Küdzoo is a free student benefit program that grants students access to deals, giveaways, scholarship opportunities, concert tickets and once in a lifetime experiences based on student's grades and achievements. Küdzoo is a student rewards app that works together with schools and businesses to improve student engagement by allowing them to get paid for grades, all while bringing communities together with an educational focus.

1. Küdzoo app: a Chicago resident's attempt to spur academic
engagement
ChicagoentrepreneurTrevorWilkinsrememberswhenhisparentswouldgivehim$10 for an A and$5
for a B in highschool.He usedthat as inspirationforabusiness.
WilkinsandNewYorkresidentLoganCoheninlate April launchedKüdzoo,afree mobileappthat
enablesstudentstoconverttheirgradesandreportcards intovirtual currency.
Users earn“KüdzooCash” basedongrades,grade improvementandattendance,plustheiranswersto
dailytriviaandcollege-entrance-examquestions.Theycanuse that“cash” to unlockdiscountsanddeals
on productsand servicesfromretailerssuchasThe NorthFace,Target and BestBuy andrestaurants
such as Subway,ChipotleandMcDonald’s.
“Thisis theirmoney,essentially,”saidWilkins,Küdzoo’sCEO.“They’re takingownershipof thiscurrency
that’sbaseddirectlyoff of howthey’re doingatschool.”
Wilkins,agraduate of Chicago’sWhitneyM.Young Magnet HighSchool and PrincetonUniversity,said
he thinksthe same monetarymotivationtowhichhe attributeshischildhoodacademicsuccesscould
helpdrive students’academicengagement.
Students13 yearsand olderuse theirsmartphone cameratoscan theirreportcards intothe Küdzoo
app,whichturns grade and attendance informationintopoints.
Wilkinssaid studentbenefitprogram alsocanearn rewardssuchas a phone call witha college
admissionsofficerora get-togetherwithafavorite athlete.
“I thinkKüdzoowill be anefficientplatformtoclose the achievementgapinaninteractive andengaging
way,”he said.

2. Wilkinssaidhe startedworkingonthe projectinearly2014. Last August,he said,he visitedafew
ChicagoschoolsincludingWhitneyYoung,wherehe promotedandtestedthe productwithstudents.
“We gave hima carte blanche intermsof accessto our studentbody,”saidJoyce Kenner,principal of
WhitneyYoung.“Ithinkour studentsreceived[Küdzoo] very,verywell.”
Wilkins,who'sbasedatthe 1871 techhub,said “Chicagoisverynear anddear to me.It’sso humblingto
be able to influencepeople inapositive way,especiallywhenthereissomuchnegativityaboutChicago
PublicSchools.”
In April,he receivedrecognitionforhisworkinChicagoPublicSchoolsfromthe JeffersonAwards
Foundation,whichsaysit'sdedicatedtorecognizinglocal andnational publicservice.
“It’san amazingapproval,”Wilkinssaid.
Küdzooalsohas establishedrelationshipsinPennsylvania,whereco-founderCohenisfrom.Twice a
year,the companysponsorsa pitchcompetitionforSchool Districtof Philadelphiastudents,andit
awards$500 to the winner,the school districtsays.Küdzooalsooffersacourse onentrepreneurshipat
the city’sScience LeadershipAcademymagnetschool.
WilkinssaidKüdzooaimstomake moneyfromadvertising.He saidthe companyhasraisedseed-round
moneyfromangel investors,buthe wouldn'tprovide details.
Cohen,Küdzoo’sCOO,saidshe thinksthe apprepresentsagreatfitfor today’ssmartphone-tethered
generation.
“If youwant toreward students,howdoyouwantto stay relevant?”she said.