CES 2020 Preview: NowMobileUS is Making More Than Your Technology Wishes Come True
This article was originally published on January 3, 2020 at https://gritdaily.com/ces2020-nowmobile-make-a-wish/
CES 2020, the biggest tech event of the year, is nearly upon us. All the world eagerly waits for next-generation consumer technology to make its debut. But it’s also the time of year when we pause to think about the spirit of the season. NowMobileUS, a leader in mobile technology accessories, has just announced an initiative that ticks all the boxes – innovative consumer technology, an exhibition at CES 2020 and an effort that would warm the heart of any Grinch. Tareq Risheq, COO of NowMobileUS, caught up with Grit Daily to share the announcement of their partnership with Make-A-Wish.
They say that everything happens for a reason. Maybe so. Not long ago, Risheq attended a networking event where he met Ken Herold, a local Make-A-Wish chapter Board member who spoke at length about their inspiring work and challenges with fundraising. The nonprofit organization has been granting life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses since 1980. But keeping up with the wish requests is becoming more challenging with costs averaging over $10,000 per wish.
No wishes would come true if it was not for the support of donors. Enter NowMobileUS, who has recently become a corporate sponsor of Make-A-Wish. “On average, Make-A-Wish grants a life-changing wish every 34 minutes in the U.S. and its territories,” said Richard K. Davis, president, and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “We are very grateful for companies like NowMobileUS, who dedicate their time, resources and energy to help children battling critical illnesses build the physical and emotional strength they need through a wish come true.”
Grit Daily: This is a wonderful announcement and not the typical news associated with CES. Tell us a little more about the role of NowMobile in this partnership with Make-A-Wish.
Tareq Risheq: My conversation with Mr. Herold that night stuck with me long after the networking event was over. I left the event motivated to find a way to help. We have since pledged to support the Make-A-Wish mission through our “Help Grant a Wish Now” program and are announcing this at CES on Wednesday, January 8th at 10am in the NowMobile booth #41970 located at The Sands, Halls A-D – 41970. We will be joined by individuals from Make-A-Wish America and the nonprofit’s local chapter, Make-A-Wish Southern Nevada. Our guest of honor in the booth will be the first wish child to receive a wish through our program and everyone is invited to our booth to celebrate this child’s wish come true.
GD: How many wishes do you intend to grant?
TR: At first, we earmarked $250,000 for the program. However, as we gained a deeper understanding of the tremendous need for more Make-A-Wish support, we increased our contribution to $1,000,000. We want to change lives. We don’t want to be just another company with cool mobile accessory technology. After being in business for 17 years, we felt that it was time to give back in a big way.
GD: That’s incredible! Will consumers of your mobile essentials, wireless chargers, Bluetooth earbuds, cell phone cases, kickstands and so on be able to donate to NowMobile’s program to help grant these wishes?
TR: Any direct contributions to Make-A-Wish would no doubt be appreciated. However, NowMobile is not asking its consumers to contribute nor are we raising our prices to generate these monies. For every NowMobileUS accessory purchased in 2020, we will make a $1 to $2 donation to Make-A-Wish. By March-April timeframe, our accessories will be in updated packaging which will highlight the work of Make-A-Wish and feature the children whose wishes have come true because consumers chose to buy our products. Our products will be branded as they normally are, however, some of our retail partners will be offering limited-edition Make-A-Wish branded merchandise for some of our white-labeled versions of our technology products.
GD: Since CES is all about technology, is there anything that you can share about the future of wireless accessories and what’s trending now?
TR: Absolutely! Some mobile phone manufacturers have already indicated that they are moving away from cables altogether towards a wireless world. What’s on the horizon now is a seamless experience. Technology is being designed now to transform an entire room into an invisible charging station. Once this technology is enabled, consumers will be able to charge their phones without any need for physical contact with a charging device. They will be able to just leave it there on the table or desk or whatever and it will automatically begin charging. We are at the forefront of technology and have partnered with the world’s leading innovators to design next-generation consumer electronics and accessories and we’ll be making other announcements in 2020. However, our focus and commitment are to help Make-A-Wish grant life-changing wishes to children and families in need.
GD: Thank you for your time and generosity. We all look forward to learning more about the children whose wishes come true because of NowMobileUS.