Looking for Love in all the Wright Places
As a follow up to our conversation last week with John Coulson, serial inventor and founder of SIDOG, we interviewed TJ Wright, founder of Mi Amore and the first official licensee of SIDOG’s technology platform.
TJ Wright has a fascinating story himself. For those of you not familiar with the name, TJ is a former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback who played professionally for many years until an injury forced him to move to arena football and eventually retire from the game altogether. While TJ figured out his next steps, he pursued his creative passions with a vengeance, which included forming a rap / rock back called Orian’s belt, pursuing a design degree through an art institute, designing his own merchandise such as accessories, wardrobe and shoes.
As TJ puts it..
“My hobby is having a hobby”
Beyond, fun creative pursuits, TJ has made several viable businesses out of these pursuits, most recently with Locatorone a phone case that is designed helps you find your phone with a paired keychain that sounds an internal speaker on the phone case to indicate its location.
TJ is the ultimate problem solver and since developing Locatorone, he’s been hooked on using technology to do so.
What's the next big problem TJ is looking to solve?
LOVE or more appropriately our inability to find love. He wants to take people from matching to connecting. Today, the mobile dating game isn’t much more than two pictures acknowledging each other through swipes, he feels it’s the least effective form of communication especially when it comes to pursuing love. Add to this geographically inconvenient areas like Los Angeles where getting around because of traffic and distance can make the dating game even harder. Why not give people a chance to meet face to face, but with a new enhanced immersive experience? Enter SIDOG with it’s virtual immersive real-time social gaming platform and Mi Amore was born.
TJ’s vision is one where people will be able to date virtually, yet enjoying experiences together, perhaps even attending events like concerts or a movie virtually. This would help people get to know each other in a safe environment before actually meeting face to face in the flesh.
For this technology to work, both parties would need a headset and 360’ camera, the application is in development and should be in market in the next 6-8 months.
TJ feels Mi Amore will have a positive effect on society, because it will enable us to curate relationships and understand we aren’t as alone as we think we are. It can also enhance existing relationships or people that are in long distance relationships because as a couple they will still be able to enjoy virtual experiences together. TJ is convinced of the disruptive nature of this technology to enhance human connection and communications, likening it to what email and voicemail did for our ability to communicate and harness what would have been missed connections. Definitely some fascinating thoughts about the future of communications and dating.
