We are honored to receive a Columbus Business First 2021 #BizTech Award for Nonprofit of the Year, recognizing the development of our WAYFYNDER technology platform and app â and proud to be part of a group of innovative local organizations and businesses, including Color Coded Labs and M/I Homes, Inc., that are leveraging technology to advance our region.
We conceived Wayfynder in 2019 as a poverty intervention platform to increase awareness and access to the services we provide. Then a worldwide pandemic came along and created an urgent need for virtual services for all our clients â and the whole world!
With enthusiastic support from CEO Karen Mozenter, leadership from Chief Program Officer Melissa Wolf Starr and an assist from board member Doug McCollough, we took our vision for virtual services and created what is now our Wayfynder digital platform. Available online or via app, Wayfynder expands our clientsâ ability to access a broad range of virtual services, real-time communication, automated intake, a library of agency and community resources, and recorded audio and video content. With Wayfynder, clients can find help when, where, and how they need it.
For those who fear the stigma associated with asking for help, Wayfynder offers safe, personalized, remote and on-demand access to our resources and services. This has led to opportunities with local and national partners on pilots for data sharing and reporting among various providers. Through our Wayfynder platform, we are extending our reach, and also identifying potential new sources of funding through licensing and consulting. We are excited to be able to leverage the power of technology for impact in the human service sector. Special thanks to team members Elizabeth Enck and Lydia Daniels for their work on this project.