In early 2019, Dan Cogan, M.S. ’95, chief of staff for the city of Ithaca, was looking for a way to enlist help in rectifying a potentially dangerous public nuisance: snow-covered sidewalks and curb cuts at downtown intersections.

These areas can often go untended and present a hazard to pedestrians. Cogan’s idea: a mobile app that people could use to volunteer their snow-shoveling services around the city – and engage in friendly competition at the same time.