Uplift Microhome is building reusable, modular housing units to provide housing on demand to people affected by natural disasters and other emergencies. Each of the company's homes has its own batteries and water reservoir, allowing them to quickly be transported and placed off-grid. 'Every year, millions of Americans are displaced by natural disasters,' said co-founder Charlie Nitschelm, who is in MIT's Leaders for Global Operations program, earning a master's in engineering and an MBA. 'If they're lucky, they can stay with friends or family. If they're not so lucky, they could end up in a homeless shelter. But disasters aren't just two-week problems. It takes months, sometimes years, to get back to what life was like before. Bottom line: We lack dignified and affordable housing after disasters.' Uplift Microhome was one of seven teams chosen to pitch at the final event, which took place inside a packed Kresge Auditorium. Each team got five minutes to pitch their startups before a...
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