Learning From My Family, The Hearing Industry’s Best

This March, I had the unique opportunity to travel overseas with my dad, grandpa and other members of Starkey Hearing Technologies executive team to witness the global launch of their revolutionary new hearing aid, Livio AI. I’ve worked with hearing aids countless times during Starkey Hearing Foundation missions, but this was different. This hearing aid was something my grandfather, Bill Austin, had been dreaming about for years, and I am so thankful I was there to watch his vision become a reality.

Livio AI is not just a hearing aid. It is a multi-function device that is going to help people around the world hear better and live better. My grandfather knew the potential hearing aids possessed long before smart phones or fitness trackers were mainstream. With my grandfather’s vision in mind, my dad and his team developed the first hearing aid with artificial intelligence and integrated sensors. This allows it to not only be the best sounding hearing aid ever created, but it also detects when the wearer falls and alerts loved ones, translates languages and tracks brain and body health.

The global launch of Livio AI started for me in South Africa. While on this global launch, I was not only learning about the business, but also working for the Starkey Hearing Technologies’ social media team back in Minnesota. I helped supply images from the launch events and log quotes from the Starkey executive team to support them in their efforts. It was fun and gave me a new perspective into the world of public relations.

After South Africa, we went onto India and Abu Dhabi for more launch events. We were also in Abu Dhabi for the Special Olympics World Games. That was an emotional experience. Some of the athletes had gone their entire lives without hearing. When they were fit with hearing aids, they were so overcome with emotion that everyone was crying tears of joy.

When our work at the Special Olympics was over, we continued the global launch of Livio AI in the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy. It was a busy two weeks, but completely worth it! I learned so many things about the hearing industry, the world’s cultures and my dad. My dad and I are alike in that public speaking has never been something we’re afraid of. Watching him speak to large groups of people time and time again has given me more confidence in myself. We are also both history buffs and loved visiting historical sites along the way like Buckingham Palace, the Eiffel Tower and Beethoven’s house.

Throughout my travels, I noticed a special juxtaposition among all the Starkey Hearing Technologies’ teams around the globe: they are all so different, yet they share one unifying affinity - they are all invested in and inspired by their product, Livio AI, and by the Starkey team from Minnesota. It's amazing and humbling to see firsthand how my family’s dreams have impacted lives both near and far. What started as a small hearing aid shop in Minnesota has grown into a business with a purpose that is supported and championed by people all over the world.

During the global launch, Dr. Achin Bhowmik said, “The vision is what helps us look beyond what is possible.”These words apply directly to my grandpa and his once-radical dream, a dream which sparked and mobilized a hearing revolution. This launch showed me how one person with a vision can truly make a difference. I am so proud and grateful to be a part of this hearing family, and I aspire to carry on my grandfather's legacy by helping people all over the world hear, one ear at a time.