Black unicorns symbolize freedom, power, and strength. They are seen as a force of nature and that is what Mary Spio, founder of CEEK VR, seems to be. Raised in Ghana, Spio moved to New York at the age of 16 and received a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering followed by a master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. Spio served in the U.S. Air Force for six years before pursuing a career as a deep space engineer for several well-known companies including Boeing, Intelsat, and Aerospace Corp.
Throughout her career, Spio provided technical guidance for companies such as Microsoft XBOX, Coca-Cola, and Toyota. Spio’s experience with these companies led her to create the technology that paved the way for video distribution and inspired her to develop CEEK VR, a social, virtual and augmented reality experience.
CEEK VR is a blockchain-based streaming platform for creators to monetize their content via virtual reality worlds, gaming consoles, live streaming, and other emerging technologies. Mary Spio’s drive, tenacity, and success led to her being appointed by the Department of State as a Speaker on Innovation and Entrepreneurship on behalf of the United States, speaking in various countries including South Africa, China, Mexico, and Ukraine, Russia, and more.
Despite the criticism and hypocrisy, she faced as a Black woman in tech, Mary Spio managed to create an award-winning virtual reality platform that helps artists, athletes, and creators construct fan experiences that drive sustainable engagement within existing and emerging virtual worlds. CEEK allows a consumer to experience a concert, sporting event, and even another country. CEEK is making virtual reality universally accessible and enjoyable for everyone.
CEEK 4D Advanced Headphones accurately reproduce the depth, range, and perspective from the originating environment, providing consumers with an accurate and stimulating virtual experience. The headphones come with flexible detachable omnidirectional microphones and can be used wirelessly via Bluetooth or with 3.5m wires.
In addition to its headphones, CEEK offers a virtual reality headset with specially formulated high-end lenses designed to provide a 360° immersive 3D viewing experience. The headset is compatible with most iPhone and Android smartphones and works with the CEEK VR app to provide exclusive access to concerts from top musical artists including Lady Gaga, Demi Lovato, and Ringo Starr.
Virtual reality seems to be the future of music videos and CEEK is at the forefront of this revolution. Lady Gaga is the most recent artist who has teamed up with CEEK to present her video, “911”, in virtual reality. The VR experience is available exclusively through CEEK and can be accessed through their VR headset, the VR app, and CEEK’s website.
Through Mary Spio’s innovative technology, fans experienced a behind-the-scenes look into the making of Gaga’s video which immersed them into a stunning desert landscape rooted in artistic surrealism. CEEK took virtual reality even further by launching a virtual reality experience of Juice WRLD’s “Wishing Well” where subscribers experienced an animated rendition of the late rapper’s hit song. The video portrayed a world of addiction which gave fans an inside look at the rapper’s personal experiences and invigorated a sense of reflection into the human experience.
In addition to virtual reality music video and concert experiences, CEEK also offers an experience for sports enthusiasts. CEEK partnered up with Dwayne Wade for his Celebrity Sports Academy featuring athletes like Collin Sexton, Cheyenne Parker, Andrew Wiggins, and CJ McCollum. CEEK captured a variety of content including basketball skills and agility drills and made it possible for participants to access training videos, pro-athlete messages, and live video check-ins to enhance their game and mindset. CEEK offers subscribers an opportunity to immerse themselves in a variety of worlds and experiences.
Mary Spio is the vision behind CEEK VR and all its success. Spio pioneered the video distribution platform that became the gold standard for many media companies to digitally distribute their content. She did what all successful creators do – Spio found a gap in the market and took advantage of it. When asked about what sets CEEK VR apart in the Market, Mary Spio states, “ What makes CEEK different is our ability to do both interactive live streams in 2D as well as 360 VR and verify content viewership on the blockchain making it super transparent for artists to see exactly how many tickets they’ve sold in real-time. We are solving perhaps the biggest problem facing our industry which is trust.
Artists no longer have to blindly rely on the streaming platform to determine how their content was monetized, they have immutable proof on the blockchain.” CEEK provides a unique experience to subscribers while simultaneously offering creators proof of monetization.
It is evident that Mary Spio is a force of nature. She has overcome barrier after barrier with a sense of grace and intelligence. Spio has accomplished so much already, and it is evident she will continue to break barriers and revolutionize the world of technology and business. When asked about the lack of black unicorns, Spio states, “The world cannot continue to keep its hands in pocket and whistle and have discussions on why there are no black unicorns galloping alongside the Zuckerbergs, Bezoses, and Musks.” There is no longer a discussion. There is a black unicorn, and her name is Mary Spio.
