Welcome to the world of i.am+, the technology startup at the intersection of will.i.am’s entertainment empire and entrepreneurship in innovative technology. The rapper, producer, and DJ has combined music and commerce throughout his career: years before i.am+ launched in late 2012 with its foto.sosho camera accessory line for the iPhone, his multiplatinum hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas wrote sponsorships with everyone from Apple to Coors to Best Buy to Honda. Will.i.am also established links with leading firms like Intel—which in 2011 named him director of creative innovation. He partnered with Coca-Cola, with Ekocycle, a brand devoted to sustainable goods. His latest venture combines just that, music and tech: called i.am+ BUTTONS, a pair of Bluetooth headphones backed by magnetic metallic discs that, when not in use, the discs connect via the magnets to form a functional necklace . Will.i.am has brought fashion icons, Kendall Jenner and Naomi Campbell into his new project, along with André Leon Talley as style and fashion director. KERING, an investor, and owner of fashion brands including GUCCI and SAINT LAURENT has brought the project to life with the help of APPLE.
Will.i.am plans to involve other collaborators — musicians, athletes — to create an ecosystem of advisers on what people wear in all parts of life.
Our vision is to create a community of creatives and coders and believe that through music and technology as the first step, we can usher in a powerful new era built on AI
Watch and listen to will.i.am discussing with Bill Gates and Sarah Sands, of the Evening Standard, on the 27th October 2016 at the Science Museum, London, their shared passion for science and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, Mathematics), skills as tools for developing innovative solutions. Will.i.am also explains the topics, which are important to him as a philanthropist and global citizen.