This year, volunteers from Spectris played a crucial role in the shortlisting and judging process in the ‘Future Founders’ category, offering their expertise to support these budding innovators.
Apps for Good’s mission is to inspire a new, diverse generation of purposeful tech innovators by providing free tech courses to schools. These courses equip teachers with ready-made educational content, enabling young people from all backgrounds to develop essential computing skills and create a brighter future through technology.
The Showcase event is a culmination of the students’ hard work, offering them a platform to present their tech ideas for social impact and receive feedback from industry professionals. This experience not only boosts their confidence but also instils a sense of pride in their achievements.
Five volunteers from Spectris participated in the virtual shortlisting process and two volunteers served as judges for the finals, where finalists pitched their ideas virtually.
Ian Johnson (Group Financial Controller, Spectris), one of the judges, shared his experience: “There were three strong finalists that had really thought hard about the problems they needed to solve. They had researched deeply and derived some very clear ideas that resulted in some super cool apps. All three teams presented well, with one team even participating while on a school trip!”
Luisa Almeida (Senior Customer Order Handler, HBK Portugal), another judge, expressed her enthusiasm: “This was undoubtedly a group of young people full of desire to be part of the decisions for their future.”
Alongside Ian and Luisa on the judging panel was a tech entrepreneur from Colombia, an HR professional from the US, and an IT professional from London. Last year’s finalists also joined the panel, providing valuable feedback and challenges to this year’s contestants.
The event not only showcased the students’ innovative ideas but also highlighted their commitment to addressing global challenges. As Ian noted, “Our planet and ESG future is in good hands, knowing that the next generation truly cares about the planet and the people on it.”
By bridging the gap between education and industry, we are playing our part in nurturing a new generation of tech-savvy problem-solvers who are eager to make a positive impact on the world.
Special thank you to Ian Johnson, Luisa Almeida, Hugo Maule, Eliza Unwin, Oliver McHenry and Apps for Good!