Project Noah was launched out of NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP) in early 2010. It all started off as an experiment to see if we could build a fun, location-based mobile application to encourage people to reconnect with nature and document local wildlife. We wanted to harness the power and popularity of new smart phones to collect important ecological data and help preserve global biodiversity.
After our official iPhone launch in February of 2010, we received great feedback and decided to push forward. Shortly after launching, we earned a spot in the first Startl Mobile Design Boost where we had the opportunity to improve our design with the help of the Startl team and folks from IDEO. A few months later we won the inaugural “Breakthrough in Mobile Learning” prize from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center. With the $50K cash prize we were able to design our next generation software and attract National Geographic as an investor.
The founding members of Project Noah are Yasser Ansari, Martin Ceperley, Peter Horvath, and Bruno Kruse. Collectively, our backgrounds cover molecular biology, bioinformatics, product management, photography, software development, user experience design, and general hardware and software hacking.
Our ultimate goal is to build the go-to platform for documenting all the world's organisms and through doing this we hope to develop an effective way to measure Mother Nature's pulse. By encouraging the mobile masses to document their encounters with nature, we hope to build a powerful force for data collection and an important educational tool for wildlife awareness and preservation. We hope you'll support us on this mission by joining Project Noah today.
Yasser Ansari studied molecular biology and bioinformatics at U.C. San Diego and spent time researching plant genomics at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. After the lab, he moved into the wireless industry where he helped design and develop hand-held radiation detectors, gaming accessories, and new mobile software at companies including Kyocera, Qualcomm, and Peek. He earned his Master’s degree from NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program and holds several technology patents.
Martin Ceperley is a hacker/developer who has launched his own app, Historic Earth, and software development company Emergence Studios. Historic Earth lets mobile users explore history with their touch-screens by overlaying geo-referenced historic maps of their area from a large archive. He has a background in photojournalism and has his Master’s degree from the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU.
Peter Horvath focuses on the importance of design in providing meaningful experiences. With a background in design research, he made his mark as a technologist at O'Reilly Media. Later he blogged for Make Magazine, acted as a member of the Council of the Internet of Things, and co-founded Ignite Toronto. He attended the Interactive Telecommunications Program at NYU.
David Munson is a science writer and educator who is looking for new ways to help people of all ages discover and explore their connection with nature. A Cornell grad with a background in entomology and agriculture, he has published hundreds of articles on science, education and other subjects as a freelance writer and the former Science News Writer for the University of Maine. He had played a leadership role in several education-focused nonprofits and has maintained an active presence in the classroom, encouraging students (and teachers) to become a part of the Project Noah community.
