The American Dynamism Tracker wins Rep. Chip Roy’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Texas’s 21st District

When asked what inspired the creation of The American Dynamism Tracker, the students said, “America became a global superpower because of our industrial might and innovators. But with the rising strength of near-peer adversaries like China and the erosion of our domestic manufacturing base, that status is becoming endangered. In order to make sure American safety and prosperity remain secure, we need to encourage innovation, whether from builders in their garage or defense giants like Lockheed.

“The good news: that movement is already underway. It’s called “American Dynamism”. For the first time in decades, start-ups are once again winning defense contracts, small innovators are making an impact, and people are excited to contribute to the national interest.

“But one thing still stands in their way: small innovators don’t have access to the resources of large companies or government organizations. They have no intelligence networks, supply chain researchers, or market analysts. And in today’s cutthroat economy, that could mean that a lifesaving product never sees the market. That’s a risk America can’t afford to take.

“When we realized that issue, we began to search for ways to help. As high schoolers, we were skeptical that we could even have any impact on an issue that has a national scale, but with our combined interest in tech, policy, and data, we decided to try. We realized that while discussions about American Dynamism are everywhere from politics to industry, there’s no concrete way to measure it. If we could solve that issue, small innovators and companies could use that tool to give them a competitive edge and contribute to the national interest in ways that large companies don’t have the maneuverability to. We realized that with the tools we already use (machine learning, data visualization, real-time APIs…), we could turn abstract news into a living, measurable trendline of America’s vitality.

“We were inspired by how businesses track performance metrics, and we wanted to give citizens and leaders the same power to track America’s progress. The American Dynamism Tracker bridges the gap between information and action: helping anyone understand, at a glance, how our nation is advancing and where attention is needed most.”