Suggestions
Woody Sears
Founder at Autio
Humans love to travel and explore. Have you ever found yourself traveling by car and you see a Historical Marker sign and think to yourself, “I’d love to check that out but I should keep moving, I’ll stop there next time.”
Now you’re left with some guilt and unsatiated curiosity…and the reality is, you don’t stop there next time either.
Right now, this information is NOT easily accessible...or entertaining; and some of these stories are evaporating. Yet, humans NEED stories - they are one of our evolutionary strengths as a species. Throughout human history, we've relied on stories for inspiration and innovation!
What if you could hear the stories about these places as you're driving? Almost like a tour guide focused entirely on what you're seeing outside your car window.
We've recorded 11,000+ pieces of content about places across the US using professional narrators, colorful characters, & world-class storytellers, like Hollywood actor/director Kevin Costner, who is also one of our Co-Founders. In addition to his pedigree in entertainment, Kevin brings a true passion for history.
We tell stories about history, natural wonders, culture, & more that entertain and educate people as they travel.
We believe this demand is due to three trends;
- The increasing popularity of road trips, up 38% since 2015
- A growing appetite for audio content, outpacing video streaming last year
- Travelers desire for experiences and connections to places
The timing has never been better for Autio.
Looking forward to hearing how Autio elevates your journey.
Highlights
🌟 Welcoming Vipin Gupta to Our Board of Advisors 🌟
We’re thrilled to announce that Vipin Gupta has joined the Autio - Audio for Travel advisory board! 🙌
With an impressive background spanning leadership roles in technology, banking, and automotive sectors—including Chief Innovation & Digital Officer Toyota Motor Corporation, EVP KeyBank, and Partner Capgemini E&Y—Vipin is set to bring a wealth of expertise to our team.
Vipin’s experience isn’t just about titles, it’s about his proven ability to drive innovation and transformation in complex environments. Beyond his professional achievements, Vipin is a dedicated mentor and coach, shaping future leaders as an Executive Coach at CIO Executive Council and C-suite faculty World 50 Group.
What sets Vipin apart is not just his strategic mind but also the positive energy and warmth he brings to every conversation. His addition marks a significant milestone for us, fueling our growth with new insights and momentum.
We’re excited for the journey ahead and the invaluable impact Vipin will bring to Autio’s future. 🚀
#leadership #innovation #advisoryboard #startupgrowth
❕7 Startups in Santa Barbara You Should Know❕
I had the pleasure of spending an evening with these brave founders and startups this week. It was so inspiring to learn about their big visions and all of the barricades they have busted through to get there.
💰These founders have raised 10's of millions of dollars in venture capital and have bold and audacious goals that will change the world.
🌻Temporal Agriculture: Enabling farms to produce, deliver, and sell more of what they grow by protecting them from the tyranny of Mother Nature.
⚕️Bexson Biomedical: Developing non-opioid therapies for pain management, addiction, and mental health indications.
🚨Musubi: Using cutting-edge AI technology to outsmart bad actors on social media platforms.
🌍 Beni: Giving people the economic and sustainability benefits of buying resale clothing without the hassle of thrifting, using a simple browser extension.
🚚 Tank Payments: Automating payouts to trucking companies, giving truckers instant access to the money they already earned.
📍Autio - Audio for Travel: Delighting travelers with 23,000+ bite-sized audio stories about cities, landmarks, and natural wonders across the US and beyond — triggered by your GPS location. Connecting people and places to elevate our travel experience.
Thanks to Ryan Youhan and Jim Eubanks at KPMG for sponsoring and supporting our startup community. I'm looking forward to the next time we can get these fine folks together.
🤩 Charles Frazier, Savannah (Dearden) Braden, Darryl Eaton, Jeffrey Becker, MD, Tom Quisel, Celine Lightfoot, & Matthew Rybak
