Company founded by UW-Whitewater professor launches Strive, a community engagement app
Whitewater, Wis. – May 8, 2013 – A revolutionary mobile-based platform is changing the way park and recreation departments engage with their communities. Slipstream, LLC has partnered with the National Recreation and Park Association to launch Strive, a sophisticated mobile app, in communities across the United States.
Strive is designed to leverage mobile technology in order to build a stronger, healthy community through activities and programs. It offers an integrated, simple and streamlined link between agencies and participating individuals.
“Strive is the first mobile-based platform that truly deepens engagement between agencies and the communities they serve, while helping the agencies reduce costs and generate revenue. The technology is helping to build stronger, more connected communities through a myriad of activities. Now dance competitions, yoga class, soccer games, nature walks and even neighborhood scavenger hunts are connected in a way they’ve never been before. It’s simple, convenient, fuels passion for healthy and happy communities while enabling the preservation of lifelong memories,” said James Jackson, president and COO of Slipstream.
Users in Strive-enabled communities can search for activities, register and pay for the events. Using Facebook, Twitter or email, Strive users can add friends, invite them to activities and share their experiences and photos. Other features include the ability receive important notifications, track stats, manage their schedules and use interactive maps to easily find their way to events. Athletes can even create digital or printed trading cards using the stats they record on the app. The National Recreation and Park Association is working with Slipstream to launch Strive in its member communities across the country.
“Our nation’s local parks and recreation are the go-to places where you can get healthy, be active, enjoy the company of family and friends and experience life. NRPA is so pleased to be partnering with Strive because this innovative app will help park and recreation agencies carry out their mission to improve quality of life for all people. We really think with Strive more people will be able to benefit from their local parks and recreation and truly appreciate and understand what value parks and recreation bring to the community,” said Tara Fitzpatrick-Navarro from the National Recreation and Park Association.
Slipstream is actively working with the cities of Whitewater, Fort Atkinson, Lake Mills and Monroe, Wis., to get them Strive-enabled. Several more communities set to pilot the platform include County of San Diego, Calif., which provides park and recreation services to more than three million residents. Agencies in Colorado, Montana, Alabama, Ohio and Virginia are also slated to start piloting Strive. The app is now available for download in the iTunes store and can be used by members of Strive-enabled communities.
“The powerful dimension of Strive is that it enables members to seek out and discover new ways to engage. It makes the world smaller, more human. I see it as the pulse of the community. You can see what your friends are doing, what your family is doing and follow your grandkids,” said Choton Basu, CEO of Slipstream and creator of Strive. “We are proud to have the support of organizations of the caliber of NRPA and UW-Whitewater, as we work together to realize a shared vision of creating more connected communities.” Basu is an associate professor of information technology and business education at UW-Whitewater.
Slipstream held an official Strive launch today at the Innovation Center at Whitewater University Technology Park.
“This product is the result of UW-Whitewater faculty members, students and the community sharing their creative talents. This is exactly the kind of collaboration we envisioned when we conceived of the technology park,” said Chancellor Richard Telfer. “Companies like Slipstream have found the Whitewater Innovation Center to be a supportive base to grow their businesses.”
About Slipstream, LLC.
Founded in 2012, Slipstream delivers paradigm-shifting technologies that support its core mission – to improve communities by connecting families and individuals to activities and events that promote health and wellness, encourage positive values and create memories. Its flagship technology, Strive, is the first mobile community engagement platform to be exclusively launched in partnership with the National Recreation and Park Association.
