking to put human issues at the core of problem solving and solutions. Social Media Week guests will be invited to participate in “Unplugged Playground”, a one-of-a-kind collaborative installation with mural artist Rafael Esquer, featured as part of Social Media Week’s Interactive Gallery. The exhibit, meant to represent a part of the 17John “Cotel,” will start as a fully white room, or a blank canvas, where guests will be encouraged to share their artistic expression in the exhibit. The production of the mural will take place throughout the week and will engage the crowd to create a visual representation of the power of the collective mind. The crowd will also be able to contribute and follow the mural’s progress through #smwprodigy.