#WeArePlay: 10 million downloads and counting, meet app and game founders from across the U.S.

Posted by Robbie McLachlan, Developer Marketing They saw a problem and built the answer. S. who started their entrepreneurial journey with a question like: what if reading was no longer a barrier for anyone?

What if an app could connect neighbors to fight local hunger? What if fitness or self-care could feel as engaging as playing a game? These new stories showcase how innovation often starts with finding the answer to a personal problem.

Here are just a few of our favorites: Cliff’s app Speechify makes the written word accessible to all Cliff, founder of Speechify Miami, Florida Growing up with dyslexia, Cliff always wished he could enjoy books but found reading them challenging. , the then college student turned that personal challenge into a solution for millions. His app, Speechify , empowers people by turning any text—from PDFs to web pages—into audio.

By making the written word accessible to all, Cliff’s innovation gives students, professionals, and auditory learners a new kind of independence. Jenny’s game Run Legends turns everyday fitness into a social adventure Jenny, founder of Talofa Games San Francisco, California As a teen, Jenny funded her computer science studies by teaching herself to code and publishing over 100 games. A passionate cross-country runner, she wanted to combine her love for gaming and fitness to make exercise feel more like an adventure.

The result is Run Legends , a multiplayer RPG where players battle monsters by moving in real life. Jenny’s on a mission to blend all types of exercise with playful storytelling, turning everyday fitness into a fun, social, and heroic quest. Nino and Stephanie’s app Finch makes self-care a rewarding daily habit Nino and Stephanie, co-founders of Finch Santa Clara, California As engineers, Nino and Stephanie knew the power of technology but found the world of self-care apps overwhelming.

Inspired by their own mental health journeys and a gamified app Stephanie built in college, they created Finch . The app introduces a fresh take on the virtual pet: by completing small, positive actions for yourself, like journaling or practicing breathing exercises, you care for your digital companion. With over 10 million downloads, Finch has helped people around the world build healthier habits.

With seasonal events every month and growing personalization, the app continues to evolve to make self-care more fun and rewarding. John’s app The HungreeApp connects communities to fight hunger John, founder of The HungreeApp Denver, Colorado John began coding as a nine-year-old in Nigeria, sometimes with just a pen and paper. , he was struck by how much food from events was wasted while people nearby went hungry.