At Penn GSE, SMART Students Turn Research into Real-World Innovation

When Annie Yang enrolled in Penn GSE’s Statistics, Measurement, Assessment, and Research Technology (SMART) program, she knew she wanted to build tools that made a tangible difference in people’s lives. What she didn’t anticipate was that within her first year, she would cofound a promising AI venture that would place in a global innovation competition.

This past fall, Yang teamed up with fellow Penn GSE student Sora Cha, who is dual enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development (ISHD) and SMART programs, to enter the Baidu Global Hackathon, where teams worldwide were challenged to use AI to address real-world  problems from September through December 2025. 

“Our project, HeartBridge, is an AI-powered platform designed to support families raising autistic children,” said Yang. “It focuses on helping parents better understand daily emotional and behavioral patterns, receive timely guidance, and connect with professional support.” The mission is simple but ambitious: “Our goal is to bridge the gap between clinical intervention and everyday family life using accessible, data-driven tools.”

The Baidu judges were impressed with their prototype; HeartBridge earned third prize in the hackathon and $3,000 in funding.

Though Yang says the venture’s inspiration comes from several years of direct work in autism research and family-based intervention, she credits Penn GSE with helping her “turn that inspiration into a reality,” noting that the School “has truly established itself as a global leader in AI in education, providing students with world-class resources and an ecosystem where innovation thrives. The faculty here are not only experts in their fields, but are also incredibly kind, helpful, and accessible.” 

She offered specific thanks to Emeritus Professor Robert F. Boruch, who encouraged the project, and Associate Professor Seiji Isotani, who is now serving as an advisor to HeartBridge. “[Isotani’s] work showed me how human-centered AI can be designed to empower learners and families rather than replace them,” said Yang. 

This combination of mentorship and community made a profound difference. “Between this faculty support, the stimulating environment of GSE’s AI in Education Club, and the culture of impact at GSE, HeartBridge was able to grow from a simple idea into a real venture.”

What started as a hackathon project has now become a fast advancing, interdisciplinary effort. Yang and Cha have grown HeartBridge into a 10-person team with members from across Penn GSE, Wharton, and Penn Engineering, and they are currently participating in the Wharton Venture Lab competition. 

The team is approaching the next stage deliberately and collaboratively: “Our plan is to develop HeartBridge into a fully usable platform through pilot programs with families. We are starting small—working closely with parents, gathering feedback, and iterating carefully—before expanding to support more families and communities.” Their goal is to build something ethical and grounded in real people’s needs. “Right now,” said Yang, “my focus is on securing funding and continuing to build the product, but more importantly, on listening closely to parents, clinicians, and researchers, and growing HeartBridge in a way that truly reflects the families it is meant to serve.”