Vivery is Named Winner of the 21st Annual Chicago Innovation Awards
Chicago, Nov. 17, 2022 — Vivery from the Thierer Family Foundation, the organization helping nonprofits increase their impact through technology, has been named one of the winners of the annual Chicago Innovation Awards. From 365 organizations nominated, 21 winners were announced at this year’s event held at Morgan Manufacturing on Nov. 16. The coveted awards program recognizes the Chicago area’s most innovative new products or services brought to market each year.
More than one in four households in Cook County self-identify as food insecure. Many of them may not be receiving food assistance of any kind because they are either confused over eligibility, feeling shame or stigma, or simply don’t know where to go.
Disparity in technology advancements between the nonprofit and for-profit world has always existed due to funders’ desire to support programs over operations. While tech investments in for-profit organizations have propelled the US to a digital-first economy for groceries, banking, ride sharing, and more, underserved and vulnerable communities have not been able to take advantage of similar tech conveniences.
Nasrin Thierer, Founder of Thierer Family Foundation said: “Innovation is often born from necessity. And that is exactly what we are experiencing both in Chicago and across the US, with food insecurity being at an all-time high. On one end, food banks and pantries are working hard to support the increased demand for food in their communities. Meanwhile, those seeking food assistance services are often relying on outdated information and are confused on where or when to go for the right food, programs and services needed. It’s a great honor that Vivery has been named as a winner of this year’s Chicago Innovation Awards as a tool for food banks and pantries, helping to bridge the technology gap and equalize access to food.”
After years of awarding grants and supporting our grantees technology projects in the food insecurity space, Vivery was developed by the Thierer Family Foundation in collaboration with the Greater Chicago Food Depository, to address the nuanced challenges of the food assistance ecosystem at scale. With its unique ability to bring improved food finder maps with powerful search filters, automatically generated websites, and text messaging into one platform, Vivery makes it easy for all US food banks and pantries to better connect with the people they serve and keep them informed about their services. The platform also provides food banks and pantries with valuable end-user insights to make future program changes that match the unique needs of their community.
The complete list of this year’s Chicago Innovation Award winners can be found at www.chicagoinnovation.com.
About Thierer Family Foundation The Thierer Family Foundation was founded by Nasrin and Mark Thierer in December 2015, with a mission to increase the impact of nonprofits by helping them leverage technology to be more effective, efficient, and sustainable. The foundation strategically funds innovative technology projects to modernize access to food and significantly change the way an organization can serve their target audience. By investing in technology, the Thierer Family Foundation can greatly impact an organization’s reach, help organizations deliver on their mission, and ultimately serve more people. Their hope is that this approach will pave the way for other funders to see the value of investing in technology within the nonprofit sector. Head to https://thiererfamilyfoundation.org/ to learn more