4 innovative companies win thousands of dollars at RootsTech

4 innovative companies win thousands of dollars at RootsTech

(Megan Christensen)


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SALT LAKE CITY — Monetary awards adding up to $100,000 were on the line for six innovative competitors at this year's RootsTech conference.

Developers and entrepreneurs were invited to participate in the 2016 Innovator Showdown, and 46 teams vied for the coveted final spots. During the event Friday, six people presented the work they are doing related to family history and preserving memories.

The competitors created a software app, and their submissions were required to include features that directly or indirectly related to family history, according to the website.

Darin Adams hosted the showdown as contestants explained their work and subsequently had just a few minutes to answer questions and concerns posed by the five judges.

The finalists' included Wesley Eames with AncestorCloud, Nick Jones with JRNL, Michael Chang with Legacy Republic, Heather Holmes with TapGenes, Niles Lichtenstein with The History Project and Paul Brooks with Twile.

Each contestant presented unique ideas ranging from the best archival scanner in the world — according to Chang — to an individual's family tree converted into a visual family history timeline.

At the conclusion of the presentations, the judges selected winners for the first, second and third place prizes while audience members texted in their votes for the People's Choice Award.

The audience and the judges both proved to love Twile, as Paul Brooks secured both the People's Choice award and third place overall. Brooks walked away with $16,000 in cash and $10,000 in in-kind prizes.

Coming in second place was Michael Chang with Legacy Republic. Using the company's newly launched product called Studio — the best archival scanner in the world — Independent Consultants around the country will help scan people's family photos. Chang walked away with $14,000 in cash and $15,000 of in-kind prizes.

The sole female of the group, Heather Holmes of TapGenes, scored the first place prize of $20,000 in cash and $25,000 in in-kind prizes. TapGenes helps families connect across generations and understand the common thread of their health tied together.

"This is going to help us really with our globalization plans and being able to really help spread this out to so many people," Holmes said after winning.

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Megan Marsden Christensen

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