One of the most important things you gather as an entrepreneur is a winning team. That’s exactly what Gene Wang and David Moss of People Power Company did.
Jean met David while working at Bitfone, a telecommunications company. Jean served as CEO and David as lead engineer. BitFone’s software was used in over 300 million phones, and was adopted by all 3 of the top 5 mobile operators and all of the top 6 handset manufacturers. BitFone was acquired by HP in 2007 for $160 million.
In 2009, Jean had her “aha” moment when she connected the dots on the potential of a connected world. Jeanne realized that every light, door, car, switch, meter, house, building, and more had to be connected. It was clear to them that the IoT would be 10 to 100 times the size of the mobility market. In 2009, Jean and David founded the People Power Company and began recruiting stars from the BitFone team.
People Power Company, The Early Days
People Power Company is the fifth startup of Jean Wang. He is what became known as a “serial entrepreneur,” a worthy title for Wang. Jean’s focus has always been on helping people and the world, while engaging in the pursuit of profit. The inspiration for Jean’s most current mission was driven by a situation that struck uncomfortably close to home.
One day when Jean took her children to school, she saw essays written on the walls of the hallway. He was disappointed to see how many students were seriously concerned about the future and well being of the planet.
This was the catalyst for People Power’s first product – GreenX – which was designed with the goal of using connected device technology to make the home run with greater energy efficiency. Business grew, and People Power now provides IoT services for some of the world’s largest consumer service providers, including:
China Mobile supports over 6 million customers
BGE (Baltimore Gas and Electric) used in thousands of homesPepco is used in over 600 home DelMarva is used in over 1,000 homes.
The energy business was going great, but Jean felt there was an even more impressive opportunity on the horizon. It started after taking care of his mother, 83, who had collapsed three times and needed more attention. At this point Jean knew she would have to deal with complex issues related to caring for the family.
Presence Family Care Pack, a connected bond for loved ones
People Power’s mission is to provide IoT solutions that solve the day-to-day challenges faced by today’s consumers. Answering that call, the Presence Family Care Pack was introduced on October 8, 2019, to address some of the critical challenges by providing a comprehensive solution for the day-to-day tasks of family care. Solutions include:
One gateway, 2 door sensors, 3 motion detectors, an iOS or Android app, voice support and cloud services for senior care.
A reliable circle of family and friends can be created. This group is alerted when the system detects a potential threat (falls, strays, excessive bathroom visits, and more).
Extended to support Alexa, Google Home, smart plugs, water leak sensors, and other connected devices.
Jean was pleased to provide a solution that covered the bases for remote family care and monitoring. But that was not enough. Technology was only the first step. People Power wanted to connect more than just appliances.
What sets Presence Family Care Pack apart from other solutions is its ability to enable essential human motivations. It connects loved ones on an emotional and personal level. For example, members of a trusted circle of friends and family may be reminded to approach their loved ones to reduce senior loneliness, among other characteristics.
People Power is changing lives for the better, and their achievements were recognized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). They recently received a $4.5 million grant from the NIH to help caregivers better care for people with Alzheimer’s or dementia.
use that grant
Every day 10,000 people turn 65 in the United States. In 15 years, 7.8 million people will be over the age of 65, while there will be 76.4 million people under the age of 18. More than 90 percent of these people want to stay at home, and more than 70 percent of them will need care.
With new funding in hand, People Power continues to build its family care solutions. Inspired by an NIH grant, one of the most prominent features of the upcoming edition will be a caregiver support function that addresses feelings of caregiver loneliness and isolation.
In addition, this version will support task management so that caregivers can more easily delegate heavy workloads to other professionals.
It’s exciting to see such an innovative team working on a product that solves problems that come so close to home. We’ll have to wait and see what surprises Jean and her team surprise us with next!