BodiMojo to Inspire Mojo at SXSW Start-Up Accelerator Competition

March 12, 2012 - PRLog -- BodiMojo, Inc. was selected as a finalist in the Health category for the 4th annual  SXSW Accelerator presented by Microsoft BizSpark, the marquee event of SXSW Startup Village where early stage technology companies demo innovative new technologies in front of influential industry judges and a live audience. Sponsored by Microsoft BizSpark, HTC, The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Turner Broadcasting, over 600 companies submitted to present at the SXSW Accelerator, where BodiMojo was selected out of 56 finalists in seven different categories.  BodiMojo’s founder and clinical psychologist, Tara Cousineau, PhD, is introducing a new health technology product for teen girls and young women.

“BodiMojo is excited to introduce our new “Map My Mojo” platform at SXSW.  There is a void when it comes to technology applications for youth that address health promoting behavior,” says Dr. Tara Cousineau.

Map My Mojo bridges that gap for teen girls and young women, in particular, about 80% of whom are on social networks. The technology behind Map My Mojo leverages their social ties and utilizes an emotional intelligence layer and proprietary algorithms to foster confidence and self-esteem—the building blocks for healthy choices. “As a group, young women are experiencing an unprecedented series of challenges to self-esteem, body image and emotional life,” says Cousineau. Girls, ages 13 and up, can sign up to be part of a closed beta: www.mapmymojo.com.

With over 50 million young women ages 10-34 in the U.S., studies show that the majority of females are unhappy with their body image and insecure and anxious about their appearance. “Yet, girls are inherently emotive, self-reflective and aspirational,” says Cousineau, who said that Map My Mojo is unique in:

•   Delivering a fun and engaging experience
•   Teen girls can identify their moods
•   Creatively express their feelings
•   Engage with peers in a positive way
•   Build a visual mood cloud
•   Track their feelings over time
•   Share and compare with friends
•   Recommend health and wellness content based on self-assessment

“SXSW’s Accelerator competition continues to attract a high caliber of applicants, and we are very excited to present this year’s finalists,” said SXSW Accelerator Event Producer, Chris Valentine. “Fostering innovation is core to the SXSW Interactive and Music Festival, and this year’s Accelerator, as a highlight of Startup Village, is a great way to continue this by bringing today’s new innovations to the SXSW community.”

The three-day event will be held Monday, March 12th - Wednesday, March 14th. As a key event of SXSW Festival’s Startup Village, the Accelerator competition will take place on the fourth floor of the Downtown Austin Hilton and will feature finalists across categories including News Related Technologies, Social Media and Social Networking Technologies, Innovative Web Technologies, Entertainment Technologies, Health Technologies, Mobile Technologies and Music Related Technologies.   Judges will select a winner in each of the categories presented, except Music Related Technologies, which will be revealed on March 13th at 6pm at the Austin Convention Center.  The last day of the event will focus exclusively on Music Related Technologies.  The award ceremony for winners in this category will take place on March 14th at 6pm.  BodiMojo will present alongside seven other companies in the Health category at 5:00 p.m. For more information about SXSW Accelerator and to view the complete list of finalists, visit the following site: http://sxsw.com/interactive/startupvillage/accelerator for Interactive .

About BodiMojo
BodiMojo offers social, web and mobile health and confidence apps that personalize messages for teens and young adults. With initial funding from federal small business grants, BodiMojo products include interactive health tools, games, quizzes, original health content, social networking, and customized user pages for teens. Grounded in evidence-based theory and methodology, BodiMojo’s products have been tested with young people in collaboration with research partners at Northeastern University and Joslin Diabetes Center. BodiMojo’s evidence-based platform allows for interoperability with other technology-based vendors, health services, and mobile device manufacturers to drive behavior change in a safe wellness environment.

About SXSW Interactive Festival
The 19th annual SXSW Interactive festival will take place March 9-13, 2012 in Austin, Texas. An incubator of cutting-edge technologies, the event features five days of compelling presentations from the brightest minds in emerging technology, scores of exciting networking events hosted by industry leaders and an unbeatable line up of special programs showcasing the best new websites, video games and startup ideas the community has to offer. From hands-on training to big-picture analysis of the future, SXSW Interactive has become the place to experience a preview of what is unfolding in the world of technology. Join us March 2012 for the panels, the parties, the 15th Annual Interactive Awards, Startup Village, ScreenBurn at SXSW, the SXSW Trade Show and, of course, the inspirational experience that only SXSW can deliver. SXSW Interactive 2012 is sponsored by Miller Lite, Chevrolet, IFC, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Monster Energy, Samsung, Freecreditscore.com, Microsoft, Isis, Esurance, AT&T and The Austin Chronicle.

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BodiMojo.com is an integrated health management platform for teenagers accessible via web or wireless devices.

Photo:
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