Letter from the Publisher

Welcome

The art challenges the technology, and the technology inspires the art.

— John Lasseter (Director)

Technology is everywhere and in every aspect of our daily lives. We interact with it from the moment we wake to the minute we fall asleep. For the most part, it’s made our lives better and more efficient. If you’re like me, you have a love/ hate relationship with it. But one thing is clear, tech is here to stay. In this edition of John Eric Home, we take a deep dive into tech. From how we interact with it in the home, in real estate, health and wellness, finance, and more. Did you know that the Washington, DC Metro area has the second highest concentration of tech jobs in the United States? Amazon wanted our educated and talented workforce so much that they are opening their HQ2 in Arlington. From there, DC is home to a large contingency of workers for Google, Meta, Apple, Microsoft, and so many other players. Tech encompassed so much for than the social media and software giants.

Tech is the key component in defense manufacturing and the Washington, DC region is home to biggest players in defense contracting. From Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman, Boeing, Raytheon and so many more are based here. The Baltimore-Washington corridor is ranked #2 for life sciences research talent in the nation which includes biotechnology, life sciences, and biomanufacturing. Yes, the Washington, DC area is tech from one side to the other and the US Government is the largest purchaser and benefactor of supporting US based tech companies.

So, open our pages and enjoy this issue. Read special features on fintech, biotech, and robotics. Learn how the tech space has impacted entertainment, cooking, art, and the National Football League. Of course, our regular features cover technology too – smart homes, 3D furniture, the world’s greatest LEED certified buildings, and cool pieces of clothing that merge tech and fashion. We hope you enjoy our Tech Issue as much as we have assembling this amazing edition. It’s in that spirit we are pleased to share with you that John Eric Home will soon be live and living at its own website. So, check us out at johnerichome.com.

John Eric Publisher

SPECIAL FEATURES

NAUSHAD CONTRACTOR

Naushad Contractor is Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Fable Fintech based in Mumbai, India. He has an in-depth understanding of electronic payments (web & mobile) and experience in creating converging alternate channel options for the financial services and retail industry, which in turn benefits the retail customer. Taking businesses from the ground level, he has efficiently and effectively built scale for the same by using online marketing tools and analytics, working across geographic boundaries.

Naushad was a key member of the founding team for Remit2India – the world’s first digital cross border remittance company. He has held the position of Head of Marketing & Product Development for mobile commerce at Vodafone India as well as Business Head for Wallet365 – India’s first eWallet managed technology. He was instrumental in launching the adapted version of M-Pesa in India, and as a member of the regulatory committee of the Mobile Payment Forum of India has helped to create banking regulations required for electronic payments in the country. In addition, Naushad is a key member in the world’s largest consumer NFC pilot.

OLIVER LOPEZ-CASEY

Oliver Lopez-Casey has been involved in robotics for six years, serving as Team Captain and Outreach Captain for the First Robotics Competition Team 2992, The S.S. Prometheus, which annually ranks within the top 10% robotics teams globally. When not actively working on the development and implementation of that season’s robot, Oliver works with both his city council and school board to expand both funding and access to STEM and robotics programs in his local community.

Oliver is the coordinator for numerous outreach events throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. He is known in the local and national robotics communities for his eagerness to engineer successful robotics events. For his skills and knowledge of robot manufacturing, game strategy, and public relations, Oliver was recently awarded the First Dean’s List award at the 2022 Bayou Regional, which was the first time in his team’s history. Oliver also co-developed a STEM kit initiative to teach lower income students the ideas of STEM at no cost to them.

A graduating Senior at a New Orleans area high school, Oliver will be attending Louisiana State University in pursuit of two degrees – one in Chemical Engineering and the other in Business Management as well as a Minor in Materials Science.

BARBARA BARCLAY

Barbara Barclay is a recognized global expert and frequent speaker on eyetracking and sensor technologies. She lives in Potomac, Maryland, and is the CEO of Somalytics, Inc., an emerging nanotechnology sensor company. Barclay is a proven leader with over two decades of corporate executive experience, including more than 10 years building new markets for eye tracking and sensor technology in areas including automotive, consumer electronics, consumer packaged goods, defense, healthcare, industrial manufacturing and sports performance. Barclay led the introduction of eye-tracking technology to the U.S. consumer technology market as head of North America operations for global eyetracking manufacturing leader Tobii Technology.

John Eric Home would like to introduce our readers to the contributors who provide both informative and interesting articles to the magazine. These are the voices that bring to you the most current trends within their individual industries.