"Career Path" by Team Niew Labs Wins $15,000 CODE Challenge

TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - March 27, 2015) - Treasury Board President Tony Clement congratulated winners of the second annual Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) at the Grand Finale event in Toronto last night. A total of $40,000 in prizes from private sector sponsors was presented to winners in five categories. The overall top prize for CODE, as well the Youth Employment theme prize, goes to team Niew Labs. Team members include Jigdel Kuyee, Rob McDiarmid, Daniil Shevelev, and Lev Perelman, all from Ontario. Their $15,000 grand prize app is called Career Path, a platform that helps young Canadians discover, research, and choose future career paths.

The 48-hour CODE 2015 appathon was held February 20 to 22, with about 1,300 participants taking part during the International Open Data day weekend. CODE 2015 was the biggest event of its kind in Canadian history, with a record 125 submissions by over 300 teams from all 10 provinces and Nunavut. The top 15 teams were chosen based on user experience, use of open data, innovation, potential, and functionality. Final judging by a panel of industry experts took place at the CODE Pitch Day on March 16.

Results announced last night included a $5,000 prize for each theme to the following recipients: Healthy Living to team Neighbourfood from Vancouver for their app Neighbourfood; Youth Employment to team Niew Labs from the Greater Toronto Area for Career Path; Business Opportunities to team Farm Canada from Winnipeg and Calgary for their app Farm Canada; and Best Student Team to team SFU Data Crunchers from Burnaby and Coquitlam for High School Down, Where Next? The Fan Favourite winner is Team Bear Paws, from Richmond, BC with their COFY app – Career Opportunities for Youth.

Quick Facts

• The Canadian Open Data Experience (CODE) is an open data appathon supported by the Government of Canada and hosted by XMG Studio with the goal of challenging participants to creatively repurpose federal government datasets.
• For the Fan Favourite prize, votes were cast directly on each team's individual page or by sharing the team's unique CODE address on Twitter or Facebook.
• Open Data, along with Open Information and Open Dialogue, form the three major pillars of Canada's Action Plan on Open Government.

Quotes

"I offer my congratulations to the winners of the Canadian Open Data Experience. The success of these bright, young Canadians is truly inspiring, and their work serves as a reminder of the ongoing economic potential of open data in Canada. Well done to all!"

• Tony Clement, President of the Treasury Board

"Congratulations to this year's CODE winners, who represent the best of Canadian-made talent. Their original applications showcase the unlimited potential of open data-an important part of our government's plan for Canadians to take advantage of opportunities in the digital age. We will continue to provide Canadians with the tools and skills they need to excel in an increasingly digital economy."

• James Moore, Minister of Industry

"Events like CODE 2015 provide a unique opportunity for Canadians eager to showcase innovative ideas and potentially change their lives. Winning CODE 2014 for the NewRoots app was a great springboard. Our team, Electric Sheep, went on to expand, re-brand and re-launch, and I am now the CEO of Imminy, an online platform that connects immigrants to personalized pathway information and to service providers who can offer one-on-one assistance online. This vital experience is why I was pleased to be a judge this year and continue participating in a national appathon of this calibre."

• Carlos Saavedra, CODE 2015 Judge, and Co-winner of CODE 2014 Grand Prize

"CODE 2015 - the largest hackathon in Canadian history - showcased not only the breadth of data available to Canadians, but also the depth of talent and drive to succeed that's ingrained in Canada's developer community. The winning teams' submissions are amazing examples of how fierce Canadian innovators are and how limitless the potential of open data really is. I congratulate the CODE 2015 champions - they are worthy winners!"

• Ray Sharma, Executive Managing Partner at Extreme Venture Partners and Founder of XMG Studio Inc

Related Products

• Canadian Open Data Experience {CODE}

• Open Data Portal

• Canada's Action Plan on Open Government

Current and past blogs on CODE:

• CODE 2015 Winning Teams

• Canada Codes! The CODE 2015 Top 15 Apps

• CODE 2015 - It's a Wrap!

Follow us on Twitter: @TBS_Canada.