Kerry W. Kirby
Kerry William Kirby | |
|---|---|
 Kerry W. Kirby in 2023 | |
| Born | |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Tulane University |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur
Software Designer Philanthropist |
| Known for | 365 Connect (Founder and CEO) |
| Board member of | Kerry & Melinda Kirby Charitable Fund
Multifamily Innovation Council Rainbow Housing Assistance |
| Spouse | Melinda McLain Kirby |
| Parent(s) | Kenneth and Virginia Kirby |
| Awards | Louisiana Governor's Technology Award
Titan Entrepreneur Award Multifamily Innovator Award Silicon Bayou 100 |
| Website | https://www.kerrywkirby.com |
Kerry W. Kirby is a global entrepreneur, technology innovator, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of 365 Connect, a company that specializes in automated marketing, leasing, and resident engagement platforms for multifamily communities worldwide.[1]
Early life and education[change | change source]
Kirby was born in New Orleans, Louisiana to parents Kenneth and Virginia Kirby. He attended Tulane University where he studied business management.[2]
Career[change | change source]
Kirby founded 365 Connect in 2003 and serves as its CEO.[3] Kirby has built the firm from a small start-up to a highly recognized award-winning multinational technology company. The software-as-service (SaaS) platform provides automated marketing, leasing, and resident service platforms for the multifamily housing industry.[4][5][6] Prior to founding 365 Connect, Kirby worked in the multifamily housing industry developing apartment communities across the Southern United States. Kirby’s eye for finding building sites with incredible locations was his formula to create an array of successful ventures. It was through his work as a developer that he saw the need to provide technology services to properties. [4]
In 2007, Kirby launched a podcast with property management expert, Ernest F. Oriente. The podcast has received multiple global awards, drawing millions of listeners from around the world.[7]
In 2017, Kirby purchased the a rental housing search engine, uCribs, from a London-based investment group dedicated to the apartments located near the universities. Kirby revamped the search engine, receiving multiple awards for his efforts.[8][9]
In 2018, Kirby launched an integration with Uber which created one-click ride reservations directly from an apartment community’s website.[10]
In 2019, Kirby launched the multifamily housing industry’s first WCAG certified platform to allow for people with disabilities to access a full suite of services to find, apply, and reside in rental housing.[4]
In 2020, Kirby launched an AI powered livestream tour bot called Digi.Lease. The bot gathers leads, schedules tours and livestreams video between property managers and prospective renters.[11]
In 2023, Kirby developed a unique system for people to apply for apartments online. The system manages inventory, verifies identity, calculates income qualification, builds, and delivers lease documents for signature and collects payments without human intervention, utilizing a combination of artificial intelligence and automation. [12]
Awards[change | change source]
Kirby has received multiple awards, including the Louisiana Governor’s Technology Award,[13] Multifamily Innovation Bootstrapper Award[14] and Titan Entrepreneur Award.[15][16] He has been placed on Silicon Bayou's 100 list of most influential entrepreneurs for his work in the technology industry and 365 Connect.[16][17]
Boards[change | change source]
Kirby serves on the Board of Advisors of Rainbow, a national nonprofit organization that provides service-enriched housing programs for affordable housing communities across the United States. He is also Chair of Technology Initiatives for the Multifamily Innovation Advisory Council[18], a members-only group, focused on assisting owners and operators of multifamily communities identify pain points and advancing innovative that will drive change across the industry. [19]
Philanthropy[change | change source]
Kirby and his wife Melinda are highly recognized fixtures in the philanthropic community and were honored with a Communitas International Award for their dedication to humanitarian, educational, healthcare, and equality programs.[20] They have been a longtime supporters of the National Kidney Foundation in Louisiana, Electric Girls, a non-profit STEM program for girls age 5-18y,[21] ChildHelp, a national non-profit dedicated to the prevention and treatment of child abuse, and STARC of Louisiana, a non-profit organization centered on providing programs for individuals with disabilities.[22]
References[change | change source]
- ↑ Barker, Peter (29 July 2022). "Kerry W. Kirby explains the importance of following web content accessibility guidelines when building a website". Local Today. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "Tulane alums lead Silicon Bayou 100". Freeman News. 15 February 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ Kher, Anuradha (16 April 2010). "The Resident Portal: Are You Leveraging All Its Features?". Multi-Housing News. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "From Start-Up to Tech Titan, the Long Road to Gaining Market Share While Changing the Mindset of an Industry". LatestLY. 31 July 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "365 Connect CEO Kerry W. Kirby to Keynote Live Webcast on Leveraging Automation to Develop a Digital Workforce". martechcube.com. 15 November 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "365 Connect Explores the Influencer Effect on Multifamily Housing in Live Webcast". MarTech Cube. 9 October 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "MultifamilyBiz + PowerHour Webcast Series on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ Staff, CSB (5 October 2017). "Local Real Estate Tech Company 365 Connect Acquires uCribs | Canal Street Beat | New Orleans Real Estate News". canalstreetbeat.com. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "365 Connect Acquires uCribs to Expand Search Engine for Off-Campus Housing Market. - Free Online Library". www.thefreelibrary.com. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ Ciorogar, Alex (11 April 2018). "365 Connect Announces Uber Integration". Multi-Housing News. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "365 Connect Launches AI-Powered Livestream Touring Platform". Mann Publications. 5 May 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ Antrim, Patrick (13 December 2023). "Revolutionizing the Rental Landscape with Automation, AI, and Multifamily Housing Innovations | Multifamily Innovation® Summit". Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ↑ "365 Connect CEO Kerry W. Kirby Receives Coveted Governor's Technology Award for Its Powerful Platform Serving Multifamily Communities". MultifamilyBiz. 25 September 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "Kirby Honored with Inaugural Bootstrapper Award from Multifamily Innovation Advisory Council – Mann Report". Mann Publications. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "Kerry W. Kirby Honored Titan Entrepreneur Award For Technology Innovation". MarTech Series. 25 June 2021. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 "Kerry W. Kirby Entrepreneur and Technology Innovator". Business Matters. 17 August 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ "365 Connect's Kerry W. Kirby Shows Up On Silicon Bayou 100 List Of Most Influential Big Hitters". Online Marketplaces. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ Burns, Joe. "365Connect CEO named to Multifamily Innovation Advisory Council". FinLedger. Retrieved 1 April 2024.
- ↑ "Meet the Team - Rainbow Housing Assistance Corporation". rainbowhousing.org. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ↑ Semel, Eva (28 April 2021). "Kerry W. Kirby and Melinda M. Kirby Honored With Global Communitas Award for Their Philanthropic Support of Communities and Causes". Lincoln Citizen. Retrieved 6 October 2023.
- ↑ Marquis, Pamela (1 May 2019). "Charged and Ready". Biz New Orleans. Retrieved 19 March 2024.
- ↑ Strachan, Sue (7 July 2021). "Lucky 7 honored at National Kidney Foundation of Louisiana Gala". NOLA. Retrieved 6 October 2023.