Venture Overview
Hey, Blue! is a community safety venture that facilitates meaningful connections between police officers and the communities they serve through in-person events and a first-of-its-kind mobile platform.
The platform gamifies voluntary, positive interactions between residents and law enforcement. Community members are rewarded for saying hello to an officer, while officers can direct earned points to local nonprofits. Hey, Blue! focuses especially on youth ages 13–20 in communities where trust between residents and law enforcement has eroded.
By creating simple, repeatable moments of connection, Hey, Blue! is working to rebuild community trust and support safer, healthier neighborhoods.
Website: heyblue.us
Venture Issue Area: Civic Engagement & Placemaking & Safety
Venture Headquarters: Melbourne, Florida
Venture Founder
John Verdi is the Founder and CEO of Hey, Blue! A retired police officer, John’s work is rooted in his belief that a single connection can change everything.
After serving at Ground Zero following the September 11 attacks, John experienced the power of human connection through a stranger’s hug and a handwritten card from a third-grader in Buffalo. Years later, he founded Hey, Blue! to help create moments of trust and connection between officers and the communities they serve.
The idea also traces back to advice from his father, a decorated NYPD sergeant, who told him the night before he joined the police academy: “Five letters will save your life. H-E-L-L-O.”
Hey, Blue! is a graduate of the SOLVE-MIT Incubator and has been featured on NBC Nightly News.
LinkedIn: John Verdi
