Las Vegas—Today, SHRM announced Maxwell as the winner of the 2023 SHRMLabs Better Workplaces Challenge Cup (BWCC), a competition to highlight the most innovative workplace technology solutions from companies across the globe. The announcement was made on June 12 at the SHRM Annual Conference & Expo 2023 (SHRM23), where the winner was presented with the cup and a $50,000 cash prize. SHRMLabs would also like to congratulate the inaugural BWCC member track winner, Collin Gehl, for creating the Leadership 101 training program.
"We would like to congratulate both the Maxwell team and Collin for their creativity and resourcefulness to the human resource field," said Alex Alonso, chief knowledge officer at SHRM. "As each new competition year passes, we get to see a new crop of competitors present new solutions to meet the existing gaps in the market. We'd also like to thank all the startup teams that submitted proposals—it's exciting to see all the new ideas coming into this field."
Based in Omaha, Neb., Maxwell is an app that provides a work/life balance benefits platform. Maxwell creates a monthly budget, allowing employees to choose how to balance their time via the app. This app enables employers to retain employees, bringing them greater satisfaction while capturing critical data points for employers to analyze, like stress and productivity.
Maxwell's founder and CEO, Adriana Cisneros Basulto, said, "There's a growing life/work imbalance worldwide. HR struggles to deliver on the expectations of balance and fulfillment in a personalized employee experience. Maxwell helps employers meet the diversity of needs that employees have to find balance."
Out of 450 initial submissions to compete worldwide, the organizations were narrowed down to just two finalists that appear in person at SHRM23 in Las Vegas. The finalists gave one last pitch to a panel of judges, including celebrity judge Suzy Welch, bestselling author and "Today" show/CNBC contributor, in a bid to win the $50,000 prize. The other judges on the panel were:
- Amber Clayton, senior director, SHRM Knowledge Center.
- Tim Sackett, president, HRU Technical Resources.
- William Tincup, president and editor-at-large, RecruitingDaily.com.
- Jeff Wald, Founder, Boomerang Intelligence
SHRMLabs also launched its member track this year. The inaugural winner is Collin Gehl, human resources director for Say Yes Buffalo and president of the Buffalo Niagara HR Association. Noticing a need for a professional development program, he created Leadership 101: Emerging Leaders. The program, which consists of seven sessions, including one with a career coach, is designed to help emerging leaders within the Say Yes Buffalo organization. Now on its third cohort, the program has seen five internal and four external promotions.
"Each year, I can't help but be inspired by the next generation of innovators solving critical workplace challenges across the globe," said Guillermo Corea, managing director of SHRMLabs. "The solutions presented have real-world impact, and we're serving as a platform to make an even bigger impact. Congratulations to all the competitors, at each stage, for their work and dedication."
To learn more about SHRMLabs and future Better Workplaces Challenge Cup competitions, please visit https://www.shrmlabs.com/. And to read more about each of the competitors, you can check out their profile coverage at SHRM Online.
About SHRM
SHRM creates better workplaces where employers and employees thrive together. As the voice of all things work, workers and the workplace, SHRM is the foremost expert, convener and thought leader on issues impacting today's evolving workplaces. With nearly 325,000 members in 165 countries, SHRM impacts the lives of more than 235 million workers and families globally. Learn more at SHRM.org.