Technovation 2023 Season Kick-off
We are getting ready to kickoff the 2023 Technovation season! Join us for Launchapalooza, Saturday, January 7th!
Blog
Appapalooza 2022: Back Together Again
Well…that’s a wrap folks! The 2022 Technovation[MN] season has come to an end. The excitement started brewing at 9 am as 28 teams from 44 schools and 104 girls ranging in age from 8-18 from across Minnesota pitched their app designs to attentive, seasoned judges in our virtual pitch rooms. There were apps about career… Read More
The 2022 Women in Business Award Goes to One of Our Code Savvy Own
The work Cami Zimmer has done for Technovation[MN], combined with her business acumen, skills, and experience recently earned Cami the honor of being named one of the 2022 Women in Business by the Mpls/St. Paul Business Journal!
Pitchapalooza 2022
Pitchapalooza is coming up fast! We wanted to give you a little taste of what you’ll learn, and a little more about who our presenters are this year. This event is designed to give you insight on how to best make a pitch video for your project. We will go over some best practices for… Read More
Meet the Ambassadors
Once a Technovation[MN] Challenge participant has been through the program and understands all of the ins and outs, they’re invited to become an Ambassador. Through this Alumni program, the girls are able to give back to their community and help other girls who are just getting started on their development journey. Today, we’d like to… Read More
Design a Climate Change Themed T-Shirt for Appapalooza
Design a t-shirt that sends a message about climate change and encompasses the values of Technovation[MN] to inspire and empower girls to build and leverage technology to make an impact on their communities. The winning design receives $150!
Launchappalooza 2022 Recap
3…2…1… Blast Off!! Launchappalooza went off without a hitch. Get the details here, just in case you missed the event!
The Cargill Foundation Expands Partnership with Code Savvy to Change the Demographic Landscape of Technology in Minnesota
Technovation[MN], a Code Savvy program, is teaming up with the Cargill Foundation once again through a three-year grant for scalability and strategic growth. This financial support is paired with Cargill employees volunteering their time with the program in numerous roles. Last year, Cargill provided its first Corporate Sponsored Challenge with the focus of Nourish the… Read More
Ericka Dennis Named New Technovation[MN] Program Director
Technovation[MN], a program of Code Savvy, a Minnesota non-profit organization creating and expanding opportunities for a diverse new generation to explore programming and creative problem solving through technology, announced it has selected Ericka Dennis as its next Program Director. Ericka will succeed Lisa Schlosser, who is stepping down after two years of leading the organization. Technovation[MN] inspires girls, ages 10-18,… Read More
Technovation[MN] Season Begins – Join Us on a Life-Changing Journey!
The Technovation[MN] 2021-2022 season has begun and we are looking for girls and mentors. If you know a girl between 10-18 years of age, we have a life-changing opportunity for her. The start of the new season had me reflecting on my own life-changing experience. I have always loved math. When I was in high… Read More
Technovation Girls Semi-Finalists named; CASP Technologies is named one of 12 Finalists!
Congratulations to the nine Technovation[MN] teams who made it to the semi-final round of the 2021 Technovation Girls global challenge. They were chosen from 1700 submissions across 60 countries. In a pandemic year, nothing has quite been the same and the Technovation challenges are no exception. Local winners from the Minnesota chapter did not automatically… Read More
Appapalooza 2021 Pitch Winners
Congratulations on a successful Technovation[MN] season. It has been a challenging one, with social distancing, long conference calls, and collaboration in virtual-only mode. You persevered. You believed. You worked hard. You listened. You learned. You did it! At Appapalooza 2021, we honored 10 teams as local winners. In a non-pandemic year, these teams would automatically… Read More
SPARK SCHOLARSHIP 2021 HONOREES
We want to spark a fire within her. We want her to see that technology is a tool to get her ideas out to the world and that she can make the world more beautiful, healthier, safer and even more peaceful. We want her to know that there is a community that will support her… Read More
Appapalooza 2021 – We Celebrate!
Appapalooza 2021 – We Are Back! We celebrate! At Technovation[MN]’s Appapalooza, we celebrate by providing the girls who have completed the Technovation Challenge, an opportunity to live pitch their mobile app innovations to a panel of esteemed judges from our Minnesota business community. We celebrate by connecting with each other. We celebrate the women in… Read More
Need an App Idea? We Have One for You!
Technovation[MN] recently held their kick-off event, Launchapalooza. We are so excited to begin our 2021 season! As an organization focused on inspiring girls to pursue STEM and the increased use of technology as we survive a pandemic, a future of diverse teams building technology has never been more important. Our Southeast Minnesota and Twin Cities… Read More
Travelpalooza – COVID Can’t Cancel our Party
Since we had to cancel Appapalooza this year, we wanted to celebrate our Global Semifinalists from Minnesota with #Travelpalooza goody bags. Here is a photo recap of the day: Congratulations to all of our finalists, your impact on our future through technology will be felt for many years to come. We are honored to have… Read More
Technovation[MN] Making an Impact on Girls in STEM
Technovation[MN] has been busy this summer preparing for our upcoming season as we continue to make a positive impact on girls in our community. Our program continues to be an important support and educational environment for girls. Now, more than ever, our communities need diverse teams, armed with technology and entrepreneur skills, leveraging these skills… Read More
Spark the Technologist Within Her!
Technovation[MN] is pleased to announce the 2020 Spark Scholarship award winners. Spark Scholarships are offered to middle school and high school students who are alumni of the Technovation[MN] program. These alumni shared their past experiences and future aspirations as technologists and entrepreneurs and were awarded a scholarship to support them in their pursuit of STEM… Read More
Seven Technovation[MN] teams advanced to the Technovation Girls 2020 Global Semifinals!!
Technovation[MN] inspires and empowers girls to leverage technology to make an impact on their communities. With the Technovation Girls curriculum, mentor guidance, educational resources, and encouragement, girls ages 10-18 built mobile applications to develop skills in technology and entrepreneurial knowledge. Congratulations to the three junior teams: #WeAre, Fantabulous, and The Malefron Tutors; and the four… Read More
Appapalooza 2020 – We Celebrate!
Happy Appapalooza 2020! Today we would have gathered 1500 people to celebrate. We would have celebrated the girls who thought about challenges in their communities and built mobile applications to provide solutions to those challenges. We would have celebrated their mentors who are educators, business professionals, and parents and who are so passionate about inspiring… Read More
Celebrating Technovation[MN] student Anjali Donthi
Anjali Donthi, a five-year Technovation[MN] participant and student board member, was recently featured in Minnesota Women’s Press, Inventors Issue, April 2020. Anjali’s team developed a mental wellness application for youth. May is just around the corner and is Mental Health Awareness month. Mental Health Month gives all of us a valuable opportunity to celebrate the… Read More
A Letter to our Community
These are unprecedented times and we are grateful for your patience as we work through constantly changing guidelines. The closures of late and COVID-19 visualizations and models have put an even brighter spotlight on the importance of technology in our world. The mission and focus of Technovation[MN] remains of utmost priority as diverse teams will… Read More
Cargill Foundation partners with Technovation[MN], technology to inspire girls in the Twin Cities
Technovation[MN] teams up with the Cargill Foundation receiving a two-year grant and numerous employees volunteering their time and expertise to mentor girls in the Twin Cities. Technovation[MN], a Twin Cities-based organization, works to bring technology and entrepreneurial programs to Minnesota’s girls to spark interest, build technical knowledge and develop confidence. Girls ages 10-18 have the… Read More
Mentoring Month: Celebrating Tea Dejanovik
January is #MentoringMonth, and to celebrate we are shining the spotlight on some of our hardworking mentors! Meet Tea Dejanovic, and hear what inspires her to get involved. Job Title: Senior Business AnalystCompany: Perficient Why Do You Choose to Mentor for TechnovationMN? I’m lucky to work at a company that invests extensively in my professional growth,… Read More
Mentoring Month: Celebrating Ganga Gopalkrishnan
January is #MentoringMonth, and to celebrate we are shining the spotlight on some of our hardworking mentors! Meet Ganga Gopalkrishnan, and hear what inspires her to get involved. Job Title: IT Technology ManagerCompany: Mayo Clinic Why Do You Choose to Mentor for TechnovationMN? The technovation mentorship fulfills two areas of interest for me – 1. Giving… Read More
TechnovationMN’s own Anjali Donthi wins the Mayor’s Medal of Honor
The entire board of TechnovationMN extends our warmest congratulations to Anjali Donthi, who has just been recognized in her community with the Mayor’s Medal of Honor award. Anjali is among 13 recipients of this honor for her dedication and hard work in her community. We asked Anjali a few questions about it, and here’s what… Read More
Lisa Schlosser, technology leader and STEM advocate, named as Executive Director, Technovation[MN]
Technovation[MN] is pleased to announce that Lisa Schlosser will serve as the first Executive Director of the organization. Schlosser most recently was the Chief Executive Officer and President in the Interim of the Minnesota High Tech Association. Before that, she was Chief Technology Officer for the FindLaw business of Thomson Reuters. “With the growth of… Read More
Technovation[MN] Teams Move on to MN Cup Semifinals
MN Cup host an annual competition that reaches emerging entrepreneurs from across the state and connects them with tools, resources and support to launch and accelerate the development of their new ventures. They are the largest, most impactful statewide startup competition in the world. Many teams entered the competition but, Technovaiton[MN] is proud to announce 3… Read More
Spark Scholarship Recipients
On May 11th we also announced our Technovation[MN] Spark Scholarships winners. This is a significant milestone in the growth of our organization. We created these sponsorships to continue to spark a fire within her. We want these girls to see that technology is a tool to get their ideas out to the world and that… Read More
Congratulations to our 2019 Appapalooza Winners
Today we hosted our 6th annual Appapalooza! We started in 2014, with 11 teams and 48 girls and today we are here with 87 teams and 348 girls. These girls worked thousands of hours planning and coding their apps and defining their business. They presented their pitches to all friends, family, supporters and our esteemed judges…. Read More
Thank you U.S. Bank for Supporting our Girls
U.S. bank has sponsored, volunteered and judged our annual Appapalooza celebration that congratulates all Minnesota Technovation Challenge teams on completing the 12-week curriculum and submitting their work to global. For the last two years they have hosted a select group of girls for a day at the U.S Bank office. The teams of middle school… Read More
TEENAGERS ARE COMING FOR YOUR JOBS
Re-post from GoKart Labs If you’re a business leader thinking about your future workforce, you should pay attention to organizations like Technovation, who are fostering and shaping skills that you will need — and even already need — as your business grows and technology evolves. Technovation is the largest global technology entrepreneurship program for girls… Read More
My Mentor Experience – Charlotte Foran
I ran into a high school classmate when I was back home. We got to chatting, and I realized the last time I had seen her had been at our graduation: seven and a half years ago. That three quarters of a decade seems simultaneously like a lifetime and like an instant. I know I’ve… Read More
My Mentor Experience: Alex Aavang
My name is Alex Aavang and I am a Technovation[MN] Board Member and a 2-year Technovation Mentor. Many of my friends and coworkers have asked about what it is like to be a Technovation mentor, so I wanted to share my answer with you today! I am currently a Software Development Engineer for Amazon in… Read More
Common Mentor Questions And Answers
The Technovation Challenge inspires and enables teen girls to dream up, design, code and business pitch mobile apps. The all-girl teams develop a real-world combination of technical and entrepreneurial skills working with their professional mentors. But still not sure what it takes to be a mentor? Or if you are the right fit? Check out… Read More
Amazon Hosts Young Female Coders and Donates $20K
Amazon has supported Technovation [MN] for the past two years. After being inspired by our work with young girls, Amazon partnered with us to present the “Alexa Skills Challenge.” It provides students with an opportunity to get direct, hands-on application of creating a voice-enabled Alexa skill to help make everyday tasks faster, easier, and more delightful… Read More
Introducing Alexa Skills Challenge: Life Hacks.
Hello everyone! I have some exciting news! First off, some introductions. My name is Alex Aavang. I am a Software Development Engineer at Amazon by day and a Technovation[MN] board member and mentor by night. This is my first year on the board, but I’ve had a blast mentoring the teams at Aurora Charter School… Read More
Computer Glitz, 2018 Technovation[MN] team, highlighted at Minnedemo
After Appapalooza in May, some Technovation[MN] teams go on to compete in other tech challenges in the Twin Cities. This year, Computer Glitz, an Eagan-based Technovation[MN] team that was one of the 2018 high school division winners at Appapalooza, took their app HandsOn to Minnedemo in St. Paul. On July 12, the team demoed their app… Read More
Technovation[MN] co-founder receives 2018 WoM2M award
It’s no secret that women are underrepresented in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields, and at Technovation[MN] we take that seriously. Take our co-founder and executive director, Shawn Stavseth, for example. Through her volunteer work with Technovation[MN] and her professional career, Shawn is one of the many women across the U.S. who is drawing… Read More
Technovation[MN] announces 2018 Appapalooza winners
9 teams will advance to semi-finals May 12, 2018 (MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) – Today, hundreds of middle and high school girls gathered at Technovation[MN]’s annual Appapalooza celebration to compete in an international app-building challenge. Participants spent three months imagining, designing and building mobile apps to solve community problems. Technovation[MN], a Code Savvy non-profit, is proud to… Read More
Technovation[MN] receives Progress Minnesota Award
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN., April 4 — For the past seven years, the Progress Minnesota Awards Program through Finance and Commerce has recognized individuals, companies and organizations that drive Minnesota into the future through economic development, entrepreneurship, technological innovation and workforce development. A panel of independent judges reviewed this year’s nominations and recognized 24 honorees for their… Read More
Technovation[MN] announces 2018 Appapalooza details
April 4, 2018 (MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) – Technovation[MN], a Code Savvy non-profit youth program focused on enabling teen girls to learn entrepreneurship skills and how to code mobile apps, today announced details about its annual mobile app pitch event, AppapaloozaTM. The event is scheduled for Saturday, May 12, at the Minneapolis Convention Center and provides Technovation[MN]… Read More
To Prepare for Appapalooza, Find Your Inner Superhero
Kristine Schaefer is principal of Loma Communications, an executive communications coaching firm whose motto is: “Tell the world who you are, what you stand for and how you’ll deliver.” Dear Technovation Challengers, In the ways that Title IX paved the way for girls in sports and academics, the work you’re doing will change the tech… Read More
Being an Appapalooza judge: No CS experience required
Guest post by Angie Kalthoff, a Technology Integrationist in for the St. Cloud Area School District 742. She consults with organizations that want to understand the why, what and how behind Computer Science in the K-12 setting, with a focus on elementary education. I am excited to see how girls, right here in Minnesota, will change… Read More
The Beginning of a Journey in Technology: SKeMAS at 2017 MN Cup
Guest post from Keerthi Manikonda, 2017 Technovation[MN] participant The MN Cup experience is something that I am truly grateful for. It has been something that has taught me various life skills and has brought me closer to my teammates. It taught me to learn how to be a strong and reliable leader and it also… Read More
Do Big Things: SKeMAS at 2017 MN Cup
Guest post from Sophia Fulton, 2017 Technovation[MN] participant Do big things. Do epic things. Do things people don’t think you can do. Do things that you don’t think you can do. We’re rooting for you. That’s what I felt as my team participated in Technovation, and most recently, MN Cup: the largest startup competition in… Read More
Give to the Max Day is coming!
Give to the Max Day 2017 is coming up! Be a part of getting more girls like Tien involved in STEM! To keep our program completely cost-free for girls like Tien, we rely on your support! Donate to Technovation[MN] this Give to the Max Day! “Through Technovation and Aspirations I met role models already in… Read More
2018 Registration is Open
2018 mentor and team registration is now open! We are so looking forward to a fantastic season! Expect more teams, more fun, and an even bigger Appapalooza, scheduled for Saturday, May 12 at the Minneapolis Convention Center. Register your Technovation[MN] team so that we can give you all the support you need throughout the season.
VIA team reaches finals of MN Cup
Originally posted by the Rochester Post Bulletin A group of Rochester girls are finalists in a Minnesota business competition, thanks to an app they created that discourages texting and driving. The team of five from Rochester Public Schools are finalists in two categories of the 2017 Minnesota Cup, a competition for the best new business… Read More
If not us, who? If not now, when?
Being unapologetically yourself. It’s a saying I hear often, but if there’s one thing that I learned since getting involved with technology last year, it is just that. I grew up in a traditional Vietnamese family. We do not travel or do much outside of the norm. My parents are immigrants and have to work… Read More