SpeakEase wins Rep. Richard McCormick’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Georgia’s Seventh District

When asked what inspired the creation of SpeakEase, Hannah Kim said, “Jacob and I grew up side by side but in different worlds. His low-verbal autism often left him searching for words that never quite came, and me searching for ways to understand him. I remember moments when he’d try to express something but couldn’t, and I could see the frustration build. Those moments stayed with me. I wanted to create something that could bridge that silence.

“That’s how SpeakEase began. It wasn’t a grand plan. It started with a quiet question: what if technology could speak for him? I began sketching interfaces, writing bits of code, and testing them with Jacob. The first time the app spoke his words aloud, I saw a kind of peace in his expression that I’ll never forget. That moment made every late night worth it. It wasn’t just communication; it was understanding.

“As I refined SpeakEase, I drew on my experiences with Jacob and other special-ed students to make it intuitive for users who experience the world differently. I integrated AI to predict what someone might want to say next, and designed the interface to mirror natural human thought patterns. Every decision came back to one goal: to make communication easier, faster, and more human.

“What began as a personal project for my brother became something larger. I started hearing from families who said the app helped their loved ones express emotions they’d never been able to share. It reminded me that empathy and innovation aren’t separate; they depend on each other.

“Jacob inspired SpeakEase, but it has grown into a voice for many. Each time someone uses it to be heard, I think back to that first moment with him. Technology gave him a voice, but he’s the one who gave me purpose.”