S.L. FULLER
Special to The Leader
The Worldwide App, Inc launched a mobile app this past August for iPhone, iPad and Android. Crystal Callahan, founder and president of The Worldwide App, Inc, chose the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator to help her organize and get her business on its feet.
With the help of the incubator, colleagues in Buffalo and Los Angeles and most importantly, alumni, recent graduates and current seniors from Fredonia State, The Worldwide App, Inc has reached over one thousand fans.
Worldwide Mobile Movie Theater™ is an application that allows users to preview new independent films for free. Award-winning independent film makers submit short campaigns which app users can then vote for. The app is the first of its kind.
“It’s a yearly game,” said Callahan, “with a season once a year.”
Callahan has worked about half of her career in the Silicon Valley with a background in intellectual Property Law and the other half in film sales and marketing in Los Angeles. These experiences influenced the creation of The Worldwide App, Inc and Worldwide Mobile Movie Theater™.
The film campaign with the most votes at the end of the contest wins the chance to meet with leading people in the film industry in Hollywood.
The app has just reached its thousandth download. To celebrate this milestone, Callahan wants to hold a pep rally on the SUNY Fredonia campus.
“The Fredonia students that I’ve worked with have some of the best personalities and professionalism of anyone I’ve worked with in my career,” said Callahan. “We would not be hitting the [one thousand] fan mark without them.”
Among the recent graduates and current seniors from Fredonia State are Andre Cobham and Mike Carbone from V3 Studios and Shauna Kyle-Presto who works as one of the executive campaign managers. V3 Studios is another developing business in the incubator which is where they were introduced to Callahan.
“Crystal Callahan came from Hollywood with the idea and application,” said Cobham. “V3 Studios is helping put together content for her website and the press [among other things].” V3 Studios is a production company that started in SUNY Fredonia as TRR Productions.
“They’ve been an excellent resource,” said Callahan regarding V3.
Kyle-Presto, a senior Music Business major with a Communications minor, said she “feel[s] as though [she’s] made very valuable lifelong connections through this internship.” Kyle-Presto and the other executive campaign managers have the job of spreading awareness and getting the public excited about the new app.
“I’ve been able to apply my business administration and communications background to a real life start-up and that’s an amazing feeling,” said Kyle-Presto. “It’s just been a great experience so far and I plan to stay with the company even after I graduate.”
Callahan was drawn to the SUNY Fredonia Technology Incubator because of the college’s concentration in media and entertainment. Also, being a Buffalo native, she’s very familiar with this area.
“This isn’t a company that you do in LA right near all of the traditional players in the industry,” said Robert Fritzinger, director of the incubator. “You go off into a smaller place a little under the radar. You should assume that she’s kind of going after the big guys.”
“I thought it would be a really good fit,” said Callahan of the incubator. “I felt like I found a home.”
This celebration on campus will allow Callahan to show her gratitude to the university, students and alumni she’s worked with. The pep rally is to be held sometime in the near future.
“This can really be a huge event for everyone in terms of faculty, administration and students,” said Callahan. She added how amazing it is that this application was launched basically right from a college campus.
“We’re going to be honoring everyone who has been committed to helping us achieve this milestone [of
one thousand downloads],” said Callahan. “I’m really proud of them.”