I had the opportunity to serve as a mentor at this event and worked with a group of seven girls to bring their startup idea to fruition. The group I worked with developed a concept of a vending machine and food redistribution network that would allow fellow students and restaurants in the area to donate and repackage unused food in an effort to ensure no student goes hungry.

According to Feeding America, 17.9% of children experience food insecurity, which means that they experience limited or uncertain availability of safe, nutritious food at some point during the year. While I’m aware of food insecurity issues and the concerns about lunch shaming happening in school cafeterias, I was surprised and heartened to learn that these middle-school students have the same concerns and want to alleviate these issues for their fellow students.

Latinitas is an Austin-based nonprofit organization that aims to empower all girls through media and technology and the Startup Chica Conference is one of many ways in which the organization achieves its goals. During the event, the team of girls I worked with leveraged a SWOT analysis to prove out the concept, developed reporting to understand the costs involved and profit margin and created a logo and tagline as part of the marketing plan.

The panel of judges scored each team based on the startup concept, presentation, public speaking skills and overall knowledge of the idea. In my role as mentor, I worked with the group of girls to help develop and expand the startup idea, integrate feedback from the judges through the process and shared details about my career including why I chose to work in the technology sector and what I do on a daily basis.

During the conference, I was amazed and blown away by the creativity, compassion and raw intelligence my team of Chicas displayed. Although our team was not selected as the grand prize winner, I think that we all left the event feeling like winners because of the team’s hard work and passion for this project.

One of the reasons I enjoy working at Personify is that not only do we get to work with nonprofit and association clients that are making the world a better place but also that our employees are able to take time to volunteer at organizations that align with our passions and interests. I absolutely cannot wait to work with Latinitas again in the future.

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That was my grandmother. Born in 1911, she raised four kids: one during the Great Depression, two during the war and its aftermath, and one during the civil rights movement. Through it all, she fostered over 200 children, and she was a journalist, in a time before women really worked in newspapers.

She was my hero. In the last few years of her life, her memories of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and her understanding of where she was at in space and time slipped. She started swearing like a sailor. She thought my brother was the crazy drifter, George. Dementia changed her and the last years we had with her. This is why I’m participating in The Longest Day program with the Alzheimer’s Association on June 21, in her memory.Every single day people with Alzheimer’s and other dementias face a disease that has no cure and no survivors. The Alzheimer’s Association raises vital funds for research and support services so that people affected by the disease don’t have to face this disease alone.

The Longest Day is all about Love. This year, I’m celebrating my love by taking a sunrise hike with my friends and Personify colleagues, in memory of my grandmother. She was a woman of service both in faith and in action, and this is how I want to remember her.

At Personify, we’re committed to helping nonprofit organizations like the Alzheimer’s Association fulfill their missions leveraging technology solutions (and caring teammates) to help their organizations grow. We believe that the power of community has the power to change the world.

Learn more about The Longest Day and how you can make a difference in the fight to end Alzheimer’s.

The post What The Longest Day Means to Me appeared first on Personify.