Meet Nader Hamda of Ozobot

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nader Hamda.

Nader, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I was inspired to create Ozobot as I watched my two daughters interact with technology. I was part of the problem, handing over my tablet or smartphone as a digital pacifier to secure some quiet time. Watching them with those devices, I became concerned about three things. First, they were disconnected from their physical surroundings.

Second, it was a solitary activity, even if a friend was sitting nearby. Third, and most alarmingly, it was an experience of pure consumption. They consumed whatever the device showed them—tapping, scrolling, and swiping to nowhere.

I built a team around the mission to change this narrative. Together, we designed a robot to be a creative companion, one that enables the sharing of ideas and inspires young minds to go from just consuming technology to creating it.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
We’re building a solution to an emerging problem of digital consumption, one that affects children both at school and at home. Our daily lives are changing quickly, and effective solutions have to keep adapting and evolving based on how kids view themselves in relation to their technology.

We believe we have a clear vision that can truly prepare the next generation to become the leaders of our technology-driven future. As a start-up, however, it can be challenging to balance the interests of today’s users with a long-term vision and the goals of the ecosystem that we are systematically building. We look to our mission as a driver of decisions during such challenging moments.

Ozobot – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Ozobot prepares kids to create, collaborate, and interact with robots. We believe robots will soon be ubiquitous across industries, and we want to give everyone an opportunity to shape the future. To that end, Evo offers more ways to code: online with our OzoBlockly code editor and screen-free with Color Code markers. As a result, Evo inspires future engineers, entrepreneurs, and artists alike. The bot is also app-connected and updatable, growing with kids and revealing new features, games, and content the more they level up.

Evo reflects a paradigm shift in education, one that moves beyond the classroom to the family room, YouTube, and on-the-go play. Evo can deliver structured lessons or game-based life skills and experiences anytime, anywhere.

As CEO, I’m most proud of our team. A diverse crew of designers, developers, and lifelong learners, they embody our belief that tech skills alone don’t spur big ideas—creative visions do.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I define success as a level of happiness—a point where we’re smiling more often than we’re frowning. When it comes to building a for-profit venture, financial goals are typically the primary measure of success. When you build a company designed for social impact, however, you get to expand your definition of success to include markers like education retention rates, a company culture score, and more.

Pricing:

• Ozobot bit retails for $49 while Ozobot Evo (our connected, updatable robot) $99

Contact Info:

• Address: 129 W. Torrance Blvd. Redondo Beach, CA 90277
• Website: ozobot.com
• Phone: 310.318.0070
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ozobot/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ozobot/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Ozobot
• Other: https://www.youtube.com/user/OZOBOT

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