Announcing the Inaugural Hard Reset Award Nominees. Vote Now!

Vote now for the winners in each of the five categories recognizing the people and companies using technology to create a more just world.

In late September, we asked our readers to submit the names of people and companies who are working towards a better tech future. At a moment when billionaires and tech titans gather more power than ever, there’s a whole world of people out there willing and hoping for a better alternative. Hard Reset is the publication for those people.

Thank you to everyone who sent in nominations. We received dozens of incredible nominees, and it’s been inspiring to learn about all of them.

We’ve narrowed down the nominations. Now we’re handing it over to you to vote on the winners.

Category 1: Tech companies or individuals fighting for a system that is more racially, environmentally, or economically just

Nominees:

1. BraidsTribeApp: A mobile platform empowering Black women and communities in New York to learn, share, and access beauty and entrepreneurial skills.

2. Ecosia: A nonprofit search engine and web browser that uses renewable energy to power its servers and invests its profits in tree-planting projects, aiming to absorb more CO2 than it emits.

3. TurboHome: Makes it easier for people to purchase homes by replacing the traditional real estate commission structure with a low-cost, full service model.

Category 2: Organizations or individuals supporting human rights in the face of resistance

Nominees:

1. Hossam Nasr: A former Microsoft software engineer and leader of the No Azure for Apartheid movement who was fired for his support of Palestine and who has become a prominent activist against tech’s involvement in Israeli genocide.

2. Eyes on Surveillance: A group of community members and organizations in New Orleans working together to halt the local government’s expansion of surveillance tools such as facial recognition, while also increasing oversight of current government surveillance methods.

3. Memphis Community Against Pollution: An organization dedicated to pursuing environmental justice for communities in Southwest Memphis and historically polluted neighborhoods.

Category 3: Companies or organizations maintaining healthy information ecosystems and strengthening democracy

Nominees:

1. Safety Sync Group: Supporting mission-driven organizations and people with physical, cyber, legal, mental health, and crisis communication.

2. Solidarity Tech: The all-in-one CRM built for organizers helps unions and grassroots organizations build people-powered movements.

3. Fairly Trained: Certifies that AI companies don’t use any copyrighted work without a license to ensure fair training data use and that human creators are treated fairly.

4. TechEquity: Raises public consciousness so that tech is held accountable for its harms and can instead work towards economic prosperity for everyone.

Category 4: Those addressing city or neighborhood issues in ways that support community, grassroots activism, or public participation in governance

Nominees:

1. Replate: A tech-enabled nonprofit that aims to reduce food waste and food insecurity. Their food rescue platform offers tools for businesses with surplus food to donate meals to nonprofits who are already serving communities.

2. wpsWatch: An app from the nonprofit Wildlife Protection Solutions that lets volunteers and wildlife rangers identify threats to wild animals in the field, helping to save, via tech, the lives of thousands of animals.

3. OpenSolar: OpenSolar exists to accelerate the adoption of solar electrification globally. OpenSolar is the world’s first free, end-to-end platform designed to help solar professionals grow their businesses and streamline their operations.

Category 5: Leadership and courage: an award for tech employees, executives, and founders who have shown fearlessness in challenging power structures

Nominees:

1. Joan Kinyua: In a world rapidly shaped by artificial intelligence, Kinyua is dedicated to advocating for fairness, transparency, and ethical practices in AI development and deployment. As a Digital Rights Activist, she empowers individuals and communities by ensuring their voices are heard in conversations about AI policies, digital labor, and the future of work.

2. Matthew Prince: The co-founder and CEO of the technology company Cloudflare, which is used by 20% of sites on the internet for web security services. This year, attempting to reclaim the internet for humans, Cloudflare took the dramatic step of blocking AI crawlers by default.

3. Amjad Masad: The CEO of the successful tech company Replit has recently used his standing to speak out for Palestinian rights.

4. Paul Graham: Paul Graham is the influential co-founder of the startup accelerator Y Combinator. Paul has used his voice in the tech community to stand up for civil liberties. This year he has publicly advised young Silicon Valley tech workers not to work at Palantir, who are in his words, the company building the infrastructure of the police state.

Voting will be open until December 8.

Winners will be announced on December 10 at an event in Oakland, California. Bay Area-based nominees will be invited to attend and receive their awards; those awards (and a gift bag!) will be mailed to winners who aren’t in the Bay Area.

Happy voting! And thank you for being part of the Hard Reset community.