With the February launch of Cohdoo, OIT graduate Ryan Russell fulfilled his vision of a creating a company where passionate, talented people are able to reach their full potential and family life is a priority (even the name Cohdoo was inspired by his son Cohen). At Cohdoo, focus is on doing one thing really, really well; creating products that are easy, simple, and useful.
After graduation, Ryan went to work for Intel, initially researching new human interfaces for computers and later leading the design of a PC specific for the Chinese market. Next, he launched McAfee's user centered design capability and currently runs their central design group supporting worldwide product development. Eventually it became apparent traditional corporate systems hindered individuals from realizing their true potential and inhibited innovative products from reaching market. This compelled Ryan to begin creating an alternative. The heart of the concept for Cohdoo was a commitment to provide positive impact: for the people who work there, the community it calls home and for the families of their employees.
Cohdoo's offerings revolve around helping people bring their ideas to life. Phone Doo, the first product launched, is a sketching tool enabling individuals to quickly design, share and iterate their mobile app ideas all on a single surface. It combines a dry erase surface and magnetic backing. Cohdoo's second product is Highlight, an iPhone app for recording customer research, interviews and lectures. Highlight allows one to record a conversation and mark important points as they are discussed so you can go back to them later and easily share the information with others.
Ryan is proud to call Oregon Tech his alma mater and believes his experience there was instrumental in getting him where he is now. As Ryan explained, going to OIT was like going to a public school with the benefits of a private school. Professors took a personal interest and genuinely cared about students on a personal level. Randy Albert was a professor who especially impacted his life and helped shape where he is today.