Turning a Troubled App into a Launch-Ready Platform: The Rise by Dr. Tracy Andrus Story

Client Overview

Rise by Dr. Tracy Andrus is a digital companion platform supporting justice-impacted individuals through re-entry, offering personalized job resources, daily motivation, community support, and AI-guided mentorship. Built on a React and Base44 stack, the platform needed critical technical fixes and a smooth path to public availability. Bridgestone Technology was brought in to resolve key functional issues and take the mobile application live across both major app stores.We also recommended and built a dedicated website to complement the app and strengthen Rise’s overall online presence.

Challenges

User Experience Issues

• Incorrect user name displayed within the app
• Intermittent white screen preventing app usage
• Inconsistent app behavior affecting first impressions

Platform Readiness

• No live presence on Google Play Store
• No live presence on Apple App Store
• Android and iOS builds not yet finalized for submission

Technical Preparedness

• No structured submission process for either app store
• Build configurations required review before deployment
• App stability needed validation before public release

Digital Presence Gap

• No standalone website to represent Rise beyond the app
• Limited discoverability for users searching outside app stores
• No dedicated platform to communicate Rise’s mission before download

Solutions

Bug Resolution

• Identified and fixed the incorrect user name display issue.
• Diagnosed and resolved the white screen error for consistent app loading.
• Tested app stability across various usage scenarios to confirm all fixes.

Build Preparation

• Prepared a production-ready Android build.
• Prepared a production-ready iOS build.
• Verified app functionality across both platforms before submission.

App Store Deployment

• Submitted the Android build to Google Play Store.
• Submitted the iOS build to Apple App Store.
• Managed the review and submission process for both platforms.

Website Development

• Recommended a dedicated website to complement the mobile app.
• Designed and developed a website reflecting Rise’s mission and offerings.
• Created a stronger first touchpoint for users before app download.

Results

Diagnosis & Resolution

• Root-caused the name display and white screen issues.
• Implemented and thoroughly tested fixes across the application.

Build Finalization & Launch

• Finalized production-ready Android and iOS builds.
• Submitted the app for review on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
• Extended Rise’s reach beyond the app stores with a dedicated website, giving the platform a discoverable, mission-first presence for users exploring their options before committing to a download.

Business Impact

• Resolved core usability issues that were affecting user trust and daily engagement with the platform.
• Transformed Rise from an app-only experience into a fully accessible website, complementing the mobile app and strengthening its overall online presence.
• Enabled Rise to reach a significantly wider audience through both app and web visibility and discoverability.
• Improved app stability and reliability, reducing friction for users who depend on consistent access to job resources, mentorship, and daily support tools.
• Positioned Rise as a credible, professionally maintained platform by establishing a formal presence on both major app stores.
• Strengthened the overall user experience across onboarding, daily habit tracking, community access, and AI-guided support features.

Key Success Factors

• Rapid root-cause diagnosis of critical display and stability bugs.
• Parallel preparation of Android and iOS builds within a tight timeline.
• Careful attention to app store submission requirements for both platforms.
• Thorough testing to ensure a stable experience before public release.
• Clear, structured execution against a defined scope of work.
• Proactively recommended a dedicated website to strengthen Rise’s digital presence beyond app store discovery, expanding the project’s impact beyond the original fix-and-launch scope.

Conclusion

Rise by Dr. Tracy Andrus set out to give returning citizens a reliable digital companion for their comeback journey — but technical issues stood in the way of that mission reaching people who needed it most. By resolving critical bugs and successfully launching the app on both Google Play Store and Apple App Store, Bridgestone Technology helped turn that mission into something people can now carry with them, anywhere. What started as a fix-and-launch engagement & website recommendation, became a meaningful step toward making support more accessible for those rebuilding their lives.

Project Details

Client – Rise by Dr. Tracy Andrus
Industry – Social Impact
Services Delivered – Bug Fixes, App Build Preparation, App Store Deployment, Website Strategy & Development
Platform – Android & iOS Mobile Application (React + Base44) + Website (React + Base44)
Key Features – Personalized Onboarding, AI Mentorship (Ask Tracy), Job Board, Daily Habit Tracking, Resource Library, Community Support, Achievement Milestones
Target Audience – Justice-Impacted Individuals & Returning Citizens
Language – English
Business Model – Companion App to “The Comeback Blueprint” Book/Program
Timeline – 15 Days
Key Results – Critical Bugs Resolved, Successful Submission to Google Play Store & Apple App Store , Website Development