Technovation[MN], a 12-week program that teaches girls ages 10 to 18 how to develop and pitch a mobile app, recently honored 10 local teams as pitch winners at its 2021 Appapalooza.
Lisa Schlosser, executive director of Technovation[MN], said moving the program online made it more difficult to recruit participants. But the pandemic clearly showed how much communities rely on technology.
"A program like Technovation is creating a future diverse workforce pipeline that's helping build the tech we're so reliant on," she said.
Many of this year's apps addressed problems in the community that were exasperated by the pandemic, Schlosser said.
Examples of winners include an app that connects pets to the elderly, and an app that manages community gardens that then donate fresh produce to local food banks.
"They're very thoughtful and good at thinking broadly about the community," Schlosser said.
Technovation[MN] remains free, with no barrier to entry due to sustaining partners Cargill Inc. and U.S. Bancorp.
Both companies also run a corporate challenge that invites applicants to address a specific need within their organization. For Cargill, the theme is "nourish the world," while U.S. Bank's revolves around its community pillars of work, play and home.
U.S. Bank CEO Andy Cecere has been to every event, while Cargill has involved a number of high level executives.
Schlosser said the challenges give the girls an opportunity to build a relationship with local business professionals, while getting a sense of the company's culture.
"And execs love it, because they see these incredibly talented girls who are the future workforce," Schlosser said.
Mentors of any gender and over the age of 18 are invited to apply, whether or not they have experience in the technology industry.
Schlosser said mentors with marketing skills can help teams design a logo and a roll-out plan, while project managers allow groups to remain on schedule.
The pitch winners are listed below (and you can read more about them here):
Junior Division:
Team: Axolotls
- App Name: Relaxolotl
- Team Members: Greta Ausman, Lily Woyak, Chaltu Kedir, Anna Kedis
Team: Sunshine Daisies
- App Name: Grow A Garden
- Team Members: Alexis Swintek, Ava Ryan, Allie Fleener
Team: Team Discoveries
- App Name: GreenWear
- Team Members: Ruchira Prasad, Reeha Ibrahim, Sitara Ranasinghe, Nikki Boddeti
Team: tEGGnovation
- App Name: Salt & Pepper
- Team Members: Ria Mehta, Snigdah Kothareddy, Sanjana Kollipara, Shritha Devarajui, Keerthana Ganesha Murthy
Team: WMS 2
- App Name: Chaptr
- Team Members: Ava McNanley, Grace Li, Ava Illingworth, Aadhya Subramanian
Senior Division:
Team: {APP}ply Yourself
- App Name: ME 2.0
- Team Members: Josie Koenigs, Lelani Clifford, Lillian Hanson, Elizabeth Schieffelbein
Team: CASP Technologies
- App Name: Operation Serenity
- Team Members: Anjali Donthi, Caitlin McWilliams, Sarah Bulur
Team: Computer Glitz
- App Name: MotusSign
- Team Members: Nora Dixon, Clare Dixon, Eleanor Sprinthall, Ashley Chen, Prapthi Jayesh Sirrkay
Team: Herstory Makers!
- App Name: A.P.P. (Anti-Peer Pressure)
- Team Members: Srijani Datta, Shradha Goel, Aadya Pandey, Ajira Pandey, Astha Sharma
Team: TechnoKrats
- App Name: Green3
- Team Members: Sreyoli Bhattacharya, Anushka Kollengode, Khushi Kancharla
