CTIA Foundation Names Catalyst 2026 Social Innovation Winners

The top grant of $100,000 went to FreeWorld, an Austin-based startup that assists formerly incarcerated individuals in securing employment within the trucking industry. The app facilitates Commercial Drivers License exam preparation, provides access to training funds, and connects users with real-time coaching to ensure long-term stability. The foundation also awarded $50,000 to Oben Health, which trains beauty professionals as certified Community Health Workers to conduct hypertension screenings. Additional grants of $25,000 were presented to Cope Notes, an SMS-based mental health platform, and Empower Work, which provides peer counseling for low-income employees.

Cope Notes received the additional $25,000 Innovator Award, sponsored by T-Mobile, for utilizing artificial intelligence to connect users to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline. Finalists LitZone and Reducify were each granted $10,000 in honorable mention funding. According to CTIA Wireless Foundation Executive Director Dori Kreiger, the network of Catalyst-supported innovators now impacts nearly one in ten Americans through their mobile-first initiatives.