In this episode, Teri welcomes Heidi Culbertson, the founder and CEO of Marvee, a voice technology platform that helps families and friends of the aging population to stay in touch and minimize social isolation.
Welcome Heidi Culbertson!
Heidi has a tremendous amount of experience in emerging technologies. Her current focus is on voice technology and it’s application for the aging population. Heidi joins me to discuss the growing use of voice-first technologies among this most important group of people. Heidi is a well-renowned speaker, having appeared at numerous conferences and events, and she truly is a wealth of knowledge in this field.
Below you will find a summary of the important points that we dicussed. Enjoy!
Aging and Voice-First Technology
- Heidi discusses with us her experience with her mother (Marvee) who developed macular degeneration, and how using an Amazon Echo helped to give Marvee back her independence.
- There are currently 55,000,000 people in the US over the age of 65, making this area of voice-technology extremely relevant today.
- Voice-first technology provides “micro-moments of better quality of life.”
- The emergence of the Amazon Echo reminds Heidi of when the iPhone first came out – we will see some very incredible social impacts in the near future from this technology.
Marvee
“What a unique opportunity to grow a business and do social good.” Heidi Culbertson
- A voice-first company designed to improve the social engagement of the elderly.
- Marvee has a number of components to the business:
Ask Marvee
- A platform designed for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant to increase the social engagement of the aging population.
- Includes 4 features:
- 3 personal notification features – “I’m ok.” “Visit me.” “Call me.”
- 1 family news messaging feature
- There are approximately 30 more features in development.
- Currently only in the United States, but will be coming to Canada this year.
Marvee Academy
A subscription online training program designed to train the elderly and care team of the elderly around the concepts of voice-first technology.
Marvee Community
A closed business community platform (e.g. assisted living, senior center, family group) where one can drive engagement with the seniors.
Marvee Studio
Voice-first strategy and speaking group.
Heidi’s Parting Message
Buy an Echo for your aging loved ones to help them increase their independence and reduce social isolation. Consider the Echo over the Echo Dot, particularly for people with hearing impairments, due to the better sound.
List of resources mentioned in this episode:
Subscribe on your Favourite Podcast App!
