AUSTIN, Texas, Oct. 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OJO Labs, an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered real estate technology company, with its patented conversational consumer platform, is on the cutting-edge of transforming one of history’s oldest industries.
To accelerate that effort, OJO Labs announced today that two of Austin’s top technology and engineering leaders, Peter Kappler and Qingqing Ouyang, will lead the AI efforts at OJO Labs that will empower people to make better decisions through the fusion of machine and human intelligence.
OJO Labs has been reinventing the home purchase and sale journey by creating a better experience for consumers and real estate agents. OJO was recently recognized as one of the “Best Places to Work,” by the Austin Business Journal, and an Austin Inno 50 On Fire 2018 winner, as it continues to build a world-class team by adding key industry players.
According to Berkowitz and Rubin, since founding OJO Labs in 2015 the company has attracted “an unparalleled group of engineers, data scientists, product developers, and operations experts.” It was the team’s ambition to launch its AI platform, paired with sophisticated human input and an advanced mobile and web experience that attracted the attention of Kappler and Ouyang.
Peter Kappler, who was Google’s 150th hire and opened Google’s Austin office in 2007, has joined OJO Labs as the Chief Technology Officer. Qingqing Ouyang transitioned from her role as Main Street Hub’s Head of Engineering to OJO Labs’ Executive Vice President of Engineering. “The timing is ideal for OJO,” Berkowitz said, “as it will be pushing its platform to multiple states across the country and Canada by the end of the year.”
Qingqing Ouyang, who is well-regarded in the Austin tech community, made the decision to join OJO Labs for several reasons. “I was impressed by OJO Labs’ mission to improve the way people make their most important decisions through the fusion of machine and human intelligence,” said Ouyang. “I am intrigued by the hard, technical challenges. I am even more captivated by the ethical responsibilities that come with the great power of technology.”
When asked about the opportunity to work closely with Peter Kappler, Ouyang said, “It’s exciting to work alongside someone who played an integral part in helping build Google up to what it has become today. As with many other candidates who view this as an exciting factor for wanting to join OJO, it is certainly the case for me as well.”
Peter Kappler’s decision to continue his passion for helping companies develop meaningful and impactful products by joining OJO Labs’ outstanding team was obvious. “I’ve looked at numerous technology startup opportunities since I retired from Google, but none were as exciting as OJO Labs. I chose to join and help build this company because its technology and team are tackling exciting challenges by providing a level of personalization at a scale previously unachievable,” Kappler said.
OJO Labs plans to double its Austin team by 2019. To accomplish this aggressive goal, the company is searching for great people that can not only display expertise in their field, but also share the belief that it takes an entire organization working together to achieve the highest level of success.
While defining OJO Labs’ Core Culture Values, CEO John Berkowitz and the leadership team stressed a mantra that helps fuel the OJO team: Hire Great – Never Compromise on People. “When the right group of minds come together with a single, shared vision, anything is possible,” said Berkowitz.
About OJO Labs Inc. - OJO Labs is on a mission to empower people to make better decisions through the fusion of machine and human intelligence. The company developed a unique, AI-based technology that can conduct text conversations with consumers at scale. By combining natural language understanding with data and personalization, the product allows for consumers to deeply engage in a purchase process prior to interacting with a salesperson. OJO Labs is backed by the two most active VC firms in Texas and was recently recognized as an Austin A-List and 50 On Fire winner. The OJO team has decades of combined experience scaling businesses together and has deep experience in engineering, data science, product development and operations.
For additional media and information, please contact Christine Jacobson at 512-262-9242 or via email at marketing@ojolabs.com.
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