Accessible audio used to be an afterthought. Maile Keone, president and CEO of Listen Technologies, has spent more than 14 years watching that change.
In this Q&A, she sits down with Dan Ferrisi, group director of content and editorial, industrial and tech at Emerald, to talk about how assistive listening moved from a niche add-on to a core part of the pro AV conversation.
Keone describes what she calls the “blooming” awareness of accessible audio, both among end users who now understand their rights under the ADA and among the integrators and consultants specifying these systems.
How Listen Technologies and Ampetronic Became One
She also breaks down the union of Listen Technologies and Ampetronic under the Allvida umbrella, and how two longtime industry leaders came together to build products as one company. That partnership produced Auri, the first Auracast assistive listening product to reach the market.
Keone shares what it meant to run nine months without a competitor, and why Auracast is dragging the wider industry toward a deeper understanding of what better audio can do for everyone.
Building Culture Around Purpose and People
The conversation also digs into leadership. Keone explains her people-first philosophy, the company’s culture of “doing hard things” and its commitment to investing in employees each year in education, conferences and training.
What Integrators Should Do Differently
She closes with practical advice for integrators: include assistive listening earlier in your specs. Too often it gets cut at the last minute over budget, even when it’s required by law. Understanding its real impact, she argues, changes the whole conversation.
Watch the full interview below for an honest look at the company’s growth, culture and the future of accessible audio.
