Category: Media

Voatz Honored at the Inaugural Anthem Awards

Posted on by itops

Voatz is recognized at the Inaugural Anthem Awards in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Category. 

February 28, 2022, Boston, MA: Voatz announced today that it has been named as a Bronze winner in the Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion category at the Inaugural Anthem Awards. 

Anthem Winners are selected by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences. Members includeDaniel Dae Kim (actor, producer, and activist);  Ashley Judd (Author, Actor, and Social Justice Humanitarian); Mitchell Baker (CEO and chairwoman, Mozilla); Lisa Sherman (president and CEO, Ad Council), Sarah Kate Ellis (president and CEO, GLAAD); Renata Erlikhman (chief investment officer, OW Management); Shayla Tait (director of philanthropy, The Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation); Russlynn Ali (CEO and co-founder, XQ Institute); Marc Ecko (chief commercial officer and board member, XQ Institute); Heidi Arthur (chief campaign development officer, Ad Council); and Alexis M. Herman (chair and chief executive officer, New Ventures, and former U.S. secretary of labor). 

Voatz is committed to pushing the boundaries of accessible voting, creating the first of its kind blockchain-based smartphone voting app that is secure, private, auditable, convenient and resilient.

“It is our distinct honor to recognize the work that brands, organizations, and individuals are all making to create an impact in their community,” said Jessica Lauretti, Managing Director, The Anthem Awards. “We launched this platform to show the world that all corners of our culture, from sports and entertainment to business leaders and celebrities, are all standing up to say, it is time for systemic change and that social good is what we value as a society.”

“We are humbled and honored to be recognized for our work.” said Nimit Sawhney, the co-founder and CEO of Voatz. “We strongly believe that technology can play a significant role in making our voting process truly accessible for all. We are excited to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead.”

Winners for the inaugural Anthem Awards will be celebrated at the first annual Anthem Voices conference followed by a star-studded virtual Awards Show on Monday, February 28, 2022.  Fans will be able to hear from social impact leaders during the day and then watch the show, featuring special moments, and hallmark speeches from all you and your fellow winners at www.anthemawards.com.

The Anthem Awards was launched in response to the prevalence social good has taken within the national conversation and cultural zeitgeist in recent years. The inaugural competition received nearly 2,500 entries from 36 countries worldwide. By amplifying the voices that spark global change, the Anthem Awards are defining a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires others to take action in their communities. A portion of program revenue will fund a new grant program supporting emerging individuals and organizations working to advance the causes recognized in the inaugural Anthem Awards. 

About Voatz 

Voatz is an award-winning mobile elections platform that leverages cutting-edge technology (including remote identity verification, biometrics and a blockchain-based infrastructure) to increase access and security in elections. Since 2016 Voatz has served nearly 2 millions voters across 87 elections with national/state/municipal governments, universities, towns, nonprofits, and major state political parties in for caucus/convention voting.

Voatz Named 2021 BostInno on Fire Blazer

Posted on by V Team Author

Voatz is recognized for real world and global impact, becoming the first mobile app to be used in a U.S. presidential election while also powering a referendum in Venezuela 

December 1, 2021, Boston, MA: The 2021 Inno on Fire, BostInno’s annual ranking of 50 startups, people and nonprofits making strides in Greater Boston, has announced Voatz a Blazer in the Software category.

BostInno recognized 50 of the most impressive innovators in the region with their annual awards. From that list, one company or organization from each category is selected by a panel of judges to be a category-winning “Inno Blazer.”

“We want to congratulate this year’s Inno on Fire honoree companies and category-winning Blazers,” said Carolyn Jones, market president and publisher of BostInno. “We also want to thank our staff and the venture investors and entrepreneurs in the community who helped us make this year’s selections.”

Voatz is committed to the future of accessible voting, creating the first of its kind blockchain-based smartphone voting app that is secure, private, auditable, convenient and resilient.

“We are honored to be recognized for our work. We are proud to be part of the Boston community dedicated to innovation and progress,” said Nimit Sawhney, the co-founder and CEO of Voatz. “Innovators from Boston have never shied away from solving big problems, and adoption of secure smartphone voting will result in truly inclusive participation and, with that, higher voter turnout. We are excited for our next chapter where we expect increased interest in the U.S and abroad.” 

To see all of the 2021 Inno on Fire honorees and Blazer award winners, go to BostInno.com.

ABOUT BOSTINNO

Since 2010, BostInno has covered, connected and catalyzed the region’s innovation ecosystem, producing digital media, events and intelligence about the entrepreneurs, executives, startups, businesses, trends and topics that are shaping the present and future of Boston’s economy.

Through a daily newsletter reaching over 24,000 people daily, plus a website, events, directories, data and more, BostInno is a portal to and for the city’s thriving startup and tech communities.

About Voatz 

Voatz is an award-winning mobile elections platform that leverages cutting-edge technology (including remote identity verification, biometrics and a blockchain-based infrastructure) to increase access and security in elections. Since 2016 Voatz has served nearly 2 millions voters across 87 elections with national/state/municipal governments, universities, towns, nonprofits, and major state political parties in for caucus/convention voting.

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Voatz Recognized as Webby Award Honoree

Posted on by V Team Author

Our important mission is being officially recognized: Voatz was proud to be a Webby Award Honoree, under the “Apps and Software: Public Service & Activism” category. The Webby Awards, a worldwide award in its 25th year, features “apps, mobile sites and progressive web apps that educate and empower citizens, and/or encourage civic engagement within one’s community or society at large.”

This is an incredible honor. Voatz’s goal has been from the beginning to make voting more accessible, leveraging the incredible security and privacy advancements of mobile phones and the immutability of blockchain architecture. With the incredible foresight of forward-looking election officials, we’ve been able to pioneer options that empower voters that are effectively disenfranchised by our current hard-to-access options – including our overseas military and other citizens, as well as our disabled community. When voting is easier, we strengthen our democracy – we still have a lot of work to do to expand options to those that need it the most.

In 2020, Voatz became the first mobile voting app to be used in a U.S. presidential election. That followed Voatz’s other pioneering feats, as the first mobile voting app for use in U.S. mid-term elections (2018) and for use in U.S. municipal elections (2019).

Innovation with inclusion and representation

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We all succeed when there’s a level playing field for entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds. Voatz is proud to join a group of 113 minority-led startups and business organizations to urge the United States Patent and Trademark Office and National Council for Expanding American Innovation to build a better innovation ecosystem that is inclusive and supports all Americans equally. 

The ability for immigrants to innovate and lead in this country are integral to the fabric of American excellence. This moment is a real opportunity to build a brighter future for innovation, one that welcomes more communities and underrepresented groups. Voatz is intimately aware of the challenges underserved populations face through our advocacy for voter access. For these groups, the structural reality is that they face more barriers, opportunities remain out of reach, and we must recognize that their obstacles deny them a seat at the table. 

When underserved communities are prevented from thriving and building solutions, it’s the nation’s loss. Society’s most urgent problems remain unrecognized and unresolved. The lived experience that many of our peers bring to our organizations is invaluable. Voatz was born because its founders, as children, saw voter coercion first-hand, and intimately know the barriers voters face in casting their ballots. Experiences like these fuel our desire to build a better world that is representative of marginalized communities.      

The time to build towards a more equitable world is now. We applaud USPTO and NCEAI for their initiative and look forward to working with you. 

To read the letter calling on the government to advance diversity in innovation at this link.