If you want to get the people going around a controversial topic, bring up the second amendment and its focus on gun ownership and rights.
No matter where one stands on the issue, the one thing that seems to bind people together is the issue of safety, especially concerning children and youth and their access to firearms. 19-year-old activist Kayla Austin stepped up to the plate to provide a solution for gun control within households.
Austin is the founder and CEO of My Gun’s Been Moved, a start-up focused on preventing tragedy and providing awareness without compromise.
At its core, My Gun’s Been Moved seeks to reimagine firearm safety. The technology behind it helps parents have convenient ways to monitor their firearms while their children are at home.
According to the company’s website, the technology uses a patent-pending pad that detects the presence and removal of the gun placed there. When a firearm is placed on the pad, the owner receives notice through an app alerting them that the weapon has been put in place. Conversely, a similar alert is given to the owner to make them aware of the firearm has been moved.
With a pad in two colors, brown and black, Austin and her team have structured the product and technology around six pillars.
- Get alerts from anywhere
- Have peace of mind and awareness
- Easily pair to your phone
- Keep children safe at all times
- Premium durable materials
- Quick emergency contact feature
This level of innovation around gun safety isn’t new. Austin came up with this concept in the seventh grade after being involved in a research project and hearing stories from her family about gun safety.
“So, I found out that majority of shootings involving with children and teens happen with a parent’s gun,” Austin said in an interview with WTOV 9. “So, I expected to hear about school shootings, but I was really surprised to see that most gun violence involving children starts in the home – children having access to their parent’s guns. So, when I was 12, I came up with an idea for a smart pad and that’s what the device currently is.”
Her passion has been recognized with a $25,000 investment from Pharrell Williams’ Black Ambition.
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“Black Ambition has definitely been a blessing to give us the funding but to also give us support and a mentorship and other opportunities, as well,” Austin shared, according to the outlet.
