Motivote is a software company that serves clients including businesses, colleges and universities, and left-of-center advocacy groups. The company operates a get-out-the-vote platform that encourages voter turnout among young voters with an emphasis on voters on college campuses and allows users to complete tasks including voting and voter registration to earn points to redeem for physical and monetary prizes.

The platform was created as a result of a graduate school project at the New York University masters of public administration program in 2017 and launched to the public in 2020. The cofounders of the platform, Jess Riegel and Rachel Konowitz, have previously worked for notable left-leaning groups including the Fund for the Public Interest, the Rockefeller Foundation, and the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group. ^{1 2 3}

Background

Motivote was founded in 2017 by Jess Riegel and Rachel Konowitz, who developed the idea as part of a project for a graduate school assignment at the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University. Konowitz and Riegel were completing the masters of public administration program in social impact, innovation, and investment when given an assignment to outline a business plan for a company that boosts voter turnout. The cofounders decided to bring the business plan to life and began testing the Motivote platform in 2018 before it was ultimately launched to the public in 2020. ⁴

Format

The Motivote platform exists for use on smartphones and computers. The platform allows participants to create a profile and join “teams” such as campus clubs and organizations and can earn points to earn individual and team prizes including headphones, Apple Watches, clothing, and gift cards. Participants on the Motivote platform earn points by watching short informational videos on elections, gerrymandering, and registering to vote. Participants also earn points for voting, registering to vote, and inviting friends to register to vote and/or join the platform. ^{5 6}

Clients

Following its launch in 2020, Motivote worked with groups in the Memphis area to boost turnout for local 2021 elections. It also worked with groups including Virginia21 ahead of the 2021 elections in Virginia. The group has also worked with groups including Hillel, ⁷ Business for America, ⁸ Blue Future, University of Pennsylvania, and Miami Dade College. ⁹

People

Jess Riegel is the co-founder and CEO of Motivote, after founding the company while in graduate school, Riegel was an innovation finance fellow at the Rockefeller Foundation and previously worked for Teach for America, the Fund for Public Schools, Uncommon Schools, and Ashoka. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, now a Motivote client. ¹⁰

Rachel Konowitz is the co-founder and COO of Motivote. She previously worked as an outreach director at the left-of-center Fund for the Public Interest and as a campus organizer for the Connecticut Public Interest Research Group. She also was a canvasser for Work for Progress and Environment Illinois. While in graduate school she was also a research fellow at the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation. Konowitz and Riegel both completed the StartingBloc social innovation fellowship while in graduate school. ¹¹

1. “Political Tech Founders” Motivote.” Campaings and Elections.” December 10, 2021. Accessed April 7, 2022.  https://campaignsandelections.com/campaigntech/political-tech-founders-motivote/
2. “Rachel Konowitz.” Linkedin Profile.” Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-konowitz/details/experience/
3. “Jess Riegel.” Linkedin Profile.” Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicariegel/
4. “Political Tech Founders” Motivote.” Campaings and Elections.” December 10, 2021. Accessed April 7, 2022.  https://campaignsandelections.com/campaigntech/political-tech-founders-motivote/
5. Theobald, Bill. “Here’s a business plan: Wooing millennials to the polls with prizes, not guilt.” Accessed April 7, 2022. https://thefulcrum.us/voting/motivote-2640600614
6. “Motivote.” Miami Dade College. Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.mdc.edu/vote/motivote/default.aspx
7. “Motivote.” Mitzvote. Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.mitz.vote/motivote
8. “Motivote.” Business for America. Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.bfa.us/motivote
9. “Causes.” Motivote. Accessed April 7, 2022. https://motivote.us/causes/
10. “Jess Riegel.” Linkedin Profile.” Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicariegel/
11. “Rachel Konowitz.” Linkedin Profile.” Accessed April 7, 2022. https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-konowitz/details/experience/