Ferrona Lie is the CEO and co-founder of near Technology, Inc., a Northwestern University-spinout startup providing personalized tech coaching to enable all individuals to use technology to stay connected with their loved ones, stress-free.

The idea stemmed from the founders' shared experiences trying to help their parents and other older relatives with tech issues involving smart phones, tablets, and computers. Ferrona and her business partner realized that as people begin to move out of the regular workforce, the usual tech support offered by companies' IT departments was no longer available and this left a void in people's lives.

By getting to know their clients, the staff at near is able to assign a specific "near neighbor" to each person, someone who will help that client with their problems on an on-going basis - like a personal trainer for technology support. Their goal is to teach each client to become self-sufficient, not to do the work for them.

Support is currently offered in person in Chicago, Detroit, and San Francisco, but working through Zoom, it's possible to get support wherever you might be. You can reach out to Ferrona and the team through their website, https://feelnear.com and you can schedule a free consultation by emailing them at [email protected] or by calling (847) 994-4111.