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Mom Ruben

Repeat founder exploring what's next | Forbes 30 Under 30 | Harvard, Stanford, YC, Google Alum

An award-winning founder, CEO, and product leader, James has spent over a decade collaborating with friends to turn ideas in their heads into products enjoyed by tens of millions of people.

Most recently, he was the founder and CEO of Hellosaurus (YC S20), an interactive EdTech platform for preschoolers that ranked as high as the #3 App For Kids on the Apple App Store before successfully exiting to Brilliant.org. Before Hellosaurus, James helped start and led all product management, ideation, and engineering of HQ Trivia, a network of live trivia game shows that he helped grow from prototypes into international phenomena. He began his career as an APM at Google. He holds an Economics and Computer Science degree from Harvard College, holds an MBA from the Stanford GSB, and was named Forbes 30 Under 30.

Currently exploring what’s next: intros to potential collaborators are welcome!

Highlights

Apr 23 · linkedin

I’m starting to explore what’s next - let’s hang out! With Hellosaurus now in great hands at Brilliant.org after our acquisition and my time back in the classroom at Stanford University wrapping up, I’m excited to jump back into entrepreneurship. ⬇️⬇️⬇️

If you’re looking to partner up with a product leader for a new venture – especially in consumer/prosumer AI – reach out to find a time to catch up. Or if you just want to trade some stories over some beers, let’s do that too.

Dec 6 · linkedin

I am thrilled to announce that Hellosaurus has been acquired by Brilliant.org a leader in interactive digital education! 🦖 🎉 🧠Together, Hellosaurus and Brilliant will continue to deliver best-in-class interactive learning and play experiences to 12+ million users. My blog post announcing the acquisition can and lots more info below ⬇️⬇️⬇️

The Hellosaurus mobile app for kids 2-8 years old will continue to be available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, and the Hellosaurus Creator Studio – our suite of proprietary no-code interactive video tools – will now be incorporated into Brilliant’s products, bringing the power of active learning to users of all ages!

Hellosaurus launched to the public only two years ago (almost to the day!) with a goal to reimagine “screen time” for kids. Since then, we launched the only end-to-end platform to develop and distribute mobile interactive experiences at scale and partnered with world-famous kids content creators to create 50+ hours of playable, interactive content that has been proven to increase a child’s enjoyment, engagement, and learning comprehension over traditional passive video.

In the process, Hellosaurus was called "Mister Rogers for the iPhone Generation" by Forbes and a "World Changing Idea" by Fast Company, and was featured as "App of the Day" and a "Must-Have Kids App" by the Apple App Store, at one point ranking as high as the #3 App For Kids in the App Store. Hellosaurus also won multiple Kidscreen Awards, including being named Best Kids-Only Streaming Service at Kidscreen 2022.

I am so proud of everything our Hellosaurus team has accomplished and the impact we’ve made on kids and families around the world. None of our progress would have been possible without the support of our incredible teammates, customers, creators and investors. Thank you to everyone who believed in us, and we hope we’ve created experiences that you love as well.

As we continue our mission to revolutionize learning and play through interactive video, I could not envision a better partner for Hellosaurus than Brilliant. As a result of this acquisition, Brilliant will empower us to educate and entertain at an even greater scale and to continue to expand the possibilities of digital learning for all ages. Onwards!

https://lnkd.in/gicpCdxH

Related Questions

What inspired James Ruben to start Hellosaurus?
How did James Ruben's experience at HQ Trivia influence Hellosaurus?
What are some unique features of Hellosaurus' interactive video content?
How did James Ruben's time at Google shape his approach to product management?
What challenges did James Ruben face while building Hellosaurus?
Mom Ruben
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Experience

Founder, CEO (acquired by Brilliant.org) at Hellosaurus
Founder, CEO (acquired by Brilliant.org; YC S20) at Hellosaurus

Education

Bachelor of Arts - BA, Economics, Computer Science, Harvard University
Bachelor of Arts - BA, Economics, Computer Science, Harvard College
Master of Business Administration - MBA, Stanford University Graduate School of Business
-, Y Combinator
Y Combinator
High School, Horace Mann School

Location

United States