A Story of Change
Over the past several decades, Martin Cooper, inventor of the cell phone and technology visionary, and Arlene Harris, innovator and successful entrepreneur, have created new categories of products and services that have been adopted around the world. Their offerings have resulted in hundreds of billions of dollars in revenues and delivered better technology-enabled solutions to thousands of companies and billions of consumers.
Starting at the onset of the computer and wireless revolutions, Cooper and Harris independently, and later together through Dyna and its partners, successfully brought numerous consumer and enterprise technologies and companies to market. Since starting Dyna in 1986, they have made many important contributions through their insight, expertise, and collaboration with those who share their passion for technology and service innovation. A recent innovation is GreatCall, Inc. GreatCall was sold in 2017 and is now owned by BestBuy, grounding its senior market and connected health service offerings.
Both Marty Cooper and Arlene Harris are Consumer Technology Hall of Fame and Wireless Hall of Fame members. In addition, they, and their innovations, have been recognized with many other industry, leadership, and service awards.
The First Portable Cellular Phone
Martin Cooper invented the first handheld cellular phone, growing to serve 2/3 of the global market (5 billion people)
Cooper led the movement at Motorola to make cellular communications personal and mobile. Thanks to the efforts he championed in the 1970s and 1980s—culminating in the world’s first commercial handheld cell phone—an entire industry emerged and billions of people are connected today.
In the 1970s, Marty Cooper headed Motorola’s communications systems division where he conceived of the first portable cellular phone and led the 10-year process of bringing it to market. He believed the cellular phone should be “…a personal telephone – something that would represent an individual so you could assign a number; not to a place, not to a desk, not to a home, but to a person.”
What's Up Now
Martin's Newest Book
The cell phone, as a platform, led to the creation and growth of new industries and companies. It has helped reduce poverty and is beginning to impact health care and education.
Yet the story of its creation has not properly been told, till now.
Wrethinking
The Foundation
Fostering innovation in San Diego by Wrethinking technology to find new solutions, with a focus on women-led initiatives.
Meet Rosy Home
Meet Rosy Home, the world’s first digital family organizer.
Digitize your photos, cards and mementos all at once, with a single touch of a button.