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Local software developer wins global competition with new health communication app

Juan Moreno's team has been awarded $10,000
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A local software developer joined in on the fight against COVID-19 with a new tech development, and it landed his team first place in a national entrepreneurial competition.

Juan Moreno took first place in Canada and was also selected as a top five global winner during the Unite to Fight COVID-19 Startup Weekend, hosted by Techstars.

The aim of the event was to bring people together to create solutions to and responses for the COVID-19 crisis.

One winner was selected from all 54 countries, and Canada's winner was the Sault's very own Rest Assured, made up of Kelsey Muller, Michaela Moore, Nicole Korb, Juan Moreno, Omar Mohamed, Kayla Maceachern, and Vidbudh Singh.

Rest Assured is a web app designed to improve communication between healthcare professionals and family members, providing real-time updates to families about the status of their loved ones in hospitals and long-term care facilities.

“I was excited to join the Techstars hackathon as a way to meet new people and be inspired about potential COVID-19 problems that could be addressed," said Juan Moreno in a news release. "It was an incredible experience to join the Rest Assured team and validate product-market fit, create a sample prototype, conduct user interviews, develop a viable business plan and ultimately craft a winning pitch.”

Rest Assured is one of five teams who will receive a $10,000 grant for their endeavors.