This year, Independent Sector and Accenture partnered to launch a new initiative to uncover some of the most novel examples of organizations leveraging new I.T. to drive social change. The Innovate for Good Challenge recognizes organizations catalyzing social change through their use of new I.T. such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, and/or extended reality.
We were overwhelmed by exceptional application entries and nominations from extraordinary organizations advancing social impact in this inaugural year of the challenge. Applicants were judged upon their new I.T. solution and how it addresses:
- Mission alignment and impact
- Viability of solution
- Innovation and creativity
- Diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion
We are honored to announce an impressive slate of 11 semifinalist organizations advancing to the second round of the challenge. The Innovate for Good challenge winner will receive a $20,000 cash prize, up to $50,000 in professional services from Accenture to help support the winning idea/solution, and complimentary registration for Upswell LA. The second and third place finalists will also receive $5,000 and $1,000 respectively.
The Innovate for Good Challenge awardees will be announced at Upswell Los Angeles on November 15 during the Upswell Awards Dinner.
Please join us in congratulating the semifinalists!
American Red Cross | Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Their first AI chat bot, created and implemented completely in-house, serves as a virtual assistant to answer user questions about eligibility to donate blood.
Catholic Relief Services | Extended Reality (XR)
Catholic Relief Services reaches over 130 million people each year across 100 countries through: emergency response and recovery; agriculture livelihoods; and health. XR videos will allow for a powerful medium to immerse viewers into an unfamiliar context and view real stories of need and hope.
Connect Our Kids | Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Connect Our Kids’ mission is to provide better outcomes for foster care children through technology. By harnessing AI in their platform, foster children will more rapidly be matched to loving, stable families and restore to these vulnerable children the potential for bright futures and healthy lives.
Curated x Kai | Extended Reality (XR)
Curated x Kai empowers students and young adults by creating virtual and augmented reality experiences of cultural institutions. Utilizing XR to highlight diverse experiences in the arts will expose students to new ideas, locations, and sounds at an early age.
Living Advantage, Inc. | Blockchain
Living Advantage, Inc. uses innovative technology, social networking and media to reduce unemployment, homelessness and incarceration for foster youth living in Los Angeles County. Applying blockchain in the collection and security of data will allow foster youth to access their vital life records.
Raheem AI | Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Raheem AI is building the nation’s first community-based mapping system of police conduct. Reviewers submit stories about their interactions with police — good and bad — to help cities measure police performance and advance policies that end police violence.
Save the Children | Blockchain
Save the Children gives children in the U.S. and around the world a healthy start in life, the opportunity to learn, and protection from harm. They will explore the use of distributed ledger technology and how it would improve access to data and lead to more effective humanitarian response in a crisis.
Sierra Health Foundation: Center for Health Program Management’s Build.Black. Coalition | Blockchain
The Build. Black. Coalition formed after Stephon Clark’s death to address the African American community’s anger over police violence coupled with inequities in economic investment in disenfranchised Sacramento neighborhoods. Blockchain technology will allow communities to pool investments and then deliver them through targeted investments in black communities.
The Hive, USA for UNHCR | Artificial Intelligence (AI)
USA for UNHCR (U4U) serves vulnerable people around the world who have been forced to flee their homes because of violence, conflict, and persecution. Shelter mapping, maintenance, and protection of refugees living in camps around the world will be bolstered through the combined power of satellite imagery, machine learning, and AI.
Votem | Blockchain
Votem is working to restore trust in elections, facilitate voting, and prohibit cheating, celebrate and make heroes of our dedicated election officials, and promote a culture of transparency currently lacking from voting systems. Blockchain has powerful implications for elections and is one of the many tools we employ to bolster verifiability, accessibility, security, and transparency (VAST) in the democratic process.
YWCA Silicon Valley | Artificial Intelligence (AI)
YWCA Silicon Valley’s Curated Pathways™ to Innovation’s mission is to engage and increase the number of young women and underrepresented minorities in computer science and STEM in Silicon Valley. Pathways are supported by AI to allow for real time student engagement feedback enabling personalized recommendations for content sequences.
To learn more about the Innovate for Good Challenge, contact:
Matthew Perdoni
Counsel and Director, Business Development, Independent Sector
matthewp@independentsector.org
@IndSector
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattperdoni
Amit Patel
Managing Director, Nonprofit Group, Accenture
a.b.patel@accenture.com
@the_amitpatel
https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitbpatel1/
