WASHINGTON June 14, 2011- The One Economy Corporation, in conjunction with AT&T, announced the winners of the “Applications for Good” contest on Tuesday.
“Technology is important, but today’s event shows that what really matters is how people, families and communities use technology to make their lives better,” said Kelley Dunne, President and CEO of One Economy. “We must constantly challenge ourselves to seek creative ways to meet people where they are in delivering resources that can truly transform communities.”
The prize winners will each receive $5,000 and the grand prize winner will get $10,000. The winners by chosen by a panel of Judges include Mark Drapeau, Microsoft; Carlton Hill, AT&T; Gloria Guard, One Economy; Alex Howard, O’Reilly Media; Patrick Mork, GetJar; and Jim Rosenberg, World Bank.
“There is no question that mobile phones and devices can deliver innovative, life changing solutions for people across the United States and around the world,” said Carlton Hill, Vice President of Device Operations and Product Development at AT&T. “AT&T is proud to work with One Economy to challenge innovators, problem solvers and individuals to be a part of social and economic change.”
The prize for best health application went to “Snap Fresh,” an SMS-based application that helps food stamp recipients find locations where they can use food stamps to purchase healthy foods from farmers markets and grocery stores.
“Mobile Saver” won for best banking application. The application creates a web portal for the management of individual development accounts that are matched savings account that enables families with limited financial resources to save and build assets.
In the education category “TalkChalk” won the prize. TalkChalk connects learners by enabling safe communication between teachers, students, and parents via Facebook, e-mail, and SMS.
The prize for best gamming application went to “Nutrition Missions,” which challenges users with 68 missions involving cooking healthy food, nutritional guidelines, and green living activities.
The grand prize went to Remás, which facilitates the transfer of money from immigrants working in the United States to their families around the world. Remás is a web-based portal that lists money transfer websites, services and banks along with the fees associated with transfers. The application also advises users on the benefits of banking and opening bank accounts.
The Remás application is currently available in English and Spanish and on both the mobile web and standard website.
“We are so excited to win the first Applications for Good grand prize – what an honor,” said Brendan McBride, founder and project lead. “A dedicated team of volunteers has poured hours and their own money into the development of Remás. This prize money will enable us to finish our testing and take our app live faster than we anticipated.”
Apps for Good is a breath of fresh air, helping low-income Americans with finances, health, and education.