Founded 2001 | ||
Callpod is a Chicago-based technology company that creates unique power products, communication products and software. Callpod has won a plethora of industry awards and is recognized as "an emerging leader in the mobile electronics industry". This includes encryption software, battery chargers, device adaptors, Bluetooth-enabled devices for the consumer, business and government markets. United States Patent and Trademark Office contains several design and utility patent records covering Callpod's inventions.United States Patent and Trademark Office
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Co-founded in 2001 by Darren Guccione and Craig Lurey, Callpod was created to pursue patents in mobile conferencing. In October 2004, Callpod received its first U.S. utility patent—the first of its kind in the new category of mobile conferencing.
The company's first product, which launched in 2007, is a six-way mobile device charger called the Chargepod. Following the Chargepod, Callpod's product catalog grew to include a line of bluetooth headsets designed for mobile conferencing, such as the Phoenix, Dragon, Onyx and Vetro. These products were the first of their kind to include multiplex chipsets, allowing for the transmission of multiple voice signals within the devices. Callpod's engineering team worked on several other products devised by Guccione and Lurey, creating an extensive portfolio of technology patents. Callpod shares its engineering innovations by allowing product developers to license its patents for continued advancements.
In 2009, the company ventured into the arena of software through its creation of Keeper Password and Data Vault, an application designed to encrypt people's sensitive and personal information in mobile devices and computers. Since its release, Keeper has been a top downloaded app on mobile devices around the world (millions of downloads) and has been developed on every major mobile platform and operating system. The program offers secure cloud backup, restore and device sync features.
In late 2011, Callpod created a wholly owned subsidiary called Keeper Security, Inc., to differentiate and separately market its mobile device products and software.
Bios
Darren Guccione
President & CEO, Co-Founder
Darren Guccione is the CEO and Co-Founder of the Company. Darren Guccione has extensive experience in product design, engineering and development. Prior to Callpod, Darren Guccione served as Chief Financial Officer and financial advisor to JiWire, a media and technology service provider for the WiFi industry. He was formerly the Chief Financial Officer and a primary shareholder of Apollo Solutions, Inc., which he and his partners sold to CNET Networks, Inc. in June 2000.
Early in his career, Darren Guccione lived in Asia for several years, where he coordinated product development for Bell Sports, a world leader in the bicycle accessories market. He then served Arthur Andersen LLP as a management consultant for publicly owned manufacturing-based companies.
Darren Guccione holds a Master of Science in Accountancy with Distinction from the Kellstadt Graduate School of Business at DePaul University of Chicago and has a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he was the recipient of the Evans Scholarship and Morton Thiokol Excellence in Engineering Design Award. Darren Guccione is a licensed Certified Public Accountant.
A board member of the Chicago Entrepreneurial Center supporting the development of early stage companies, Darren Guccione is also an advisor to Excelerate Labs, a Chicago-based technology incubator for innovative start ups. Formerly, Darren Guccione served on the Committee of Technology Infrastructure under Mayor Richard Daley.
Craig Lurey
CTO, Co-Founder
Craig Lurey is CTO and Co-Founder of Callpod. Craig leads Callpod's software development and technology infrastructure. Craig and Darren have been active business partners in a series of successful ventures for over ten years.
Prior to Callpod, Craig was the CTO of JiWire, Inc. a media and technology service provider to the WiFi industry. Craig led development of JiWire's technology from the ground up to deliver web services and security applications to millions of users worldwide.
In 1998, Craig created a software platform for what would become CNET ChannelOnline™, a turnkey sales-cycle automation solution for the computer industry. Craig's company Apollo Solutions was acquired by CNET Networks Inc. in June 2000. ChannelOnline now manages the e-commerce and daily operations of thousands of computer resellers throughout the United States.
Prior to founding Apollo Solutions, Craig served Motorola as a software engineer creating firmware for cellular base stations. Craig holds a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Iowa State University.