Meet Derrick Fountain, the founder of Lexy

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, few pioneers have made as indelible a mark on the voice and audio space as Derrick Fountain. With a career that spans over two decades, Derrick's journey from the early experiments in text-to-speech applications to founding the innovative voice platform Lexy.fm is a testament to his visionary approach and relentless pursuit of transforming how we interact with digital content.

The story of Derrick Fountain is not just about technology; it's about foresight, innovation, and the ability to foresee the potential of voice in an increasingly digital world. From the late 1990s and early 2000s, Derrick was already experimenting with text-to-speech and audio news articles, laying the groundwork for what would become a lifelong commitment to the voice and audio domain.

Derrick's professional journey took a significant leap forward in 2011 when he joined Al Jazeera Media Network in Qatar. Here, he crafted growth strategies for emerging markets that leveraged his passion and expertise in voice to build IVR-based applications in Ghana and Kenya. These early voice apps were launched around the Kenya and Ghana elections, allowing people to dial into a toll-free phone number to listen to daily news bulletins and make citizen journalist reports. This innovative approach to news dissemination was not only successful in those markets but also marked a pivotal moment in Derrick's career, showcasing the practical and impactful use of voice technology for low-bandwidth information consumption.

His tenure at Al Jazeera was just the beginning. With each step, Derrick continued to evolve and innovate. While re-assigned to New York to help oversee the launch Al Jazeera America, he pioneered the development of a modern news digest app that included a commuter mode designed for voice narration of daily content, highlighting Derrick's understanding of user needs and his commitment to enhancing the news consumption experience.

Derrick's move to Turkey in 2016 provided even greater avenues for creativity and innovation in voice. Here, he developed rich conversational AI apps, including a daily news quiz, a daily news brief, and the “Tough Choices” voice adventure game. These projects underscored his ability to blend technology with storytelling, making news and information not just accessible but also engaging.

Throughout his career, Derrick has been driven by a belief in the power of voice and audio as efficient and effective mediums for interacting with and consuming news and information. His latest venture, Lexy.fm, launched in 2024, stands as a culmination of years of research, experimentation, and development. Lexy.fm is not just a platform; it's the embodiment of Derrick's vision for the future of voice technology—a future where information is accessible, interactive, and seamlessly integrated into our daily lives.

Derrick Fountain's journey from pioneering early voice applications to founding Lexy.fm is a story of innovation, perseverance, and the relentless pursuit of making the world a little easier to navigate, one voice command at a time. It's a reminder of how far we've come in the technology space and a glimpse into the possibilities that lie ahead.