Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

Several organizations from surrounding states have been recognized as finalists in the “SXSW Innovation Awards” for 2024. Comprising 11 categories – everything from artificial intelligence to WTF (What the Future), the winners will be announced during a ceremony March 11 at the Austin Convention Center.

Finalists from neighboring states include:

• KultureCity , a Birmingham, AL-based nonprofit, was one of five announced in the Community Empowerment category. Described as an organization with a mission to create sensory accessibility and inclusion for those with invisible disabilities, KultureCity educates venue staff and grants certification to locations that implement sensory inclusive modifications. Additionally, it offers a mobile application for both Apple and Android devices that features a list of sensory-friendly venues, aiming to aid individuals with sensory processing disorders.
• No Limbits Adaptive Wheelchair Pants, located in Richmond, VA, was another finalist in the Community Empowerment category. The company was launched by Erica Cole in 2019, a year after she lost her lower left leg in a car accident. She started modifying clothing for herself, then friends, and launched the business through a Kickstarter campaign. She later received a $100,000 through Shark Tank.
•  EarliTec Diagnostics Inc., an Atlanta-based digital health company developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic products for children with autism and related early childhood vulnerabilities. It recently announced that The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) published positive results from a Phase III trial demonstrating that its EarliPoint^TM Evaluation can effectively and accurately aid in diagnosing and assessing autism in children as young as 16 to 30 months old. It is a finalist in the Health and Biotech Category.
• Boomerang, a Midland, NC company, with a mission to eliminate plastic waste and make a positive impact on the world. The founders have developed what they describe as the first sustainable water bottling system. One person operating the equipment can refill more than 3,000 bottles a day. Boomerang is a finalist in the Product Design category.

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