2019
This year we were excited to partner with the Veterans Outreach Center to facilitate greater involvement and help veterans and soldiers in the Rochester area get access to the programs and services they need.
Our challenge: How can we help the VOC to create new offerings to attract younger veterans/soldiers?
The VOC’s mission is to serve veterans with compassion and advocate for all who have worn our nation’s uniform so they can rise and live life to the fullest.
Learn more at veteransoutreachcenter.org.
Facilitators
Tori Bonagura
Tori Bonagura is a Product Designer based in San Francisco, California, and has participated in Eureka! twice. She currently works at Tia, where she works on building out a suite of health & communication products and physical experiences for a data-based women’s healthcare company. After graduating RIT’s Graphic Design program in 2017, Tori worked all over the US focusing on using user-centered thinking to create positive & sustainable products, installations & experiences for a wide variety of clients including Google, Adobe, Planned Parenthood, Riot Games, & Children’s Hospitals. Her work has been recognized by organizations including Communication Arts, Awwwards, Product Hunt, TechCrunch, & Invision.
Ryan Sullivan
Ryan grew up in a military family on the shores of Oneida Lake. His parents and brother were all active duty members of the Air Force throughout his childhood. He studied furniture design at RIT and now lives in Chili, working as a furniture maker. This creative background gives him a pragmatic and resourceful approach to problem solving. Some teaching experience has given him a familiarity with helping others shape their ideas and bring them to fruition. Ryan loves hiking and baking, cocktails and coffee. Ask him how many houseplants he has, I dare you.
Courtney Smith
A large part of Courtney’s working life has been military-focused. She is very passionate about the military, as are many US Veterans. Courtney served six years in the Army on active duty. Her experience in the Army was very positive, and it was her gateway to discovering her love of design, problem-solving, and creative thinking. With the help of the Post 9/11 GI Bill, she was able to complete her education.
She earned her B.F.A. in Graphic Design in 2017 from RIT. Attending RIT fostered her love for taking on new challenges and finding solutions to complex problems. Courtney finds that she uses the skills she gained in the Army and at RIT every day in her personal and professional life. Courtney is a person who embraces new ideas. She always looks forward to working with others to brainstorm concepts that will ultimately be better with the contributions of a diverse group. Courtney currently lives in Rochester, NY, and works downtown at CGI Communications as a Graphic Designer. Courtney loves cats, coffee, Mustangs, and her husband.
Our sponsor
Marianne Sernoffsky
Female Veterans and Family Outreach Program Manager
Marianne is the proud spouse of a 26-year Army Veteran and has been working with Veterans for over 18 years. In the Army Creed it states “I will always place the mission first, I will never accept defeat, I will never quit.” Marianne follows those ethos above and beyond. Veterans are near and dear to Marianne’s heart.
2019 Winners: Team Archimedes
Team Archimedes’ three-part plan was selected by the panel of judges as the strongest for implementation. The team’s proposal consisted of three stages: first, revamp the VOC’s social media presence in order to reach a younger demographic of soldiers; second, create a recreation group in order to foster community and introduce members to the VOC; and third, create a recreation center at the VOC in order to further integrate younger soldiers.
Other proposals to engage younger soldiers included: a website redesign, programming for social events and mixers, a community mural-painting program, an app design, and implementing existing apps and programs to share information and foster community.
