Philly teens are building startups that help people ride, eat and meet others safely 

From an app to build social connections to an AI tool that edits writing, young people have a vision for the future  — and they’re already building their ideas.

Over the years, Philly’s become a place for entrepreneurship programs and other tech education programs. They offer prime opportunities for young people to launch their projects and get resources and guidance while doing so. 

Earlier this month, two tech-focused youth organizations, Coded by and Launchpad, showcased young people looking to launch their own startups. Their students shared tech solutions for specific challenges their communities are facing. They’re leaning into the entrepreneurship side of technology and giving students real-world experiences — the ethos behind many other Philly efforts in the space.

“By giving students the agency to choose a community problem that they personally care about,” Nick Imparato, high school program director at Launchpad, told Technical.ly, “We help them connect the technical skills they are developing at Launchpad to their neighborhoods, families and networks outside of this space.”

Sixty percent of teens would rather start a small business than work a traditional job, according to a 2022 survey from the education non-profit Junior Achievement USA. Two out of five teens are interested in extracurricular programs that teach entrepreneurship. Plus, interest in entrepreneurship among young people increased during the pandemic due to an unstable job market, according to IVolunteer International. 

At the recent Philly events, the opportunity to present in front of a panel of industry professionals from companies like Comcast and Seer Interactive — and get tangible feedback — put more young people on track to become entrepreneurs.

Future success is ‘not just about the technical skills’ 

The process of coming up with an idea, workshopping it and presenting it to others prepares young entrepreneurs for their professional careers, according to Danae Mobley, executive director of Coded by. 

Projects like the Tech and Innovation Internship showcase, run by Mobley’s organization, build soft skills like working on a team and communicating effectively. 

After researching real-world problems, interns brainstormed a solution, created a minimum viable product with a pitch deck and practiced their presentations. This process taught students about product design, development, technical feasibility and more. Seven teams presented their startup ideas to a panel of industry professionals.

“It’s incredibly important to have students present these ideas because so often succeeding in the workforce is not just about the technical skills, it’s also about your communication skills,” Mobley said. 

Tech leaders today say soft skills like communication, critical thinking and problem-solving have become increasingly important for tech professionals because they contribute to a positive company culture and working effectively on a team. 

Similarly at Launchpad, the tech workforce development organization hosted its second annual Ignite event where students pitched app ideas. The project is intended to show students how their ideas can be turned into a career. Launchpad is part of the city’s Career Connected Learning PHL program, which connects young Philadelphians to paid work opportunities with the mission of skills building and exposing them to career options.

These projects help build skills for students that they will take with them when they complete the program and enter the tech workforce, Imparato said. 

Launchpad students spent the summer researching challenges in their communities and interviewing community members. Then, they took their findings and brainstormed app-based solutions. Six student teams were chosen to present their ideas to a panel of judges. 

“When our students eventually leave Launchpad and enter the tech workforce,” Imparato said, “We want them to carry these lessons with them and use their skills and resources to give back to and re-invest in the communities they come from.”

Apps to save money, avoid food allergens, repair homes and deliver medicine 

For many of the students at the recent showcases, the ideas for their startups hit close to home.

At Coded by’s Tech and Innovation Internship showcase, young people came up with the idea for online medication delivery service ConnectCare. It aims to help people in pharmacy deserts order their medication and have it delivered to their houses. Patients can upload their prescription to the platform, get it accepted by a local pharmacy and organize delivery to their house. 

Same with the app Safeplate, which helps people with food allergies and diet restrictions find restaurants that have a reputation for accommodating their food needs. Users can make a profile with their dietary preferences and allergens and search for local restaurants that will accommodate them. They can also use the app to order food or make reservations at those restaurants. 

“The range of solutions they came up with was amazing to see,” Mobley told Technical.ly. “It was really interesting to see what problems that they’re interested in solving in the world.” 

The other five pitches at Coded by included budgeting app CashCow, AI-based editing platform PenPath, social media engagement platform SociAll, property maintenance app Repairo and beauty professional job board Beautique. 

The six finalist teams at Launchpad’s Ignite covered different themes, like grocery budgeting and transit safety. Three of the teams won cash prizes and will get a chance to develop prototypes of their apps and test them with their target audiences.

Optimize, a price comparison app to help people save money on groceries won ‘best overall’ award and earned $2,000. The app saves people time from going from store to store looking for the best price for items they need by digitizing the information instead. 

Big Sister Talk won ‘best idea’ and a $1,000 prize. The social media platform helps Gen Z women find curated content for advice, support and community. Instead of just trends, the algorithms behind Big Sister Talk tailor its content to specific, individual interests and needs. 

The $500 prize for ‘best pitch’ went to ClubFinder, an app for Philly teens to find clubs and other extracurricular activities. The other three teams were Congo, an app to find organic food, SEPTA safety app TransitAlert and Lemon-Aid, a mental health app.“Having them think through an idea, iterate on it, and then be able to present it effectively,” Mobley said, “is a really valuable next step in helping our students prepare for their professional futures.”