CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY
From One Focused Community to Three Social Networking Platforms
Konvergent chose Technology Rivers for its mobile app development expertise to help turn an idea for a focused professional social network into True World Ops. The success of that first engagement led to two additional Konvergent platforms and a relationship that later opened the door to other projects and introductions.
“Ultimately, with Technology Rivers, we felt like they had the best balance of value and quality.”
Elizabeth Venafro (Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Konvergent)
One platform became three.
Hear Elizabeth's Experience Working with Technology Rivers
Elizabeth Venafro and Eric Major co-founded Konvergent around an idea for creating focused social networking communities for thought leaders.
Technology Rivers was initially selected based on its experience in hybrid mobile app development. The first product was True World Ops, built for the counterintelligence community. Based on that experience, the relationship expanded into two additional Konvergent platforms for women leaders and business executives.
In her testimonial, Elizabeth discusses how Konvergent evaluated development companies, why Technology Rivers stood out for its balance of value and quality, and why the relationship continued after the initial work was complete.
Client
Elizabeth Venafro
Role
Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Konvergent
Engagement
Social networking platform development across three focused communities
Industry
Professional Social Networking / Thought Leadership Communities
Focus
Mobile App Development, Web Development, Product Design, Social Networking Platforms
Why Elizabeth Values Working with Technology Rivers
01. A Trusted Development Partner
Konvergent was a startup with little to no internal app development experience, so credibility and trust were important from the beginning. Elizabeth wanted expertise she could rely on while turning a new product concept into working software.
02. The Right Balance of Value & Quality
Konvergent evaluated many vendors at different price points, including U.S.-based, overseas, and hybrid development companies. After that selection process, Elizabeth says Technology Rivers offered the best balance of value and quality.
03. Hands-On & Responsive
Elizabeth particularly valued the direct, hands-on relationship she had with Technology Rivers’ leadership. She describes responsive communication throughout the project and felt the team genuinely cared about the project’s success.
04. A Relationship Beyond Delivery
The relationship did not stop when development was completed. Technology Rivers continued checking in to make sure Konvergent was successful and satisfied with the product, and Elizabeth says the relationship continued afterward.
"As a start-up company, we really had little experience in app development and we were looking for a trusted partner. Immediately once I met with Technology Rivers, I felt like it was a match made in heaven."
Elizabeth Venafro
Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Konvergent
FROM AN IDEA TO A PLATFORM
Creating Focused Social Networks for Thought Leaders
Elizabeth had been leading marketing at K2M, a spine implant company, where she worked with CEO Eric Major. After K2M went public, Eric had an idea: create social networking platforms specifically designed around focused groups of thought leaders.
Elizabeth and Eric became co-founders of Konvergent.
Rather than building one broad social network for everyone, the concept centered on highly focused professional communities. Konvergent would interview leaders, curate content, and share insights within communities built around particular audiences.
But Konvergent needed the technology to make the concept real.
With little to no internal app development experience, Elizabeth began evaluating development partners. Technology Rivers entered the picture based on its experience developing mobile applications.
The first challenge was turning the concept into a working product for a particularly specialized audience: counterintelligence professionals.
Focused communities. Relevant conversations. Purpose-built experiences.
"We looked at many vendors in the source selection process, various price points all over the board. We looked at some based here in the US, some based abroad, and then some that were more of a hybrid."
Elizabeth Venafro
Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Konvergent
CHOOSING THE RIGHT DEVELOPMENT PARTNER
Looking Beyond Location and Price
Konvergent did not simply hire the first development company it found.
Elizabeth and her team evaluated numerous vendors across a wide range of price points and delivery models.
U.S.-Based Teams
Offshore Teams
Hybrid Teams
Different Price Points
The decision ultimately came down to more than geography or cost.
As a startup without extensive app development experience, Konvergent wanted a development company it considered credible and trustworthy, with the expertise to guide the project while delivering the quality the founders expected.
Technology Rivers ultimately stood out for the combination Elizabeth was looking for.
VALUE + QUALITY + TRUST
“We can do that, but… would you mind if we added this stuff on top or changed the approach just a little bit? I think it might help you.”
ONE SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT LED TO THE NEXT
True World Ops → True Women Leadhers → True Exec
The first Konvergent product developed with Technology Rivers was True World Ops, a social networking platform designed for experts in the counterintelligence community.
That first experience became the foundation for more.
01. True World Ops
Counterintelligence Experts
The first vertical of the Konvergent platform focused on creating a dedicated social networking environment for the counterintelligence community.
02. True Women Leadhers
Women Thought Leaders
Based on the experience with True World Ops, the concept was extended to a second focused community built around women thought leaders.
03. True Exec
Business Executives
The third vertical applied the Konvergent concept to a community focused on business executives.
Rather than ending with one application, the original concept became the basis for three focused social networking experiences.
BUILDING THE DIGITAL EXPERIENCE
Web and Mobile Experiences for Focused Communities
The Konvergent platform was created to bring curated thought leadership and community interaction into a digital experience available across web and mobile.
Technology Rivers’ work on the engagement included product and technology strategy, design, product management, web development, and mobile development.
The applications incorporated community experiences including:
- Social feeds
- Group messaging and chat
- Curated content
- Live Q&A
- Events
- Video content
- Push notifications
- Offline access
The platform was delivered through responsive web experiences and mobile applications, giving members different ways to participate in their communities.
Technical capabilities used on the engagement
The documented project technology included:
- ✓Mobile: iOS / Swift
- ✓Web: AngularJS
- ✓Backend: Java
- ✓Database: MongoDB
- ✓Cloud: AWS
- ✓Additional capabilities: APIs and integrations, mobile analytics, responsive web development
HANDS-ON LEADERSHIP MATTERED
"They Genuinely Cared About the Success of Our Project"
Technical capability was only one part of Elizabeth’s experience.
She particularly appreciated the hands-on relationship she had with Technology Rivers’ leadership.
Having that level of direct access was different from some of her previous experiences with vendors. Elizabeth describes responsive communication throughout the project and, more importantly, a sense that Technology Rivers genuinely cared about whether Konvergent succeeded.
For founders working without extensive internal app development experience, that accessibility helped create the trusted relationship Konvergent had been looking for from the beginning.
"One thing that I really appreciated about working with Technology Rivers was the hands-on experience that I was able to get with the owner of the organization. That's not always the case with other vendors that I've worked with in the past, and I felt like he genuinely cared about the success of our project."
Elizabeth Venafro
Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Konvergent
THE PROJECT ENDED. THE RELATIONSHIP DIDN’T.
Support That Continued Beyond Delivery
For Elizabeth, one of the strongest signals of the relationship came after the project itself was complete.
Technology Rivers continued checking in.
The goal was not simply to deliver the application and move on. Elizabeth says the team wanted to make sure Konvergent was successful and that she was happy with the finished product.
That follow-through reinforced the credibility and trust that had mattered when Konvergent originally selected its development partner.
And the relationship continued.
"Even after the project was complete, Technology Rivers continued to check in on us. They wanted to make sure that we were successful and that we were happy with the end product, and we continue that relationship today."
Elizabeth Venafro
Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Konvergent
ONE RELATIONSHIP OPENED MORE DOORS
From Konvergent to K2M and SimpFuel
The relationship created through Konvergent ultimately extended beyond the three social networking platforms.
Elizabeth’s previous relationship with K2M later led to Technology Rivers being introduced to the spine implant company, where Technology Rivers was brought in to build a mobile application.
Elizabeth and Eric also later introduced Technology Rivers to SimpFuel, a fuel delivery mobile app startup.
That progression adds another dimension to Elizabeth’s story.
The strongest evidence of trust is not simply what a client says about a development partner. Sometimes it is what the client does next.
In this case, a relationship that began with one Konvergent application grew into additional Konvergent products and introductions to other companies.
KONVERGENT
True World Ops
True Women Leadhers
True Exec
K2M
Mobile App
SimpFuel
Fuel Delivery Mobile App Startup
THE BOTTOM LINE
"The Best Balance of Value and Quality"
Konvergent began its search with little app development experience and a need for a development company it could trust.
After evaluating numerous vendors, Elizabeth found the combination she was looking for in Technology Rivers.
That first engagement grew beyond a single application.
Trusted Partnership
A development relationship Elizabeth felt comfortable relying on.
Value + Quality
The combination that distinguished Technology Rivers during Konvergent’s vendor selection process.
Hands-On Communication
Responsive access and direct involvement throughout the engagement.
Repeat Development
One focused social networking application led to two additional Konvergent verticals.
A Relationship That Continued Growing
The relationship continued beyond delivery and eventually led to introductions to K2M and SimpFuel.
“Immediately once I met with Technology Rivers, I felt like it was a match made in heaven.”
Video Transcript
The Full Conversation
[0:00] My name is Elizabeth Venafro, and I am the managing partner and co-founder of konvergent. We look to Technology Rivers to help us develop a social networking platform for thought leaders.
[0:07] We first started with a counterintelligence app, and then we were able to replicate it for business executives as well as women leaders.
[0:16] So as a start-up organization, we were really looking for a company that we could partner with that we found was credible and trustworthy.
[0:23] We had little to no app development experience, and so we were really looking for experts in that space.
[0:32] We looked at many vendors in the source selection process, various price points all over the board. We looked at some based here in the US, some based abroad, and then some that were more of a hybrid.
[0:47] So one thing that I really appreciated about working with Technology Rivers was the hands-on experience that I was able to get with Ghazenfer, the owner of the organization.
[1:01] That’s not always the case with other vendors that I’ve worked with in the past, and I felt like he genuinely cared about the success of our project.
[1:09] He was very responsive and provided great communication along the way. Ultimately, with Technology Rivers, we felt like they had the best balance of value and quality.
[1:17] So as a start-up company, we really had little experience in app development, and we were looking for a trusted partner.
[1:24] And immediately once I met with Technology Rivers, I felt like it was a match made in heaven.
[1:31] So in particular, I really appreciated how even after the project was complete, Technology Rivers continued to check in on us.
[1:38] They wanted to make sure that we were successful and that we were happy with the end product, and we continue that relationship today.
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