Austin-based startup to receive $100,000 in funding to accelerate its business and mission

Today, SocialNote was announced as the winner of the 2023 Austin FC Dream Starter Competition presented by Q2 Holdings Inc., in collaboration with DivInc. SocialNote will receive $100,000 in funding to accelerate its business and mission as part of the Austin FC Dream Starter business initiative, which supports Austin entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds.

“After reviewing several innovative pitches, we’re delighted to announce SocialNote as this year’s Dream Starter winner,” said Austin FC President Andy Loughnane. “Austin has an amazing and diverse entrepreneurial community, and we’re grateful to Q2 and DivInc for their help in bringing this initiative to life for a third consecutive year.”

SocialNote is a one-of-a-kind web application designed for school-based social workers to manage interactions with students and families. Documentation of interactions with students and families is critical but often the last task to be completed because there are so many other needs to tend to. SocialNote aims to provide a platform that removes the stress, dread and burnout of case management so the job feels sustainable, and the professional field of school-based mental health retains high-quality providers.

“It is an honor to be selected as the 2023 Dream Starter Competition winner,” said SocialNote Co-founder Vanessa Newton. “We look forward to using the funds to grow and expand the reach of our business and mission of providing K-12 schools with the tools needed to support their social workers and counselors, which has a direct impact on the mental health and wellness of our students and children.”

“We are excited to recognize SocialNote as the winner of the 2023 Austin FC Dream Starter Competition,” said Q2 CEO Matt Flake. “At Q2, our mission is centered on building strong and diverse communities, and we are honored to help SocialNote empower social workers as they support and strengthen students and families in Austin.”

In addition to SocialNote, the 2023 Dream Starter finalists included Daybird, which produces skincare products that seek to redefine traditional beauty standards; Jale, an app that creates new opportunities between companies and blue-collar Latino workers; Player2Player, which creates opportunities for high-school and college-age athletes to coach young players; and Mammoth Creameries, which produces ice cream and frozen custard for people with diabetes or on sugar-conscious diets.

SocialNote, along with the other finalists, participated in a pitch contest on May 22 at Q2 Stadium, where a diverse group of representatives from Austin FC, Q2 Holdings Inc., and the Austin entrepreneurial community evaluated each finalist’s presentation and ultimately selected the winner. SocialNote will be honored with a check presentation during halftime at the Austin FC vs. Real Salt Lake match on Saturday, June 3.

Click here to learn more about the Austin FC Dream Starter Competition.

About Austin FC

Austin FC joined Major League Soccer (MLS) as the League’s 27^th club in January 2019. Austin FC officially began competing in MLS in April 2021 and played its first match at home on June 19, 2021, in the new, 100% privately financed, $260 million, state-of-the-art Q2 Stadium in Austin. In its second year, Austin FC finished the regular season 2^nd in the Western Conference, while also making a run to the Western Conference Final during the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs.

Austin FC also operates the Austin FC Academy, the fully funded developmental academy representing the highest level of competition for elite youth soccer players in Central Texas, while serving as the exclusive developmental pathway to MLS for the region’s most talented young players. In 2023, the Club launched Austin FC II, a professional-level development team, competing as one of 27 clubs in MLS NEXT Pro. The team completes the pro player pathway between elite youth soccer (MLS NEXT) and MLS, for players to develop, improve, and potentially move up to the Austin FC first team.

About Q2 Holdings, Inc.

Q2 is a leading provider of digital banking and lending solutions to banks, credit unions, alternative finance, and fintech companies in the U.S. and internationally. Q2 enables its financial institutions and fintech companies to provide comprehensive, secure, data-driven digital client engagement solutions – from consumers to small businesses and corporate clients. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Q2 has offices throughout the world and is publicly traded on the NYSE under the stock symbol QTWO. To learn more, please visit Q2.com. Follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter to stay up-to-date.

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