#180: Allison Ferenci, Co-Founder and CEO of Camera IQ, the World's First Augmented Reality Platform for Camera Marketing, on Category Creation, Raising $4M+ as Non-Technical Female Founders, and the Future of AR

Allison Ferenci is the co-founder and CEO of Camera IQ, the world's first augmented reality platform for camera marketing. Camera IQ unites the camera ecosystem to enable brands create and deliver captivating AR experiences at scale.

Allison has been creating new realities since she started her dual MFA in Interior Design and Digital Interactive Art at Pratt Institute. Exploring the intersection between design, architecture and human interaction, Allison became interested in how technology could bridge our online and offline worlds.

In 2016, Allison founded Camera IQ on the thesis that the camera is no longer just the camera. Camera IQ helps brands build new interactive experiences that captivate audiences. Since inception, they have worked with major brands and are in partnership talks with major platforms.

About Our Partners

This episode is brought to you by Hawke Media. Hawke Media is a full-service Outsourced CMO based in Santa Monica, CA, providing guidance, planning, and execution to grow brands of all sizes, industries, and business models.

Hawke Media was recognized by Inc. as the country's fastest-growing marketing consultancy and is proudly one of Glassdoor's "Best Places to Work"​, 2019 #893 on the Forbes 5000 list, UpCity Top Los Angeles Digital Marketing Agency. Hawke’s collaborative process, à la carte offering, and month-to-month fee structure give clients the flexibility they need to boost digital revenues and marketing ROI.

Hawke Media The company has serviced over 1500 brands of all sizes, ranging from startups like Tamara Mellon, SiO Beauty and Bottlekeeper to household names like Red Bull, Verizon Wireless and Alibaba.

Listen to our interview with Erik Huberman, Founder and CEO of Hawke Media, in episode 23 of the Just Go Grind Podcast.

This episode is also brought to you by Toptal. Toptal is an exclusive network of the top freelance software developers, designers, finance experts, product managers, and project managers in the world. Top companies hire Toptal freelancers for their most important projects.

Connect with Allison Ferenci

Camera IQ Facebook Instagram Twitter Snapchat Medium LinkedIn Allison on Twitter

Some of the Topics Covered by Allison Ferenci in this Episode

Allison's background and how it led to her starting Camera IQ Meeting her co-founder, Sonia Tsao and her advice on what to look for in a co-founder The original business model for Camera IQ and how it has evolved Determining their pricing model Being in category creation Why Allison recommends bootstrapping at the beginning The challenges of fundraising as female founders and what Allison learned from the experience Early customer acquisition and exploring different verticals Hiring technical employees as non-technical founders How Allison approaches product development Camera IQ's relationship with different platforms Different use cases for Camera IQ, and how COVID has expanded opportunities How Allison views the future of AR How Allison sees success and failure Allison's book recommendations How Allison recharges away from work Allison's advice for entrepreneurs

Links from the Episode

Adobe Figma #131: Olivia Owens, Creator and General Manager of IFundWomen of Color and Head of Partnerships at IFundWomen, a Platform for Female Entrepreneurs to Raise Capital Through Crowdfunding Shasta Ventures Marketo Twilio Salesforce NEW INC (New Museum) Andy Weissman at Union Square Ventures Spotify Neiman Marcus Refinery29 R/GA New York Fashion Tech Lab Atlantic Records Republic Records Interscope Records Software development kit Bumble Snapchat Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky Daily Rituals by Mason Currey