The Internet of Things (IoT) vision is of an interconnected physical world deeply embedded with cyberspace. This vision is much more complex than a smart toaster, or even a fairly sophisticated smart home. This talk presents a novel way to view IoT; it asks listeners to see IoT as not just about building smart gadgets, but rather, about building an infrastructure that can support the development of future applications that could change the world. Dr. Gina Martinez is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences and the Director of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Lewis University. She earned a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and M.S. in Computer Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, and a B.S. in Computer Engineering from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. As an educator, Gina is interested in engineering curriculum design, especially in providing accessible and inclusive engineering education to students of diverse backgrounds and learning styles. Her technical areas of interest include the internet of things, computer architecture and embedded systems. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx