Origin’s Next Chapter: Q&A with Ray Liu and Spencer Maid

Origin is on the precipice of an exciting new chapter, one that will further the organization’s commercial impact and propel Origin into a period of rapid growth.

Beginning January 1, 2023, Origin leader and current Chief Commercial Officer Spencer Maid will become President and Chief Executive Officer. Spencer takes the reigns from Origin Founder and Chairman of the Board Dr. Ray Liu.

Ray founded Origin ten years ago after inventing a revolutionary new technology: WiFi Sensing. Under his strategic direction, Origin pioneered technological innovations, products and applications with the power not just to detect movement, but to improve health, safety and lives overall.

Spencer will enter the CEO position at a crucial and energizing time in Origin’s history. Origin has nearly 150 patents filed or granted, and many major commercial partnerships recently launched or are soon-to-be-launched. The potential of WiFi Sensing crosses industry and technology sectors.

To hear more about the CEO transition and what to expect, we spoke with Spencer and Ray directly.

Ray, why are you stepping down from the CEO role at Origin?

Ray Liu: For the past ten years, I have had the pleasure of founding the company, shaping the team, pioneering the development of wireless AI technology to enable WiFi Sensing, building a robust IP portfolio, and creating the most advanced technology roadmap in the industry.

I proudly dedicated a decade to ensuring that the science and technology behind all WiFi Sensing products and services were advanced, solid, secure and thoroughly tested. We brought WiFi Sensing to market and the market quickly responded with robust demand.

The next stage for Origin is commercialization. Spencer Maid has already proven himself an invaluable asset in leading commercial launches for Origin through Linksys Aware and Verizon Home Awareness. Now is the right time to hand over the helm to a leader who I am confident will succeed in further scaling our business.

What’s next for you, Ray? Will you stay involved at Origin?

Ray: I am excited to stay involved at Origin as Chief Technology Officer and as Chairman of Board of Directors.

Technological innovations are foundational to Origin’s current and future success. We must continue to create more IP, build our roadmap and develop the next generation of applications for WiFi Sensing. I will be leading the way with our research and development team to unlock the limitless potential of the technology while Spencer brings Origin’s mission into our next phase.

Spencer, what makes you excited to step into the CEO position?

Spencer Maid: I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to bring this technology to more people and introduce the world to new ways to harness the power of WiFi. I signed on as CEO knowing that the road may be difficult and that we’ll encounter a lot of bumps along the way, but it will be worth it. I wouldn’t want to do it with anyone other than our amazing team members who are passionate about what they do and who bring our products, our vision, and our mission to life.

I’m grateful to Ray for creating Origin, to Origin’s dedicated employees, and to the billions of people that use (or will soon use) Origin’s technology. I have no doubt in my mind that we will achieve our goals as we continue the great work Origin’s team is so passionate about.

Ray, what makes you confident that Spencer is the right person to fill your shoes?

Ray: I have known Spencer for nearly five years now. In that time, I have come to know him as an outstanding leader and a wonderful person. Spencer is a true partner who cares deeply about our team, partners, and the company. He has Origin’s best interests in mind. As CEO, he will help carry out our mission to improve peoples’ quality of life.

After joining the company in 2019, Spencer formed and led Origin’s business development team and later oversaw our entire commercialization effort, building the market-facing, revenue-producing side of our business almost from scratch. Although Origin’s current success is the result of our entire company’s outstanding teamwork, our progress in commercialization is credited mostly to Spencer’s relentless leadership.

What does this transition mean for Origin?

Ray: This transition will propel Origin into its next phase of growth and innovation. As CEO, Spencer will scale the business by commercializing WiFi Sensing technology’s applications within priority verticals. At the same time, the R&D team and I will focus on the development of our NxGen (Next Generation) wireless sensing and 5G roadmap.

The possibilities with NxGen 5G sensing both indoors and outdoors are endless—from providing us with better navigation, to the tracking of assets, to increased safety and security in cars and much, much more. This is just the beginning of wireless sensing!

Spencer: As the fastest growing WiFi Sensing company, we are now moving from startup mode to scale-up mode. The CEO transition will support and accelerate Origin’s shift, enabling rapid and expansive growth.

This is all underpinned by a strategy that we put into place two years ago and will be focused on for the next few years. We will deliver on our roadmap to our current verticals—Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Security, Health & Wellness, Automotive, and IoT—which will allow Ray and our R&D team to focus on building out that roadmap, pushing Origin to new and greater heights.

What is your vision for Origin’s future?

Spencer: We have a clear vision for WiFi Sensing: that it will become ubiquitous in our lives and will change and improve society, business, and interactions, just like how WiFi communication has. We believe WiFi Sensing will improve lives. Origin’s technology will be used to help people to feel safer, live longer, and exist more comfortably.

We believe, one day, people will say, “I can’t believe I ever lived without WiFi Sensing.”

Origin’s next chapter will be one of exponential growth and transformational innovation. Stay tuned as Spencer Maid officially steps into the CEO position and leads Origin to realize its mission in new ways.

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