Meet , CU Boulder alumni and founder of Hi There Solutions! is a mobile app that provides communication solutions for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.
In 2014, Chase graduated from CU Boulder with a degree in Marketing and Management. He also received Business of Sports and International Business certificates! Upon graduation, Chase pursued a career in telecommunications with AT&T.
The idea for Hi There Solutions came about in June of 2019 after a faulty internet connection interfered with a FaceTime call between Chase and his Deaf friend. Chase and his friend regularly communicated via FaceTime because it allowed them to read his lips. However, Chase’s friend happened to be in an area with poor internet connection, so she could not read his lips very well due to the constant freezing of the video. At that moment, Chase wished FaceTime had real-time captions so the Deaf and Hard of Hearing could read what was being said in addition to the video.
Chase shared this idea with his father, who agreed it had potential. They conducted market research and quickly began Hi There Solutions!Ìý
About Hi There Solutions
Hi There Solutions is a mobile app designed to assist the Deaf and Hard of Hearing with communication. Currently, the app consists of two solutions, Hi There!!! and Just Talk!, with several future solutions in the works.
Hi There!!! provides real-time captions during video chats. While video-chatting, users can utilize speech-to-text, instant messaging, and share animated American Sigh Language sticker emojis. Just Talk! allows for a live two-way conversation through real-time captions, speech-to-text, text-to-speech, instant messaging, and animated ASL sticker emojis.Ìý
Hi There Solutions operates on a subscription model, offering both Basic and Premium plans with different tier levels to purchase video minutes and messages. To see detailed information on pricing, visit the Hi There Solutions .
The Hi There Solutions team consists of Chase and his father, John. The father-son duo also has a wide network of Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals who serve as advisors.Ìý
The father-son duo also appeared on a podcast with The Nice Speech Lady to share details about Hi There Solutions. View this podcast !
Upcoming Projects and Events
In 2021, Hi There Solutions was awarded the Innovator Award from the .
Recently, Hi There Solutions was approved by the Google Play Store and is pending approval from the Apple App Store. Once approved for iOS devices, Hi There Solutions will be published and available for the public to download.
Hi There Solutions also has several app additions in the pipeline. The father-son duo elaborates,
“Essentially, we would like to have a variety of solutions within our app for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing to utilize.â€
In the next couple of years, Hi There Solutions plans to release a wearable device. This device will notify Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals in the event of an emergency, such as a fire alarm going off, or when there is someone at their door. Other solutions in the works relate to music, telehealth, and speech therapy. Hi There Solutions will also be adding more animated ASL stickers to their chats!Ìý
Hi There Solutions is working closely with school districts to provide Write Hear. Write Hear is a service that transcribes class lectures for Deaf and Hard of Hearing students. Chase and his father believe this service will help bridge the learning gap between Deaf and hearing students.Ìý
Challenges Faced
Chase has found pitching Hi There Solutions to investors to be a challenge. He adds,
“I’ve made many sacrifices for Hi There Solutions, and it’s taken a lot of dedication. This has been a big eye-opener for me.â€
Advice for Current ÀÖ²¥´«Ã½Ìý
Chase provides the following advice for current students,
“You just gotta have grit and a winner’s mentality. It’s important to constantly innovate, staying stagnant won’t help you.â€