INNOVATION SPOTLIGHT
If you stumbled upon the historic building at
Procter and Gamble (P&G) and Lockheed Martin, he is impressive to say the least.
920 Race Street, you
His inspiration for LISNR came while
may be surprised to
working at P&G, he sought to create a
learn that it is home
digital uniqueness that could allow the
to LISNR, one of the
brand to communicate with customers in
City’s fastest growing tech startups. With
a completely unexplored way—through sound.
4,500 square feet of sun-filled space, the office is
“I started to wonder and think about the
reminiscent of a scene you would expect
Holy Grail of marketing,” said Williams. “If
to find in Palo Alto. Employees work
we could understand who was sitting in
intently at a single large table. Bentley
front of a particular advertisement at all
the office pooch roams freely around the
times, that’s the Holy Grail, right? I could
open concept floor plan.
then understand and analyze. I could speak to a consumer in a different way.”
LISNR is a high frequency, inaudible Smart Tone technology; a new
Williams got started by making the
communication protocol that sends
top ten at the South by Southwest
data over audio. It is a digital sound
Interactive Festival (SXSW) where he
file that turns any speaker or piece of
was approached by CincyTech, a local
media into a beacon, working seamlessly
seed-stage investor supported in part
across physical and digital spaces more
by the City of Cincinnati. The focus of
effectively than any current solutions in
CincyTech is to provide entrepreneurial
the marketplace.
assistance services to technology-focused enterprises to create and retain jobs, as
The mastermind behind the tech
well as promote the establishment of
company, Rodney Williams, is an
scalable technology companies.
undeniable whiz. With multiple degrees and a resume that boasts names like
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