ABC Announces Innovation Award Winners
Department Gives Cash Awards for 25K Find a New Way Contest
(Sacramento) – The Director of the Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) announced today the
winners of its statewide Innovation Award Contest. ABC was one of three state agencies
participating in the “$25K Find a New Way” contest, which came about from legislation
introduced by Assemblyman Mike Gatto (AB 2138), and signed into law last year by
Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. After an extensive evaluation process, ABC will be
providing cash awards to two Californians who came up with the best unique ideas
for helping the agency more effectively and efficiently prevent or reduce underage
drinking.
The first prize was awarded to Bruce Lee Livingston of San Francisco for his winning submission
of the CalBoozeBuster App, an innovative, cost-effective program designed to empower
youth using smart phones to anonymously report to ABC alleged sales of alcoholic
beverages to youth at and around retail stores in California. Livingston, Executive
Director of San Rafael-based Alcohol Justice, proposed that ABC develop a free application
for Android and iPhones (iOS) linked to the Department’s current geocoding License
Query Mapping System. Users of the App could then tie into this system to pinpoint
an establishment, providing an avenue for the public and engaged youth to monitor,
and confidentially provide information and post pictures of storefronts suspected
of violating various laws including sales of alcoholic beverages to minors, sales
to obviously intoxicated persons, loitering, litter, and excessive signage. Livingston
will be receiving a $7,500 award for his idea.
Timothy Gorsuch, Director of ABC, states that, “what makes this idea so exciting is the
potential it has to facilitate communication between the public and ABC, harness
the knowledge and observations of youth, and utilize mass data gathering through
crowd sourcing social media to help the Department more precisely target problem
premises. The App has the potential to reduce the costs of monitoring and enforcement,
making it a revolutionary next generation prevention and enforcement tool.”
Innovation Award Winner Bruce Lee Livingston with ABC Public Information Officer John Carr
“The CalBoozeBuster App has enormous potential to reduce teen drinking and harm,”
stated Livingston. “It will empower youth to report alleged off-sale violations,
and eventually the app could be developed so youth and the public could report possible
binge drinking or irresponsible beverage service practices at on-sale locations
as well.”
The second prize went to Karen Kishita of Monrovia for her submission of “Take 1”, a program
designed to use the talents of future film makers to educate parents and kids about
the dangers of underage drinking. Her idea was for students with an interest in
filmmaking to create a short film, vine, or You Tube video to be viewed on the ABC
website and potentially school and law enforcement websites as well. The video might
play on You Tube and show the increasing problems with underage drinking. She suggested
that ABC partner with schools and local law enforcement agencies to facilitate the
implementation of the program. Kishita will be receiving a $ 1,000 award for her
idea. Kishita said “I would like to thank the California Department of Alcoholic
Beverage Control (ABC) for the privilege of being allowed to touch thousands of
lives and to inspire the youth of today, who have the skills and talent to help
prevent and hopefully stop the on-going problem of underage drinking.”
Innovation Award Winner Karen Kishita with ABC Supervising Agents Brad Beach (L) and Gerry Sanchez (R)
Director Gorsuch stated that he was particularly impressed with Kishita’s idea because “it
encourages youth to do what they do best and what they do every day – use their
cell phones and talents to take pictures and make videos for something positive
and potentially life-saving,” ABC plans to organize work groups to evaluate the
short and long term costs and viability of each idea.
ABC is a Department of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.