Are You Prepared for a Mobile-Connected Lifestyle?

Mobile Comply

Pontiac, MI 

Twitter: @mobilecomply

Facebook: Mobile Comply

It is no secret that mobile has changed the way we live, work, learn, communicate... basically insert any daily activity and mobile has revolutionized it. However, many organizations still fall short in accommodating the demand for mobile technology as it becomes more pervasive. Elaina Farnsworth, CEO of Mobile Comply, recognized the need to support the demand which fueled starting the company.  Today she and her company are actively engaged in training and certifying IT professionals on mobile solutions.

What is your elevator pitch? What problem are you trying to solve? 
Mobile Comply is a mobile technology training firm that teaches organizations how to use mobile devices, applications, and mobile tools in their enterprises in a strategic and engaging way.
Our vision is to empower individuals and organizations with competence and professional excellence in building and sustaining effective mobile ecosystems. Toward that end, we provide mobile training solutions, courseware, curriculum development and strategy.



Where do you see the mobile landscape in 5 years?
The world of M-to-M (mobile-to-mobile) technologies will be our new reality in 5 years. The connected vehicle, appliance, streetlamp, wearable device,  health monitors - everything that can have a chip in it will, and those devices will send out messages: to parents, to first responders, to teachers, etc. The implications are huge.

What kind of company culture are you trying to create?
Our core values are: we empower excellence, we act with integrity, we have a passion for learning and teaching, we influence ethical practices, we embrace innovation, we improve society, we set the quality standards in mobility certifications, we value diversity, we respect all people, and we support each other.  I think Mobile Comply is a great place to work, we attract bright, happy and future-thinking people to our team.

What do you think is the most interesting trend in mobile right now? What trends would you like to see in the future?
The trend I see happening is the extremely rapid change in the mobile device environment  - in education, enterprise, and government.  For example, going from BYOD to organizationally-owned devices. Last year it was about MDM (mobile device management) and this year its about EMM (enterprise mobility management). Coming up next is FYOD - (fix your own device).
How the devices are functioning within an organization is changing. In the past, the focus for IT managers was on "How do I manage these devices?" to the present, which is now "How do I protect the data on these devices?"
The trend I am looking forward to most is M-to-M (mobile-to-mobile) technologies - how the car will communicate with your phone and with your heart monitor, for example. Our biggest mission is that we want to teach people and organizations how to manage these advances in the right way - ethically and responsibly.

Successfully (and Happily) Navigate Airports with the tripchi app!

When was the last time you enjoyed your airport experience? The answer for most of us, is a resounding... "never." Chandra Jacobs, CEO of Boston-based mobile app, tripchi, thinks it's time for a change. We spoke with Chandra on where she sees mobile headed, and thoughts on trailblazing this exciting trend!

Update: tripchi successfully funded their indiegogo $10k campaign. To read more on the journey, check out Chandra's thoughts!

What is your "elevator pitch"? What problem are you trying to solve? Airports – the word just conjures up so many negative emotions – lines, delays, unhealthy food, and overpriced merchandise. As frequent travelers ourselves, we understand these issues firsthand. We are a team of 4 people passionate about travel, technology, and solving real problems.

And there is no bigger problem that exists in travel today than the "airport experience," or rather, the lack of one. But it doesn't have to be this way. Airports should be a fun part of the travel journey, not a necessary evil - especially since people spend just as much time in airports as they do on the plane itself.

And that's why we created tripchi - to turn that airport frown upside down!

With tripchi, part of the excitement of the travel experience will be the time spent at the airport.

Caregiving Made Simple with Mobile Suite

Company: Semafores 

Julie Tittler - CEO, Mother of Inspiration, Software Engineer

Location: Dedham, MA

Social: https://twitter.com/@Semafores 

https://facebook.com/Semafores

The holiday season came and went within the blink of an eye, but that doesn't mean the season of giving should also be left behind. Semafores, a MassChallenge finalist, is focused on simplifying caregiving to ensure stress is minimized and engagement is maximized. 

What is your elevator pitch? What problem are you trying to solve?

At Semafores, we believe family caregiving is one of the most important and challenging tasks people have. Whether caring for yourself, children, older relatives, or pets, solo or as a team, Curi, our simple mobile suite, will take the chaos out of caregiving. Engaging user-generated alerts to action takers ensure consistency. Minders provide caregivers a human fail-safe when technology fails or fails to engage. Caregiver hand-off tools streamline coordination, and one-glance status panels give peace-of-mind. Wtih Curi, your family becomes a dynamic, caring team.

How did you get started?

About 2 years ago, my son got diagnosed with a number of special needs requiring a handful of medication multiple times per day. My husband and I had just reached that time in life where life is better lived through chemistry. My dog got diagnosed with Lymes Disease and needed medication 3x per day. I had a 1yr old daughter I was still nursing. I was trying to keep an eye on my mother in NJ, and I was trying to launch my own company. It was a lot to juggle.

Unfortunately, one morning in the chaos of getting everyone out the door for the day, my husband and I made a mistake and both accidentally gave my son his morning meds. He subsequently passed out in school and almost had to goto the hospital. Fortunately he was OK. But, as I sat there nursing my daughter while watching him sleep off the overdose, I said to myself "This cannot happen again!" I figured there had to be an app for family caregiving coordination. After a couple weeks of research, I realized there really wasn't at that time. 

I had an epiphany. What I had been designing as a backend for the business I was launching at the time, if skinned slightly differently, could solve this caregiving coordination problem I was having. I pivoted to our current product and haven't looked back.

Education + Technology = Win-Win

Start-up: CueThink 
Location: Boston

CueThink aims to provide better engagement with students regarding their education and more data for teachers on students' performance. It's a win-win situation for all, on a national issue close to home for many. We sat down with CEO Sheela Sethuraman for her thoughts on the future of mobile and education.

1. What is your “elevator pitch”?
A number of students lose interest in mathematics by the time they reach middle school. They either experience "math anxiety" or feel they are not adequately challenged. While the Common Core State Standards, adopted by 48 states in the U.S., emphasizes higher order thinking and problem solving, schools continue to focus on procedural skills. At CueThink, we are building an iPad app called Quantum to develop math problem solving skills for middle and high school students. We are leveraging what students enjoy doing outside of classroom - social media, gaming and content creation - and bringing it into the classroom. The core of our platform is the creation, curation and evaluation of student "thinklets" - video vignettes of a learners' thinking process as they solve problems. When we tested our app in different classrooms, more than 90% of the students said they preferred Quantum because of the following reasons: "I can focus more when I am recording", "I can double check and record and get other people's input", "It is very useful on getting other people’s perspective and their views on the problems”. For the students, we help develop systematic problem-solving skills, enable sharing and learning from peers, improve math language and create a rich portfolio of strategies. For teachers, we provide opportunities to observe every student's thinking process, obtain samples of typical student errors, engage expert and novice learners alike and meet Math Common Core expectations. We plan to make the app free for all students to use and charge for access to the "teacher dashboard" where teachers can create or customize content, create learning pathways and view recommendations on instruction based on student interactions.

ZappRx Connects Patients and Doctors with Efficiency

Company: ZappRx

Twitter: @zapprx

Location: Boston

We sat down with Zoe Barry, the CEO and founder of ZappRx, to learn more.

1). What is your "elevator pitch?"

The current process for generating (and filling) an RX is outmoded and inefficient. Most notably, patients are "excluded" from the workflow. ZappRx is a care coordination platform that electronically connects all stakeholders necessary in the life cycle of a script - from order generation, to fulfillment and refill request. With our technology, doctors can electronically route an RX to a patient via the ZappRx app. Patients can combine an RX + Insurance + Payment info into a single QR code to expedite the checkout process at pharmacies (with the added perk of an express line, so no more waiting in lines). This simultaneously reduces the administrative burden for Pharmacists

SoMoLo Platform Chats with WiW

Company: BestBuzz
Founder: Carrie Layne
Locations: Dallas and New York


1. What is your “elevator pitch”?
BestBuzz is a social amplification platform that uses mobile engagement points, like image recognition, to bridge print and digital communication channels. Partners use the platform to deliver exclusive content and rewards to customers for generating word-of-mouth buzz with social media. By “adding a layer of buzz” to traditional paid and owned media, brands create a direct line of communication to customers, greatly increasing earned media value. They also gain a wealth of knowledge and consumer insights (time/geo-location analytics, social data, mobile device usage, etc.)

Mobile App Encourages Users to Get Fit

Company: GymPact
Location: San Francisco

Women in Wireless sat down with Yifan Zhang, co-founder and CEO of fitness startup GymPact, to hear more about the company and her take on the mobile industry.

1. What is your “elevator pitch”?
GymPact (www.gympact.com) motivates you to exercise using behavioral economics. Earn cash rewards for meeting workout goals - paid by the GymPact members who couldn't get off the couch!

2. How did you get started?
I didn't realize it at the time, but I've always been starting things - from clubs in high school to student organizations or nonprofits in college. I was an economics major at Harvard and during my last senior year class in behavioral economics, I came up with the idea for GymPact with my co-founder Geoff Oberhofer. We were both fascinated by the idea of using loss as motivation, in contrast to all the apps giving away rewards or badges.

Spotlight On: MOWA

Company: MOWA (http://www.mowa.me/)
Location: New York City

1. What is your “elevator pitch”? What problem are you trying to solve?  MOWA is a mobile photo sharing game where you can win unique fashion items.It’s a mix between the best features of Instagram and Fab, because on MOWA you post pictures to win well designed prizes sponsored by up and coming brands. But on MOWA you win… for free. We are the first platform to introduce this as an element of social media while aggregating different brands in the same platform.The problem we are solving is: no one is getting any reward for their activities in social media, other than the social rewards. With MOWA we want to connect brands with users, so users can finally be rewarded for sharing on social media.