Skild, Inc.

Skild® is a software service for professional contest organizers. We originally built a competition management system to help run our own contests, and in the process learned that other organizations had the same need: highly reliable, adaptable, automated contest software. So we took years of know-how, distilled it down into an easy-to-use contest app, and voila! Now anyone can develop and run awards, prizes and contest promotions from start to finish.

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Verizon Innovation Challenge Relies on Skild Online Contest Software

Skild is proud to provide the online contest management behind Verizon’s FreeBee Perks Game Online Innovation Challenge! The competition is focused on assisting people who play, develop, and publish games as they come up with innovative ways to make games even more fun and rewarding by giving out free mobile data to users.

The contest is underway now, with applications being accepted through June 30, 2017. You can learn more or sign up here.

How the Challenge Works

Verizon is in search of innovative game play ideas that will help them attract, engage, and retain users. The goal is to improve the user experience and reward player achievements with free mobile data. Participants must answer the competition’s overall question: How might you reward player achievements in your game play with free data? Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2ryVYnY

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University of Akron Hosts Its First Hackathon

It goes without saying that at Skild, we love a good hackathon. And if it’s the first time an organization has held a hackathon, that’s even better. As our competition management platform is used to schedule hackathons all over the country, we’ve got a direct connection to what creative hackers everywhere are up to. And we love seeing the amazing ideas they come up with.

Well Done, HAkron!

The group behind the UA hackathon calls itself HAkron. It’s made up of 10 UA students who major in electrical engineering, computer science, and computer engineering. They were responsible for all the legwork involved in the event. That included everything from recruiting sponsors to organizing a panel of judges to arranging for food to securing sleeping areas. No small feat for busy college students! Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2qfogjy

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Winners Announced in HUD Innovation Competition

In order to encourage research, collaboration, and creativity in affordable housing and community development, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development sponsors an annual innovation competition. By initiating and funding this competition, HUD hopes to encourage and support experts in fields like architecture, planning, policy, and finance as they strive to improve affordable and sustainable housing for low- and moderate-income Americans.

Called the Innovation in Affordable Housing Student Design and Planning Competition, the fourth annual edition took place this year. It involved a real-world scenario that required competitors to provide creative ideas for addressing economic, social, environmental, and construction issues in redeveloping Woodhill Homes, a 478-unit multifamily property owned and operated by the Cuyahoga County Ohio Metropolitan Housing Authority. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2qf3mB7

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2017 Drucker Prize is Driven by the Skild Contest Management System

The Drucker Institute is an organization based at Claremont Graduate University. Its mission is “strengthening organizations to strengthen society.” Their work is based on the timeless wisdom of Peter Drucker, an Austrian-born American management expert, author, and educator who is widely considered to be “the founder of modern management.” The Institute has announced the opening of the 2017 Drucker Prize and is encouraging U.S.-based nonprofits to apply. The competition, which comes with a $100,000 cash award, is being driven by the Skild contest management system.

You can find the prize application on the Drucker Institute website, http://www.Drucker.Institute/nonprofits/. Submissions are being accepted now, with a deadline of Friday, May 12, at 5 p.m. Pacific Time. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2ryPkyi

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Skild Competition Platform Powers $300,000 Cisco Innovation Challenge

Five hundred billion. That’s the number of devices that will be connected to the Internet by 2030 according to some estimates. And that’s not just computers and smartphones. We’re talking about things like cars, home appliances, manufacturing equipment, etc. If a device is powered, it’s likely it will be “web-enabled” at some point in the not-too-distant future. Cisco is looking to promote advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) through its Cisco Innovation Challenge, which is powered by the Skild competition platform.

About the Challenge

The Cisco Innovation Challenge is open to students and recent alumni from any college or university. The competition seeks innovative ideas in a number of areas, including:

Local industry/economic development

Critical human needs (food, water, shelter, and disaster relief)

Healthcare

Economic empowerment/financial inclusion

Education

Environment

Connectivity

Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2qfiXAL

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ASCE Innovation Contest Seeks Creative Ideas on Infrastructure

A topic we’re hearing more about in the news these days is the state of our infrastructure here in the U.S. Our roads, bridges, and other structures — in many cases built many decades ago — are beginning to show their age. And it’s not just a cosmetic problem. Much of our infrastructure is beginning to reach the point of being dangerously decayed or unstable. The American Society of Civil Engineers is well aware, and is looking to improve the way we will address our infrastructure needs in the future through an innovation contest.

The ASCE Grand Challenge

As part of its vision for the future, the ASCE has developed what it calls the Grand Challenge. They describe it as a commitment to rethinking what’s possible in their industry. Through it, they are working toward a goal of reducing infrastructure life cycle costs by 50 percent by 2025 and trying to find ways to optimize our infrastructure. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2rys0kk

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OtterHacks Online Contest Software Slated for Late April in Monterey, CA

If you’re going to attend a hackathon, why not pick one in a gorgeous location? Sure, you’ll be inside working away for much of the time. But when you step outside for a break… ahhh! Monterey, California, on the state’s rocky central coast, is one such ahhh-inducing site. That’s where the OtterHacks Hackathon will take place April 21-23.

 About OtterHacks

 A group of 150 students will collaborate to come up with unique, fresh, and innovative ideas. From writing groundbreaking code to finding new ways to use the latest online contest software, these hackers will be blazing a trail into the future. Yes, that’s a pretty dramatic statement, and yes, it’s absolutely true. Event organizers advocate “learning through doing,” and there’s no doubt this group will be doing amazing things. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2p0kCvT

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Winners Announced in Johnson & Johnson Africa Contest Software

Johnson & Johnson recently announced the winners in the first Africa Innovation Challenge. The contest software was created to generate new ideas for sustainable health solutions that can be implemented in African communities. Nearly 500 entrepreneurs and innovators from all parts of the continent submitted ideas.

 Johnson & Johnson supports health and education systems in Africa in a number of ways. It has devoted a great deal of resources to the continent in part because it’s one of the fastest growing regions in the world. The company recently opened regional offices in Ghana and Kenya, which along with its global public health headquarters in South Africa, will provide support for health systems and public health programs. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2oFXhvO

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Harvard’s President’s Competition Platform Announces Finalists

The President’s Innovation Challenge at Harvard University encourages the school’s student body to explore challenges facing the world and find ways to meet those challenges. The goal of the competition platform is to help solve issues facing our healthcare system, the sciences, and society in general, but also to make progress in areas that aren’t easily categorized.

 Organizers recently announced 15 finalists for the 2017 edition of the President’s Innovation Challenge. Winners will be announced in a ceremony on May 9, and will split more than $300,000 in awards. Grand prize winners in each of the competition’s three categories will receive $75,000. Three runner-up teams will receive $25,000. The “crowd favorite” as chosen at the ceremony will be awarded $10,000. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2oG45JV

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Google Impact Challenge Innovation Contest Names 10 Canadian Finalists

Google’s charitable wing is giving Canadians the chance to vote for the best homegrown technology for solving problems around the world. It’s called the Impact Challenge, and it’s an innovation contest with a total purse of $5 million. The field has been narrowed to 10 finalists. As you’ll see in the list below, participants have come up with some exceptional ideas, which is appropriate given that the challenge is sponsored by one of the most innovative companies of the planet. The grand prize winner will be awarded a $750,000 grant.

 All 10 finalists are from Canadian non-profit organizations like the Canadian Red Cross, Food Banks Canada, and the B.C. Children’s Hospital. They are... Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2oFNCpc

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European Social Innovation Competition is Underway

Some of the most impactful innovation competitions are those that seek to address social issues. The European Commission has launched this year’s European Social Innovation Competition. The goal of the challenge is for Europeans to come up with novel approaches to technologies, digital inclusion, connectivity, and skills development.

 We talk about this being the digital age, but of course, that’s not true for everyone. This competition seeks to ensure that everyone has a chance to take advantage of the opportunities before us. The organizers feel strongly that as technology advances, it must be used to help society advance as well so that everyone benefits. Participants in the challenge are encouraged to submit creative ideas for closing the technology gap. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2oFSw5u

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CatHacks III Hackathon to be Held in Lexington, KY

What organizers are calling the “epic trilogy” continues. CatHacks, a hackathon put on by the University of Kentucky, was the first national college hackathon held in the state back in 2015. This year UK will host the event for the third time. It will take place April 15-16 in Lexington. New and experienced hackers from all over the country will travel to the Bluegrass State to have some fun and participate in this innovation competition. Why CatHacks? It’s a nod to Scratch, the university’s Wildcat mascot.

 “Scratch” is Fitting

 It seems appropriate to hold a hackathon at a school whose mascot is Scratch, since participants will be looking to develop innovative ideas from… (you get it). Over the course of 24 hours, hackers will meet other talented and curious students, connect with leading tech companies, and experiment with new technologies. As with most hackathons, the event is completely free. Food… beverages… swag… no charge! Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2p0jTLa

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UpPrize Social Innovation Competition Announces 10 Finalists

The UpPrize Social Innovation Challenge is an innovation competition that encourages communities to find creative solutions to issues facing their region or the world. Organized by Forbes Funds, it launched last year with a contest focused on helping victims of human trafficking, the visually impaired, and other vulnerable populations.

This year’s innovation competition asks participants to come up with ideas in two areas: Healthy Food Access and Impactful Technology. Ten finalists have been selected from an initial group of 175 by the companies partnering in the challenge, BNY Mellon Foundation of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Bridgeway Capital, and Comcast. Each finalist will receive $10,000 plus the opportunity to compete for additional prizes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2onQ7hp

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RIT Hackathon-like Challenges Students to Envision Health Innovation

First held at the Rochester Institute of Technology in 2008, the Imagine RIT: Innovation and Creativity Festival produces amazing innovations every year. This time around, the innovation contest is a health innovation challenge. RIT President Bill Destler has challenged students to develop a lifestyle app, physical device, or really anything that improves health in some way.

Like a hackathon, past challenges have focused on things like building or modifying the fastest electric vehicles, building drones that are then put through an obstacle course, and creating products that allow people with differing abilities to participate more fully in society.

The prize for this year’s event, which is now underway, has a unique twist. On the line is $1,000 cash or an antique banjo from Destler’s personal collection. You might say that the winner will have some pickin’ to do. Read more on this article. http://bit.ly/2oxsrJJ

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Why Contest Management Software Can Give your Brand a Boost

The best reason for a company to develop or sponsor a contest platform is that it will result in new products or services that will benefit others. That’s the driver behind most challenges. However, there are other benefits of innovation competitions.

Companies that are involved in these events find that they are a great way to connect with their target audience, especially youth and young adults. Why? This demographic tends to be creative, motivated, and interested in establishing a relationship with the brands they follow. In particular, here’s why innovation competitions can give your brand a boost:

Competitions expose a wide audience to your brand

Not only do those who participate in a challenge get to know your brand, but the ripple effect can be powerful. When a participant talks with family members, friends, and coworkers about the event, those people have a new awareness of your company. And if many of them talk to others, your reach into your target audience can grow exponentially. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2onL9kA

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Ghana’s Jubilee Competition Platform Gets Underway

The Republic of Ghana is a country in West Africa with a population of approximately 27 million. Rich in natural resources, those reserves have historically been the backbone of the Ghana’s economy. However, there is an economic plan in place known as Ghana Vision 2020. It lays out steps for Ghana to be the first African country to become a developed country between 2020 and 2029 and a newly industrialized nation between 2030 and 2039. Part of that process will be encouraging technological innovation. Recently, the Planning Committee for what’s called the Ghana at 60 Anniversary announced a competition platform referred to as the Jubilee Innovation Challenge. Its goal is to challenge youth and adults ages 18 to 35 to come up with creative solutions for societal problems. Read more from this blog. http://bit.ly/2oxykGN

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Registration Opens for DOM Environmental Online Contest Management

DOM is a word inspired by the idea of continuity and sustainability in Arabic. Launched by Youth Vision, the online contest management is focused on raising environmental awareness in the country of Oman. For those familiar with the name but not its geographic location, Oman is on the Persian Gulf and is bordered by the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest. It has marine borders in common with Iran and Pakistan. Organizers want the event to help promote a socio-environmental culture by challenging young people to come up with innovative ideas for addressing local environmental issues in creative and sustainable ways. Supported and promoted by BP Oman, the event is the first of its kind in the country. It is hoped that it will not only help solve environmental problems, but will also help foster a culture of innovative entrepreneurship. Read more on this article. http://bit.ly/2onzkuR