As we at CONNECT are getting excited about Most Innovative Product Awards 2017, we decided to catch up with some of our past MIP winners to talk about their MIP experience and where they are today. We will be featuring these conversations on the CONNECT blog.
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Guru is an MIP 2016 winner and Springboard graduate. The idea for the Guru app came about when its founder and CEO, Paul Burke, took his niece and nephew to a museum and Rome and realized how often they used their phones. Instead of seeing this as simply a generational disconnect, he realized the opportunity to use smart phones as a tool to better enjoy experiences such as museums. Guru now creates digital experiences for users in museums, aquariums, and zoos. We caught up with Guru to ask them about competitions, MIP, and the high praise they have been receiving in the tech community.
Why did you apply to MIP?
We had been enrolled in CONNECT’s Springboard program and were excited to showcase one of our first museum apps. Our partner, San Diego Museum of Art, is a very forward-thinking cultural institution that embraces technology and innovation. We wanted them to be recognized for taking a leap with us!
What was your favorite part about the MIP event?
We were honored to be included in an event with so many amazing innovators. Being surrounded by other accomplished companies was really inspiring! It motivated us to keep working hard so that we can continue to be a competitor at events like this.
What is one accomplishment/success you have had since you received the award?
Since last year, we have gone on to create more apps and add value for our partners—continually innovating and building upon what we created last year. We recently were honored by SeismicSD, Qualcomm Ventures, and San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer with a $100k award for being San Diego’s #1 startup. Also, we were featured in Forbes this month and we landed our first zoo!
Thanks to Guru and congratulations on all of your success!