It’s official! I’ve delved into the tech world and founded Good Byte Ventures, a digital investment firm with one simple mission: to leverage the incredible power of technology and innovation to create, promote, and celebrate positive social impact.
It’s been an exciting few months as we’ve already sourced several current and prospective partners who fall inline with GBV’s unique corporate philosophy. Together, we will work to develop, incubate, and launch digital products that span a diverse range of verticals, including education, healthcare, media, sustainable living, and international development.
Professionally Transitioning From Media To Technology
I’ve been asked by many, “Why Good Byte Ventures?” Or, “Why now?” After spending more than 15 years as a business and marketing strategist in the television sector, some may wonder why I would want to leave the media industry. In truth, I don’t see GBV as a significant shift at all. I pursued television and broadcasting for reasons that extended beyond seeking a professional challenge and a paycheck. Even at the start of my career, I was intrigued by media’s limitless power to shape the way we see our world, its unwavering influence on how we interact with each other, and – as someone who has lived and worked across four continents – its instantaneous, global reach.
Everything that compelled me into the media field can also be said about the electronic devices that infiltrate every facet of our daily routines. Yes, innovation can quickly boost amusement and convenience in virtually any capacity. However, when used intentionally, technology offers so much more than that. Much like media forums, powerfully written digital content, an informative app, or an uplifting online community can instantly change how we view the world around us, how we connect with others, and truly enrich our lives. The similarities between media and technology made this transition feel like far less of a quantum shift and much more like exploring a different, yet parallel, industry that yields so many of the same empowering rewards.
Purposeful Innovation Can Change The World, One Digital Experience At A Time
Purposeful work has always played a powerful role in both my professional and personal development, often simultaneously. In 2013, my son was born 16 weeks early, prompting me to found Pebbles of Hope, a non-profit organization dedicated to providing support and resources to parents of premature babies. My work at Pebbles of Hope has helped me develop extensive educational programs for parents, offer mentorship to other preemie moms, and deliver baby supplies to NICU families in need.
Good Byte Ventures provides a new and exciting opportunity for purposeful work. At GBV, I can use the lessons I’ve learned (and continue to learn) at Pebbles of Hope and integrate them with my love of social impact, my background in marketing, and my fascination with technology to achieve one primary objective: bring to market digital products that optimize user experience and impact our customers’ lives in meaningful ways.
GBV’s Step-By-Step Approach To Product Development
The first step in achieving GBV’s goals and ultimate vision? Learn code so I can be directly involved in the development of every product and platform we promote. I started with free online tools and videos followed by a three-month coding boot camp this past summer. Here, I gained critical coding skills in Python, Java and Javascript programming languages.
Learning how to build? Check! Next on the agenda: determining what to build. Luckily, this proved far easier than my summer spent mastering programming algorithms. As the mother of a curious four-year-old vegetarian picky-eater, I quickly decided to focus on education and nutrition for my first two products.
And…here we are! Good Byte Ventures already has two products slated for launch this year: ChewsRite, a mobile nutrition app for individuals with dietary restrictions and ProGetter, an applied learning platform for middle schoolers. Both ChewsRite and ProGetter will serve as GBV’s cornerstone applications as we strive to create a suite of products across multiple categories that transform lives in positive ways on a global scale.
Now the hard work truly begins. As I set forth to build my team and unveil our first applications, I’m excited (and nervous) to see where this journey leads. A new year means new beginnings, and I resolve to jump feet first into this new venture and deliver to the world a set of cutting-edge products that make our users’ lives better.
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