Ama AI Wins $25,000 at Inaugural ASU Spark Center Global AI Challenge
- Will Schneller
- 15 minutes ago
- 2 min read
SAN DIEGO, CA / AMES, IA — Ama AI, an assistive technology company building always-on, AI-powered cognitive support for children with autism, has been awarded Third Place and $25,000 in the Growth Track of the inaugural ASU Spark Center for Innovation in Learning (SCIL) Global AI Challenge. CEO and co-founder Karri Haen Whitmer presented the company’s pitch at the ASU+GSV Summit in San Diego on April 13, 2026, where winners were announced before a live audience of education technology leaders, investors, and policymakers.
The SCIL Global AI Challenge, hosted by Arizona State University’s Spark Center for Innovation in Learning in collaboration with the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, is a worldwide venture acceleration program designed to identify and support the most promising ventures at the intersection of AI, education, and inclusion. The Challenge drew over 500 applicants from around the globe, with winning teams earning cash prizes, access to SCIL’s Venture Incubator community, and a platform to pitch live at ASU+GSV. The Spark Center was founded in partnership with retired U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema to accelerate breakthroughs in AI-driven technologies that support neurodivergent individuals across their educational and professional journeys.
Ama AI addresses one of the most persistent challenges in autism support: skill generalization — the ability for children to transfer skills learned in structured clinical sessions into everyday environments like home, school, and community settings. Ama is a new category of assistive technology: a personalized AI companion that connects across therapy, home, and school, giving families always-on support that grows with their child. The platform works alongside Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapists and families to extend therapeutic strategies into the spaces between sessions, reinforcing clinician-led goals through personalized, AI-driven supports.
“Thank you to the ASU+GSV Summit for hosting Ama AI for the ASU Global AI Challenge,” said Karri Haen Whitmer, CEO and co-founder of Ama AI. “So much gratitude to the ASU Spark Center for putting together this amazing opportunity to help neurodivergent people like me and my son.”
The recognition at ASU+GSV comes during a period of significant momentum for Ama AI as the company is currently piloting with ABA clinic partners across the country. Ama AI has also received support from the USDA, the State of Iowa, nMotion, and the New Schools Venture Fund.
About Ama AI
Ama AI is an Ames, Iowa–based assistive technology company focused on supporting individuals with autism and cognitive differences by extending therapeutic strategies into everyday life. Founded by Karri Haen Whitmer and Chris Whitmer as parents of a child with autism, the company draws on backgrounds in neurobiology, accessibility, adaptive learning, and assistance technology to strengthen continuity of care across settings.
About the ASU Spark Center for Innovation in Learning
The Spark Center for Innovation in Learning (SCIL), housed within Arizona State University’s Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions, was founded in partnership with retired U.S. Senator Kyrsten Sinema and launched in collaboration with OpenAI. SCIL accelerates breakthroughs in AI-driven technologies that support neurodivergent individuals from pre-K through higher education and into the workforce. Its Global AI Challenge is an annual open call to startups building AI-driven solutions for neurodivergent learners.
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