A Chance Encounter Sparks a Mission
In 2009, filmmaker Mick Ebeling attended a charity gala in Los Angeles for a graffiti artist named Tempt One, who was living with ALS and unable to speak. Moved by how he communicated through blinking at letters on a board, Ebeling instantly thought: there must be a better way. That evening didn’t just make him pause—it made him act.
An Urgent “Impossible” Problem
That same night, Ebeling and his team invited engineers, artists, and hackers to his living room. They set out to build an eye-tracking device that would enable Tempt to draw and communicate again. With no prior tech expertise, they committed to solving the challenge—and the EyeWriter was born. When it succeeded, Time magazine named it one of the best inventions of the year.
Transitioning From Studio to Social Innovation
The EyeWriter’s impact showed that low-cost, open-source solutions could literally change lives. Rather than return to film production, Ebeling decided to scale this approach—leading to the founding of Not Impossible Labs in 2011. The mission: tackle “absurdities” where technology and humanity meet, turning compassion into invention.
Scaling One Project at a Time
Not Impossible Labs has stayed true to its origin: solve one person’s problem to help many. After Tempt’s success, the team traveled to South Sudan in 2013 to 3D-print prosthetic arms for children injured in war—a project known as Project Daniel. They built the world’s first portable 3D-printed prosthetic lab in a refugee area—empowering local communities to continue the work.
Turning Accidents Into Action
Today, Not Impossible Labs focuses on projects like “Music: Not Impossible” (making music accessible through vibration) and Bento (connecting food-insecure individuals with meals). What began with a single moment—witnessing a man struggling to communicate—turned into a movement: technology fueled by empathy and urgency.
Conclusion
Mick Ebeling didn’t plan to become a social tech pioneer. But an accidental encounter at a party—and a sudden sense of responsibility—changed his trajectory forever. From the living room where EyeWriter was born to global initiatives, he showed that true innovation begins with seeing one person’s need—and acting before “impossible” becomes permanent.
