IntraHealth International announces the second annual SwitchPoint conference, retreat, and concert to be held April 19 and 20, 2013, at the Haw River Ballroom in Saxapahaw, North Carolina. We are also pleased to release the SwitchPoint Reader, IntraHealth’s new web-based tool for the SwitchPoint community.

SwitchPoint 2013 will be a silo-busting event, bringing together innovators and big thinkers in the fields of technology, media, communications, development, aid, global health, the arts, and business with one goal in mind: to find new ways to spark innovations that will save lives in the developing world.

More than 30 leaders and innovators from over 15 countries will participate in panel discussions, performances, presentations, and networking activities. Over 400 participants will enjoy this year’s two-day format, which also includes hands-on micro-labs and a large-scale multimedia concert with Paul Miller (aka DJ Spooky) on the opening night.

The fast-paced program will include topics such as motorcycles and mapping, transparency, local leadership, guerilla filmmaking, 3-D printing, and gamification. For more information and to register, check out the event website.

Along with SwitchPoint 2013 comes the IntraHealth-developed SwitchPoint Reader, a new tool that provides a curated stream of content from inspiring people, organizations, campaigns, and challenges, all in a digital, magazine-style format.

“The SwitchPoint Reader is a focused digital magazine for humanitarian-minded entrepreneurs,” explains Michael Tiemann, vice president of open source affairs at Red Hat and a keynote speaker at SwitchPoint 2012. “It’s a fast track to potential partners, organizations, and ideas that have numerous applications across diverse disciplines, packed in an easy-on-the-eyes and un-intimidating UX—a share-engine for good ideas.”

The SwitchPoint Reader is designed to help innovators, humanitarians, and others find ideas, potential collaborators, and unexpected insights from across the social web. The reader tracks consistently inspiring and forward-thinking individuals and organizations and organizes these sources into streams or “buckets,” such as Global Health, Humanitarian Tech, and Artivism. The reader also allows users to create their own #SwitchPoints by combining favorite articles and concepts to share with the wider SwitchPoint community.

The SwitchPoint Reader works on any device—desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. It’s free and available now at www.switchpointideas.com. Want to learn more? Visit the SwitchPoint Reader FAQ page.