I'm looking forward to tonight's 2008 Tech Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity in San Jose. The event is organized by The Tech Museum and it is one of my favorite events of the year.

I'm particularly looking forward to meeting Muhammad Yunus. I'm a huge fan of Mr Yunus, the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner and the founder of the Grameen Bank. The efforts of his organization through micro-loans have pulled millions of people out of poverty and inspired many other similar lending programs. He is also an excellent speaker.

You can watch the awards live here:

Tech Awards Gala 2008 | NBC Bay Area

Here is additional info:

The Tech Awards: Technology Benefiting Humanity, presented by Applied Materials, Inc., is one of the premier annual humanitarian awards programs in the world, recognizing technical solutions that benefit humanity and address the most critical issues facing our planet and its people. Each year, the program honors 25 global innovators (Laureates) who are applying technology to benefit humanity in five universal categories: Education, Equality, Environment, Economic Development, and Health. Although The Tech Awards program is year-round, it culminates each November in a black-tie Gala event, where five of the 25 Laureates—one in each category—will receive a $50,000 cash prize. The 2008 Gala is on November 12 at San Jose’s McEnery Convention Center.

In addition to the 25 Laureates, The Tech Awards also honors one individual each year with the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award, sponsored by Applied Materials. This individual must be someone whose broad vision and leadership are helping to address humanity’s greatest challenges. The 2008 recipient of this award is 2006 Nobel Peace Prize winner and micro-lending pioneer, Muhammad Yunus.

For more information on the Gala or The Tech Awards program, or to nominate someone for the 2009 program, visit www.techawards.org.

Earlier this year Intel (an SVW sponsor) launched a joint venture with the Grameen Trust:

Intel, Grameen Announce Joint Business Venture to Fuel Social and Economic Development Opportunities Empowered by Technology

Citing Public-Private Collaborations as Crucial to Achieving Scalable Impact in Developing Countries, Intel Chairman Unveils Collaboration with NetHope during WCIT 2008 Keynote

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, May 19, 2008 Addressing the World Congress on Information Technology (WCIT) 2008, Intel Corporation Chairman Craig Barrett announced that Intel Capital and Grameen Trust will form a business venture dedicated to social and economic development. Also during his opening-day keynote, Barrett announced collaboration with NetHope and demonstrated a new Aid Station device designed to support non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in their health care, disaster relief and economic growth efforts.

You can read more here:Intel, Grameen Announce Joint Business Venture to Fuel Social and Economic Development Opportunities Empowered by Technology