Mapping the Future of Indoor Navigation feat. Theresa Reno-Weber

[: 00:00:00

[00:00:26] I am Betsy Cerulo, your host, and welcome to my guest today, Theresa Reno-Weber, CEO of GoodMaps, a cutting edge mobile app that allows people to safely walk through office and public spaces. Today we're talking about the importance of creating accessibility for all. In public spaces. So pull up a chair, enjoy your favorite beverage, and let's get started.

[: 00:00:51

[00:00:56] Theresa Reno-Weber: Thank you so much. I'm thrilled to be here. This is, um, a [00:01:00] passion of mine and of our company and so sharing what we're doing and making more people aware of it, uh, I always welcome the opportunity. So thank you for having me.

[: 00:01:08

[00:01:24] So our conversation is timely for you to share how GoodMaps changes, the way we can walk through office buildings and you know, actually. With or without a disability. Absolutely. So let's get right to it.

[: 00:01:39

[00:01:39] Betsy Cerulo: You are the expert. So GoodMaps is cutting edge technology for people with disabilities and, you know, as, as I'm delving into the app myself.

[: 00:01:49

[00:02:08] Theresa Reno-Weber: I, I love the question. Thank you. Um, so first of all, you know, so many of us have become reliant on outdoor navigation apps.

[: 00:02:15

[00:02:44] Um, and there is a better way. So GoodMaps has actually created the indoor equivalent to GPS and those navigation apps that we've all come to rely on. And we did this in partnership with the American Printing House for the blind. To make sure that we could help [00:03:00] those who really have complete barriers to navigating the indoors independently and safely be able to find their way with that confidence and independence that we all want to have.

[: 00:03:10

[00:03:11] Theresa Reno-Weber: And so when you use GoodMaps in an indoor space. It's very much like using your outdoor navigation apps. You can open up the building or location that you were in. It will prompt you if you've got the app on your phone for checking into, say, an airport or um, a retail environment or an event space.

[: 00:03:30

[00:04:05] Betsy Cerulo: I, you know, Theresa, I just have to say is mind blowing to me because when, when this app was first introduced to me through the blind community, because AdNet does a lot of work in reasonable accommodations, providing readers and scribes to blind people. Mm-hmm. So when I would attend some of the conferences, what I learned, because the way I grew up is someone who was blind typically used braille.

[: 00:04:28

[00:04:35] Theresa Reno-Weber: right?

[: 00:04:36

[00:04:50] It's not, that's right. So when I was introduced to the app, I was, uh, I was speechless that this [00:05:00] was here, and the more that, you know, I downloaded it from on my iPhone Yep. From the app store, and I start to play with it myself. And I saw in, as you know, as you can move it, move it around. And I know we'll get into this more.

[: 00:05:14

[00:05:22] Theresa Reno-Weber: Yeah. No, that's, it's exactly that. Um, I, I really do say that I'm also a user. I, I am so glad whenever I get to a destination, um, that has GoodMaps there, 'cause I do use it, I use it to find the closest restroom I use it to find mm-hmm what restaurants or amenities are near, whether it's my gate or my train platform.

[: 00:05:42

[00:06:06] Um, and so I very much found our technology to be incredibly helpful to me. Um, who is fortunate to have full vision currently. Limited. Mm-hmm. But, you know, uh, not low vision or, or not, no sight. Um, and it's, it's so useful. It's also useful for folks who might have limited mobility, right? And wanna find right the quickest and shortest direction that has ramps or elevators and doesn't require them to use stairs.

[: 00:06:32

[00:06:54] Mm-hmm. Um, and so someone using it may not know that it is optimized. To support someone who's [00:07:00] blind or someone who has limited mobility or neurodiversity. Um, or it might be deaf, but we've tested with all of those user groups to make sure that the functionality within the app, whether you're on an Android or an iOS device, works well for the needs that you might have.

[: 00:07:15

[00:07:48] Yeah. So if I could find a way to get there as quick as possible, that helps me as well. That's right. So I'm, you know, I'm, I am. Excited and [00:08:00] fascinated and you know, and happy that even, you know, you use the term neuro neurodiverse because I don't, I think there needs to be more highlight for people on neurodiversity, so.

[: 00:08:13

[00:08:18] Theresa Reno-Weber: That's right. And the nice thing is, and again, driven by feedback from end users and customers and individuals who are integrate or, um, using the app. We also now have a web map. Um, that is of the venue and all of the points of interest and locations within the venue.

[: 00:08:35

[00:08:52] Um, so we do find for folks who have high anxiety or maybe even PTSD, um, and are nervous about going to spaces that are [00:09:00] unfamiliar and they wanna know what it's gonna look like when they get there, what their route is gonna be when they get there, how they can exit the building, um. That's another enhancement and feature that we've recently rolled out that allows folks to engage, um, in the modem or, or method that's best for them.

[: 00:09:15

[00:09:28] Betsy Cerulo: that, you know, that's fantastic. You know, in the days before the technology, I would print out my MapQuest.

[: 00:09:34

[00:09:45] Theresa Reno-Weber: Yeah.

[: 00:09:46

[00:10:01] This is very different. So let's talk about the installation of GoodMaps technology in an office building. Yeah. How is that handled?

[: 00:10:09

[00:10:23] However, we're also completely infrastructure and installation free. Meaning no hardware, no beacons, no sensors, no QR codes need to be installed within an office. No hammers

[: 00:10:35

[00:10:36] Theresa Reno-Weber: No hammers. No, no, exactly. And, and honestly, you know, we did start in that space. So we launched this company in 2018 and, and that was the technology on the market at the time.

[: 00:10:47

[00:11:06] Right. And in some of these beautiful old train stations and things that we're working in, um, and then the second and, and really more important pieces. Those solutions are not incredibly accurate even today, at best, three to 30 feet of accuracy, right? Using those installed, um, pieces of hardware with good map solution.

[: 00:11:27

[00:11:49] Um, but that is capturing all of the unique feature points of an indoor space, um, so that we can go back and create a digital blueprint that is accurate to the millimeter. So this is [00:12:00] construction level blueprint accuracy, using that LIDAR scan. Um, we then train our patented positioning algorithm on all of those unique feature points in the space.

[: 00:12:11

[00:12:30] We might send a surveyor to your building and it might take a day for them to walk all those spaces a half a day. If it's a really large space, maybe two days. Um, we bring that back and then we create the digital blueprint and we train our model. And depending on the size of the space, it's usually six to eight weeks to turn that around.

[: 00:12:47

[00:12:48] Theresa Reno-Weber: And it's not intrusive. Activate a new customer

[: 00:12:50

[00:12:54] Theresa Reno-Weber: That's right. Fabulous to employees. Doesn't capture, you know, any of the imagery of people who might be in [00:13:00] the space. Um, we're really just looking at those architectural unique feature points that can allow us to create a digital blueprint and allow us to train our model.

[: 00:13:08

[00:13:24] Theresa Reno-Weber: Yeah, great question. And then again, something that we're really proud of.

[: 00:13:27

[00:13:55] So you

[: 00:13:55

[00:13:56] Theresa Reno-Weber: The customer has the ability to do it. Okay? We have some contracts where they want us to [00:14:00] do it, okay? And we'll take that service request, but we've developed a tool on the backend to make it very simple and easy, and they can say who they want to have the authority to make those changes.

[: 00:14:09

[00:14:26] We have over 20 plus languages right now that are just built into the, um, app and the translation feature, and we're adding more every month, so that updates that easily for our customers. When they have a more extensive renovation, and some of our customers we have multi-year contracts with, and we know their construction schedule, whether that's an office building or an airport, or a museum.

[: 00:14:50

[00:15:34] Betsy Cerulo: Okay. Okay. Uh, you know, I just have to tell you, this is just amazing to me. Um, I, it, it leaves me breathless sometimes. We're really

[: 00:15:44

[00:15:45] Betsy Cerulo: Yeah. And because it feels like from when I first had the conversation with GoodMaps. A year ago, things have transitioned. Absolutely.

[: 00:15:53

[00:16:00] Um, so that we can stay current for them. Mm-hmm. And that we can take, make the most of technology as you know it, which is rapidly evolving.

[: 00:16:08

[00:16:27] Theresa Reno-Weber: Yeah, so couple things. One, um, depending on how our customers are set up and what they would like, we can keep their maps private. Um, or we can make them public. So if they want to have it be sort of geo-fenced where somebody cannot look at their map or use their map unless they're on property or within a radius of the property, we can set those permissions and those parameters.

[: 00:16:47

[00:17:04] We don't require them to sign in or log in, so we don't necessarily know. Who is coming in and out of the space, um, for good or ill. Uh, and we can tell them how many people are using it, where their destinations are, um, what their route ratings are, where they're kind of lingering. But we can't tell you that it's Bob or Susie or whomever, you know, using the app.

[: 00:17:23

[00:17:47] Betsy Cerulo: Mm-hmm. So I'm gonna ask you, and I'm, and I know I'm throwing some questions at you that were side what we were gonna talk about. But say someone comes in, you know, an individual comes [00:18:00] into the space and there's a concern, obviously office buildings have a great deal of security cameras. Does GoodMaps have the capability or keep on record what that person's route was when they were in the building?

[: 00:18:17

[00:18:23] Betsy Cerulo: individual x. Took this

[: 00:18:25

[00:18:41] Um, but we can definitely look at all the routes that have gone through a building in a day. We can provide that information to our customers, um, so they understand the routes that people are taking as they move through their space. Um, and so that is where we currently are with the technology. As you can appreciate, we, we've had some questions from other customers that might want to evolve [00:19:00] the technology to be able to have other applications, definitely in a first responder way.

[: 00:19:06

[00:19:27] Right now, we're using it in the most basic and, and applicable way, which is helping individuals navigate confidently and independently. Um, and we know that there's a lot of other potential applications in the future.

[: 00:19:39

[00:19:51] Theresa Reno-Weber: No, it's completely free to end users. Okay. Um, so our model, um, for the business is, um, to sell to the business owner or the venue owner. [00:20:00] And so we have a relationship with the. The corporate office, um, or with the airport or the train operating company or the retailer, or the event manager, right. Who owns the space?

[: 00:20:12

[00:20:35] Not just accessibility, but also as you shared for anyone coming in the venue. How do you create a. Better, um, guest or visitor experience that offers the most innovative technology out there. Augmented reality, um, enhancements that provide floating icons for signage that, you know, is really small for many of us to be able to read, um, or to locate in a space.

[: 00:20:59

[00:21:12] Betsy Cerulo: Wonderful. So from a business perspective, what are the key benefits for companies to bring this technology to their organizations?

[: 00:21:21

[00:21:48] That is comparable to providing the information that any of us who are cited would have, um, if you are a blind or low vision individual. And so GoodMaps definitely helps meet that and exceed that [00:22:00] requirement. And so just from a basic, for most customers, it's how do I meet and exceed accessibility requirements for people coming into my space?

[: 00:22:08

[00:22:09] Theresa Reno-Weber: Then you have the customer enhancement, um, and the guest experience as well as how do I potentially reduce some of the costs, um, that it takes me to meet, whether it's passenger assistance requests or requests for information. Um, so whether it's an airport, um, or a hospital system, you know, we haven't even talked about that, but mm-hmm.

[: 00:22:29

[00:22:56] So a blind and low vision is a great example. I've got two [00:23:00] fully blind colleagues. Um. Previous to GoodMaps being de deployed in, in some of our airport customers, when they travel through an airport, they often have to, uh, you know, set up passenger assist. They have to wait for passenger assist to come to the gate.

[: 00:23:13

[00:23:31] You know, that passenger assist for somebody who otherwise could navigate independently. And so there's a cost reduction for businesses. Um, and then there's a guest and customer experience piece. And in the healthcare setting, there's even a better health outcome. You mentioned the high anxiety of traveling to through spaces that you know you're unfamiliar with.

[: 00:23:49

[00:24:08] And so we know there's benefits, um, and we're hearing that from, um, healthcare systems that are approaching us with this opportunity.

[: 00:24:15

[00:24:35] I don't feel good that I know I interrupted them, but I have to get to where I have to go. Yeah, so it sounds like. This alleviates even negative interactions because right, everybody's busy and everyone needs to get to where they have to go or do what they have to do. So it, it feels as though the technology will just allow for.

[: 00:24:57

[00:25:01] Theresa Reno-Weber: Yeah. And also, um, bridging that divide. Right. Um, some of our airport customers and our college campuses now, um, that are engaging with us, um, for this service see it also as a benefit for their international travelers or students. Who might not speak, um, the, the venue's language, right?

[: 00:25:18

[00:25:35] Um, our local community and technical college that just rolled out. Is very much excited for us to get Arabic in the app because they have a large Arabic population of students, um, that are navigating the campus. It's a commuter campus and there's not always staff available who speak Arabic to help them, um, with their questions.

[: 00:25:54

[00:26:18] Yeah. And so we're really excited to be partnering, um, with those customers to offer that service.

[: 00:26:24

[00:26:38] Theresa Reno-Weber: So, I joined the company in November of 22. Okay. Um, I was brought in as the Chief Operations Officer, um, and I remember very clearly the board chair and the then CEO saying, GoodMaps is on the cusp of catastrophic success. Um, we have something that we know people need and can help them, and we need the ability to scale this [00:27:00] more broadly.

[: 00:27:01

[00:27:12] Betsy Cerulo: Wonderful. What is it that you love about GoodMaps?

[: 00:27:17

[00:27:36] Um, and now we're giving them that. Freedom. I mean that really the core origin, mission of GoodMaps, the partnership with the American Printing House for the Blind, or the National Federation of the Blind mm-hmm. Of the Canadian National Institute of the Blind. And we've got so many great partners, um, from the very origins of our company, um, and still to this day, the ability to take a technology, um, commercialize it, um, and show a [00:28:00] benefit that makes it go into all of these spaces, um, that are blind and low vision end users.

[: 00:28:05

[00:28:26] Um, I shared that we've got two fully blind individuals on our team. Um, one of them, uh, is a gentleman in his late twenties who went blind, um, in his early twenties. Uh, and he is one. Um, who sent a note out to our whole team maybe a month or two ago and just said, guys, I landed in Providence, Rhode Island, which is one of our, our now, uh, airport customers.

[: 00:28:48

[00:29:08] And, and that's the kind of, um, stuff that makes us really excited to keep moving forward.

[: 00:29:14

[00:29:27] Theresa Reno-Weber: Yeah.

[: 00:29:27

[00:29:47] Light sensitivity, um, seeing shadows and shapes to complete darkness to, you know, it's a whole spectrum. Um, and I think that folks don't often understand that. Um, and so that's an interesting [00:30:00] education for individuals. Um, you know, there's a whole education around folks who are cane users versus guide dog users, um, and how they use those tools as assistance to navigate the world.

[: 00:30:11

[00:30:33] I think that's really just, um, uh, something that we should all, if you put yourself in. Someone else's shoes. Um, how scary that could be, but also how freeing it can be if you're able to do, um, the things that others can do and capture the information that others can capture on your own. Um, and so I think that's the biggest myth we wanna dispel.

[: 00:30:52

[00:31:20] Betsy Cerulo: Where is your company based out of?

[: 00:31:22

[00:31:42] Um, they were actually, very interestingly, one of the first, um. Inventors of audio books, if you think about it, right? Mm-hmm. Talking books for the blind. Yeah. Um, but they never did anything to patent that technology. Um, and so interestingly, when the idea for GoodMaps arose, um, the board at the American [00:32:00] Printing House for the blind actually said, oh, we don't wanna miss the boat again.

[: 00:32:03

[00:32:23] They actually had some initial technology that they, um, you know. Put out into this company when we first launched. Um, we've innovated on that since, uh, but they recognize that this could potentially be something like audio books that you start for one population and then you recognize the broad applicability of it for helping all of us.

[: 00:32:42

[00:32:43] Betsy Cerulo: well, Theresa, that's how innovation occurs. One person sees a need or sees a gap, comes up with a brilliant idea. Yep. Attracts brilliant people to put it together. And then those of us who are wonderful at marketing take it out. Yeah. I mean, I [00:33:00] don't do the other parts. I can take it out to the world, uh, like yourself.

[: 00:33:04

[00:33:35] Theresa Reno-Weber: That's right. Well, and it's been part of our evolution and our business model because what we realized was if we're going to get GoodMaps into all of the locations that blind or low vision individuals are trying to transit and navigate, it's everywhere. Right? It's the world around us. Um, unfortunately, not everyone has a budget.

[: 00:33:55

[00:34:28] Absolutely. Absolutely. Um, and so for us fueling that mission of making more spaces more accessible for more people, um, helping it be so that we're ever a blind individual. Finds themself, they can eventually, hopefully, find the type of technology that GoodMaps has so they can navigate independently. Um, that business evolution for us just made sense.

[: 00:34:50

[00:34:59] Theresa Reno-Weber: need to [00:35:00] do a session two, we'll

[: 00:35:00

[00:35:14] Anything?

[: 00:35:15

[00:35:40] Um, because we really are trying to do an education, um, that there. Is an innovation in the marketplace that can, um, be a really powerful indoor way finding solution that is non-intrusive. Yeah. That is lower cost and that is more accessible. Yeah. And so we're really excited, um, to talk to anyone and everyone.[00:36:00]

[: 00:36:00

[00:36:18] Um, so if you've got a campus model, um, this technology can work there as well. And so we would just ask for that advocacy, um, those introductions, those connections, and that championship.

[: 00:36:28

[00:36:31] Theresa Reno-Weber: Yep. So, um, GoodMaps all one word.com is our website. Um, my email is very easy and I'm always happy to share it.

[: 00:36:40

[00:37:02] Um, and happy to, um, engage in conversation.

[: 00:37:05

[00:37:28] And the integrity that both of our organizations have, we're gonna be able to reach a wider circle. So I believe that, thank you for, for sharing all your wisdom and for, for giving this, this piece of hope to some of our listeners that get challenged when they. Go out into public or to an office building.

[: 00:37:47

[00:37:50] Theresa Reno-Weber: Oh, thank you so much. I absolutely loved being a guest on. I will totally take you up on a part two next season. Um, and look forward to seeing, um, our work together continue to impact [00:38:00] lives. So thank you so much.

[: 00:38:01

[00:38:07] Please go to GoodMaps.com. Look it up, download it, play with it. You can for any reason, anywhere you go, practice it out in the public sphere. And I know that you're gonna see more of GoodMaps and AdNet and GoodMaps working together. So thank you for being here today. We appreciate you and may you have a wonderful, wonderful day and a blissful life.

[: 00:38:30