Affordable diabetic supplies. Better parent-teacher communication. Easy wheelchair accessibility with bluetooth technology. These are a few of the big ideas poised to become reality thanks to the innovative startups that make up our Create The Future Awards finalists.
And we need you to pick an Audience Choice winner. Learn more about these innovative companies and vote below.
Good Glucos | Changing the way people access diabetic supplies
Good Glucos makes diabetic test strips more accessible through their premium quality, low-cost subscription service. For every twelve new subscriptions purchased, a subscription is given to someone in need.
Elliot Gatt, the company’s founder and a type 1 diabetic, says test strips are just the beginning. “We want to change everything that isn’t right, and make available everything that isn’t available in the diabetes space,” he explained. “We want to ease the burden of the disease for everyone.”
AnnieCannons | Helping human trafficking survivors become software professionals
AnnieCannons aids survivors of human trafficking through their mission-centered coding bootcamp. In addition to full stack training, the company sources and manages development work to connect survivors with high-income earning opportunities.
CEO Jessica Hubley says, “The future must be designed to include all types of people on our Earth regardless of circumstances. By training participants in tech skills demanded by the market and then sourcing and managing client work, we leverage the growth of the $1.5 trillion software services industry to drive economic power into the hands of survivors on a massive scale.”
WellDone International | Bringing clean water to rural environments
WellDone International is empowering communities to build sustainable clean water solutions with their remote monitoring device called MoMo. MoMo collects data (like water flow rate and electricity usage) about remote infrastructure. This data is used to create predictive models that inform water-related policy in rural areas.
“Traditional aid is failing to solve the toughest problems,” says Addison Nuding, Managing Director of WellDone International. “We aim to bring insight and sustainability to a world that, for far too long, has been operating in the dark. MoMo is built using a device-to-cloud IoT platform from our friends at Arch Systems, and its hardware enclosure is built to withstand extreme environmental conditions, last for years in the field and provide additional functionality to existing waterpoints.”
Portal Entryways | Providing a smarter solution to accessibility
Portal Entryways empowers people with mobility-type disabilities. A small bluetooth device that can retrofit onto handicap door motors allows for seamless hands-free access to buildings using just a phone. Portal Entryways was created after Sam Lew was asked to help a woman in a wheelchair push a button on his college campus. The incident alerted him to how difficult life can be for students with disabilities, and he became determined to make things more accessible for them.
“These buttons don’t cater to individuals’ needs and users have no way to communicate problems to facility managers. We’ll provide an affordable handicap door that’s more accessible for people who use the entryways, and connects users with facilities managers on a reporting platform.”
TalkingPoints | Connecting families to teachers with translation
Student success in the classroom relies heavily on parent-teacher partnerships. TalkingPoints is a non-profit organization working to connect parents and teachers through its free messaging app with translation that allows for seamless 2-way communication.
The company’s founder, Heejae Lim, is a Korean immigrant who believes if teachers can’t communicate with parents because of language barriers, they can’t work together effectively. Lim has committed the company to helping 3 million students by 2020.
These companies leave us inspired and excited about the future. Do you have a favorite? It’s time to vote.
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