We just finished our BIC "sprint" with the Boston Globe's Innovation Challenge - 2 weeks of hacking at Mobile solutions to Make Boston Better (and help the City and the Red Cross). Yesterday was Demo Day and Awards at the Harvard I-Lab for the 11 great Teams that participated - check out the Beta Boston wrap-up from the Boston.com GlobeLab.
See Below for the Winners and Partner Sponsors!
The best thing about the Boston Innovation Challenge is how it brings out and pulls together such a range of people and supporting organizations (see below) - Startup entrepreneurs working with Corporate techs... newbies adding value to geeks ... the Red Cross rallying the coders... etc. Business was fostered and friends were made across campus, across the river, and across industry ecosystems. Go Boston. Go BIC!
Our promise is to help Boston. Our goal is to bring together the best from the region (HERE is an overview of the Boston tech scene).
FYI - Share this page at:
http://bit.ly/BICwinners_Everyone
http://bit.ly/BICwinners_Everyone
Check out a 1 minute video that explains our mission:
There were lots of winners - but 4 won cool stuff...
Best of BIC - 1st Place
- Intrepid - Mark Kasdorf, Matt Briggs, and Team
A music discovery app that allows people looking for local artists to actually discover both the artist, and where they are playing next.
2nd Place - Tie between two teams working on Red Cross
- Red Alert - John Rice and Team
A weather app that lerts people of dangerous weather and links them directly to a preparedness checklist with links to Red Cross information, training materials and Red Cross shelter locations.
- Red Cross Facebook App - Geordie Kaytes and Team
For the Red Cross to promote disaster preparedness with a fun and engaging way for people to build and share the contents of their “go-bag”, or portable evacuation kit.
3rd Place
- Culture Near Me - Tom Morris and Chris Marstall
Using the Boston Globe API & a database of public art locations to create a mobile app that will tell you what culture is around you in Boston.
Here are some pictures and quotes:
Full House at BIC Demo Day
Jeff Moriarty of the Boston Globe and early presenter Blimp
Matt Bridges of Intrepid engaging with Judge Jake Pardee
"It's great to be chosen the Best of BIC. I really enjoyed having two weeks to work on our app. It allowed us to focus on small UX touches and polish, which would have been overlooked with a shorter timescale. It also allowed us to collaborate with some team members who weren't available for the first weekend. I'd definitely be interested in more "extended" hackathons."
- Matt Bridges, CTO, Intrepid Pursuits, http://www.intrepid.io/
"It's great to be chosen the Best of BIC. I really enjoyed having two weeks to work on our app. It allowed us to focus on small UX touches and polish, which would have been overlooked with a shorter timescale. It also allowed us to collaborate with some team members who weren't available for the first weekend. I'd definitely be interested in more "extended" hackathons."
- Matt Bridges, CTO, Intrepid Pursuits, http://www.intrepid.io/
\Screen Shots of the 1st Place Winner Timbre app from Intrepid
As a member of the music scene in Boston I challenged the participants of the Boston Innovation Challenge to create a mobile application that could promote independent concerts. I was amazed to see my simple and vague presentation lead to the creation of a beautiful mobile app that uses one's location to see all of the shows happening tonight. By combining the data of Jambase and Spotify, music fans can preview music before deciding where to go. The designers and developers of all the Teams displayed exceptional professionalism and commitment to community problem solving.
The power of collaboration was apparent at BIC and I was thrilled to be a part of this intensely creative event.
Jake Pardee - BIC Judge, student at Berklee College of Music - JakePardee.com
As a member of the music scene in Boston I challenged the participants of the Boston Innovation Challenge to create a mobile application that could promote independent concerts. I was amazed to see my simple and vague presentation lead to the creation of a beautiful mobile app that uses one's location to see all of the shows happening tonight. By combining the data of Jambase and Spotify, music fans can preview music before deciding where to go. The designers and developers of all the Teams displayed exceptional professionalism and commitment to community problem solving.
The power of collaboration was apparent at BIC and I was thrilled to be a part of this intensely creative event.
Jake Pardee - BIC Judge, student at Berklee College of Music - JakePardee.com
Team Red Alert
"I am so excited other folks get that "innovation" and "American Red Cross" go together like Charles and River or perhaps "Boston" and "Innovation." Our participation in the Boston Innovation Challenge has really stirred up some great collaborations we know will help serve our humanitarian mission." - Kat Powers, director of communications, American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts.
"I am so excited other folks get that "innovation" and "American Red Cross" go together like Charles and River or perhaps "Boston" and "Innovation." Our participation in the Boston Innovation Challenge has really stirred up some great collaborations we know will help serve our humanitarian mission." - Kat Powers, director of communications, American Red Cross of Eastern Massachusetts.
Judges judging:
Miranda Mulligan - Boston Globe
Mike Schneider - Allen & Garritsen
Jarrett Barrios - Red Cross
Christian Perry - Beta Boston
Venkat Krishnamurthy - MIT
Jake Pardee - Berklee College of Music
Miranda Mulligan - Boston Globe
Mike Schneider - Allen & Garritsen
Jarrett Barrios - Red Cross
Christian Perry - Beta Boston
Venkat Krishnamurthy - MIT
Jake Pardee - Berklee College of Music
Geordie Kaytes in action
Chris and Tom showing Culture Near Me
Thanks to our amazing list of Sponsors and Partners!
