June 2023 Summaries

The #WeArePlay series highlights app and game founders from around the world who bring innovative ideas to their respective industries, showcasing their unique journeys and creations. The series features Yoshihiko from Japan, who developed the YAMAP app for mountain climbers to enhance safety and build a community, inspired by the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. Valeria and Álvaro from Spain founded Platonic Games, focusing on creating inclusive games for a female audience with titles like "Happy Hop," inspired by kawaii culture. Olivier from Cameroon launched Kiroo Games, which produced the African fantasy RPG "Aurion," combining elements of Japanese manga with geopolitical allegories. Yiwei from Malaysia founded Kurechii, creating the game "Postknight" for single-handed play during commutes, with a sequel and further enhancements in the works. These stories celebrate the creativity and determination of developers who are reshaping the gaming landscape while fostering new communities and cultural narratives.

Google Cloud Champion Innovators are a network of over 500 professionals who are experts in Google Cloud products and services, each specializing in one of nine technical categories such as AI/ML, data analytics, and security. This interview series explores the journeys and insights of these innovators, featuring Elyes Manai, a Machine Learning Consultant and Educator, who emphasizes the significance of applying AI in cybersecurity and lesser-used languages for more inclusive benefits. Elyes's journey into machine learning was serendipitous, leading him from an initial interest in architecture to a career in IT and web development, ultimately steering him towards a PhD in AI. His learning approach is pragmatic, involving direct engagement with new tools and technologies, always linking back to his research interests. Outside technology, Elyes enjoys biking and reading, with a particular interest in science fiction and autobiographies. As a Google Developer Expert, his involvement in the Innovators program has bolstered his credibility and connected him with a broader community. He encourages aspiring professionals to build social connections and stay curious, as the tech industry evolves rapidly.

As Pride Month concludes, the emphasis shifts from temporary symbols to ongoing inclusion, urging developers to integrate LGBTQIA+ inclusivity into their products year-round, thereby enhancing overall user experience. Key recommendations include using gender-neutral language, respecting pronoun and gender identity selections, avoiding stereotypes, and prioritizing privacy and safety for LGBTQIA+ users. Developers are encouraged to offer flexible account setups, facilitate easy updates to personal information, and engage in continuous learning to understand the LGBTQIA+ community's diverse experiences. Inclusive user research and regular product updates are essential to accommodate evolving LGBTQIA+ terminology and social contexts, ensuring that products remain relevant and respectful of all users' identities.

The inaugural 2023 North American Google for Startups Accelerator: Cloud cohort has been launched, featuring a diverse group of cloud-native startups from the United States and Canada. This 10-week virtual accelerator offers startups access to Google's comprehensive suite of programs, products, and technologies, including mentorship and technical support, as well as workshops on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership development. Startups like Harmonic Discovery, Oncoustics, and OneCup AI are leveraging Google Cloud's advanced data, analytics, and AI capabilities to innovate in fields such as healthcare, agriculture, and animal care. The cohort comprises 12 startups, including Aiden Automotive, Binarly, Duality.ai, HalloAI, MLtwist, Passio AI, RealKey, Sevco Security Inc., and VESSL AI, each working on groundbreaking solutions ranging from AI-powered language learning to cybersecurity and MLOps platforms. As the accelerator program begins in mid-July, it aims to support these startups in scaling their businesses and advancing their technological solutions.

Earlier this month, LA TechWeek featured a panel event, curated by Google's Head of VC & Startup Partnerships West Coast, focusing on "Building with Generative AI" and supported by Google Cloud for Startups. The event brought together representatives from Google Cloud, Andreessen Horowitz, Gradient Ventures, and Alphabet’s X to discuss the transformative potential of AI in various sectors, emphasizing collaboration between startups, venture capitalists, and tech giants. Google's journey in AI was highlighted, particularly its pioneering role since the 2017 Transformer whitepaper, while Clarence Wooten from X described AI as a virtual "co-founder" for startups. Andrew Chen from Andreessen Horowitz predicted significant changes in the gaming industry due to generative AI, and Darian Shirazi from Gradient Ventures emphasized essential traits for AI founders. The discussion also covered AI integration, scalability challenges, and the importance of innovation. The event underscored Google's commitment to supporting startups through initiatives like the Google Cloud for Startups Program, which offers resources and cloud credits. As LA TechWeek concluded, the overarching sentiment was optimism about the present and future of generative AI, with Google poised to lead responsibly and collaboratively in the AI revolution.

#WeArePlay's global tour highlights inspiring stories of app and game founders from Europe, showcasing their innovative solutions to improve lives through technology. Geert from Belgium founded Cubigo, an app designed to increase independence for elderly individuals by helping them manage daily activities and stay connected with family and caregivers. In Turkey, Zafer and Sercan co-founded Otsimo, creating educational games tailored for children with neurodevelopmental disorders, utilizing technology like voice recognition and machine learning to enhance learning experiences. Meanwhile, in France, Maxence and Oxana developed Appsent, a home management app that simplifies cleaning tasks and aids individuals with autism and ADHD in organizing their homes. These stories illustrate the diverse ways in which technology is being used to address specific needs, fostering independence and improving quality of life across different communities.

Applications are now open for the 2023 Google for Startups Accelerator programs, targeting Women Founders and Black Founders, as part of Google's commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion in the tech startup ecosystem. These programs aim to address the structural barriers and funding disparities that underrepresented founders face, with women-founded startups receiving only about 2.1% and Black-founded startups about 1.1% of U.S. venture capital funding in 2022. Each program will select twelve startups from North America to participate in a virtual, equity-free, three-month intensive bootcamp designed to equip founders with essential tools for growth, including mentorship, technical project support, and workshops on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership development. In addition to expert guidance from Google leaders, participants will benefit from a collaborative cohort environment that fosters shared learning and support. Both programs seek to create a more equitable tech ecosystem, with U.S. and Canadian startups encouraged to apply by their respective deadlines of July 25 for the Women Founders and August 2 for the Black Founders program.

At I/O 2023, Google introduced Project Gameface, an innovative open-source technology that allows users to control a computer's cursor hands-free using head movements and facial gestures, aimed at enhancing accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Inspired by quadriplegic gamer Lance Carr, who collaborated on the project, this tool uses MediaPipe's Face Landmarks Detection API to process facial expressions in real-time, enabling users to perform various mouse actions and even keyboard presses. To ensure a seamless experience, it offers customizable features such as separate cursor speed adjustments and adjustable smoothing to minimize jitteriness. The project emphasizes user comfort by allowing personalization of gesture bindings and threshold settings, supported by real-time camera feedback for optimal performance. Developed with an intuitive user interface using CustomtKinter and packaged with PyInstaller, Project Gameface is designed for easy deployment and encourages developers to build upon its potential, with its code available on GitHub.

On May 10, 2023, Google I/O, a major event where Google shares its latest developer solutions and technologies, was live-streamed globally, followed by the Google I/O Extended season, which runs from May through August. This season features community-led events such as watch parties and tech meetups, allowing developers worldwide to connect, discuss new releases, and explore opportunities presented by Google's technologies. These events foster local developer communities, inspiring participants to further their tech careers and build meaningful connections. With over 5,000 developers reached through 150 events globally, Google I/O Extended continues to provide a platform for learning and networking, with Google Developer Experts participating to enhance the experience. Participants are encouraged to join these meetups to deepen their understanding of Google's offerings and engage with fellow tech enthusiasts.

Yves Kalume, Maxim Salnikov, and Radostin Cholakov share their experiences as developers, highlighting the importance of community, favorite tools, and past projects using Google technologies. Yves emphasizes the role of Google Developer Student Clubs in his journey, highlighting tools like Jetpack Compose for Android development and his project "Be Served," which utilizes Kotlin and Google Cloud. Maxim discusses his preference for the Workbox library in building progressive web apps and his involvement in the Angular community, including organizing events like ngVikings. Radostin highlights TensorFlow as a favorite tool for its versatility in machine learning tasks and describes his work on the Bulgarian NLP platform "AzBuki.ML," which uses various Google tools. All three developers stress the importance of community involvement, continuous learning, and allyship in creating an inclusive tech industry, particularly during events like Pride Month.

Tessa and Saasha, best friends turned co-founders of the app Olio, have been driven by their shared passion for reducing waste and promoting environmental sustainability. Growing up with firsthand experiences of the challenges of food production and waste, they created Olio to facilitate the sharing, selling, or giving away of surplus food and household items, thus fostering a zero-waste lifestyle. The idea for Olio originated when Tessa faced the challenge of finding someone to take her leftover food while moving countries, sparking a collaboration with Saasha to develop the app. Initially focused on surplus food, Olio has expanded its scope to include a variety of items, and has grown to operate in 62 countries with the support of volunteers known as Food Waste Heroes, who redistribute excess food from supermarkets and restaurants, saving an estimated million meals weekly. The app exemplifies their vision of making sharing a standard practice, and it is part of a broader initiative that includes stories of other impactful projects, such as LGBTQ+ apps celebrating Pride Month.