As a result of the current social and political climate, the LGBTQ+ community has found it increasingly difficult to find safe spaces. A study by the National Coalition of Anti-Violence Programs (NCAVP) shows that hate-driven violence often occurs in the privacy of communities, homes, workplaces, and shelters. By providing knowledge of spaces that have been proven to support the LGBTQ+ community, and that can serve its unique needs as necessary, Qloak is removing the burden from community members who may struggle to find their footing in heteronormative environments. Qloak serves as a hub integrating queer spaces featuring such categories as Work (jobs), Play (bars and entertainment), Spend (businesses), and Resources (doctors, counselors, etc). Cultivating knowledge of these spaces is necessary in order to foster a sense of belonging and security.
Track: Cities and Communities
Let’s learn Mixteco
Indigenous communities are an important part of Latino migration to the U.S., but they have been historically overlooked. An estimated 100,000 indigenous people from Mexico, primarily Mixtec, make up the farmworker population in California. A sizeable Mixtec community can be found in Oxnard, Ventura County. There have been attempts by the community to preserve their language, but the number of children learning Mixtec in Oxnard is declining. In addition, the lack of technology used to teach Mixtec creates barriers as well, as youth in the community struggle to see how Mixtec fits in to their tech-centered lives. This project addresses these needs by creating a webpage with teaching resources for the community. By promoting the use of the Mixtec language, the team will bridge the gap between generations and create tighter bonds between members of the community.
Healthy LiPHE
Healthy LiPHE is a readily accessible “one-stop-shop” mobile health application that targets disadvantaged adolescents via a youth-friendly platform. It contains features such as: Clinic Finder, Condom Finder, Sexual Health, Mental Health, Frequently Asked Questions, Ask a Question, and PHE Connect. Existing online resources are neither comprehensive nor youth-friendly and teens may turn to online resources that contain invalid information. Additionally, with the uncertainties surrounding healthcare accessibility, it is imperative now more than ever to provide an equal opportunity for youth to make healthy decisions informed by high quality health information. With these tools readily accessible on the user’s phone, Healthy LiPHE is ideal for last minute decisions, and can lead to better health outcomes in the future. Healthy LiPHE is designed to be comprehensive enough to appeal to both youth with or without prior health education. Through its engaging interface, youth will feel empowered to take control of their health.
nourishAI
According to the 2016-2017 Berkeley Food Institute Annual Report, 40% of all UC students are food insecure. Food security is a right, not a privilege. The current basic needs ecosystem at UC Berkeley is expansive and difficult to navigate as there are over twenty organizations that focus on the topic of food education. Because advisors are few and far between, students must navigate this complex ecosystem alone. Of the 10,000+ food insecure students on the UC Berkeley campus, less than 25% have used the most advertised and accessible resources available to them. nourishAI addresses this problem by using conversational artificial intelligence to help students navigate the complicated food insecurity ecosystem on UC campuses.
MarHub
Today there are 65 million people that have been forcibly displaced, including 22.5 million refugees. As this humanitarian crisis continues to escalate, the international system is struggling to adapt. Only 2% of refugees have access to durable solutions, and the remaining options are long-term encampment, urban destitution, or a perilous informal journey. In each context, refugees lack access to relevant information and services. MarHub is building a migration management platform to transform how refugees and migrants access information and services, and how organizations and governments provide them. Short-term, MarHub’s chatbot will help refugees navigate the asylum process by providing tailored legal information and connections to NGOs. Long-term, MarHub’s integrated case management platform will help migrants and humanitarian actors work together to provide and evaluate information and services. MarHub ultimately seeks to improve access to protection and durable solutions that respect the dignity of people on the move.
GivingFund: Catalyzing Millennial Philanthropy
Using basic behavioral finance principles and leveraging the Donor Advised Fund structure, GivingFund makes it easier for young professionals to give, give more, and give more intentionally, all through a single, online interface. Users can automatically donate a percentage of their paycheck to their personal “givingfund”. GivingFund pools the capital across funds to invest in the impact investing market, tax-free – giving users access to more deals than the average retail investor. Users can donate the returns and their original principal, to any NGO of their choice – when they want, how they want. By providing space between the monthly payment and the donation experience, and by providing a central spot to track and measure all of a user’s impact throughout the year, GivingFund believes it can turn the pain and obligation of giving that Millennials feel into joy and even excitement, and double the amount of impact capital Millennials deploy.
Better Journey
Better Journey provides a platform for organizations to more effectively engage with refugee communities at scale and track key milestones along a refugee’s path. Through a web based messaging application on the refugee’s phone, caseworkers define milestones for their refugee clients and customize various forms of engagement around those milestones. Caseworkers can send the right message at the right time along a refugee’s journey based on defined triggers to provide reminders, motivation and information regarding milestone targets. Caseworkers can also follow up and solicit information from refugees asynchronously and have responses automatically upload to their current case management system. Finally, Caseworkers can effectively track the progress of their cases and intervene if necessary. Engagement and relationship building are at the core of the platform and the team believes that better engagement leads to a better journey and ultimately better outcomes.
TextTrainer: a dialog system to train crisis helpline counselors
The rise of smartphone usage has changed communication patterns and paralleled an increase in individuals reporting feeling lonely and disconnected, especially amongst young adults. As a result, crisis helplines are expanding their text services to keep pace with new communication trends during a time of growing need. However, tools for training counselors remain time consuming or provide insufficient practice. TextTrainer is leveraging recent advances in natural language processing and partnerships with crisis helplines to build a dialog system to train crisis counselors on how to intervene and de-escalate crises. With this system, counselors can easily practice formulating text responses, get feedback on their responses, and gain expertise in a low pressure setting without putting any individuals in danger, thus helping crisis centers meet the rising demand for their services.
Codi
In the US, 1 in 4 renters spend half their income on rent. City life has become increasingly unaffordable while residential spaces remain empty during the day. Meanwhile, technology is disrupting the traditional work structure leading to ever more freelancers and remote workers. The demand for flexible workspaces during the day is soaring, as expensive co-working spaces and crowded coffee shops mushroom in cities. Codi addresses the mismatch between unused residences and need for workspace. Based on a sharing-economy model, Codi allows anyone, anywhere, to run their own co-working space at home. Codi provides the first micro-rental platform of residential spaces for remote workers. Members can access reliable home offices with the amenities, the comfort and the social component they need to thrive, while creating an additional source of revenue for hosts. The Codi model promotes circular economic values and revitalizes local neighborhoods.