Hello, I am Freddie Halstead, the CEO of Techie Factory, a STEAM/Esports enrichment franchise based in Dallas, Texas. I’m also the co-founder of eTourney, a social/gaming app exclusively for kids 8-13 years old. I’ve worked in education for over 20 years, 14 years as a public school teacher in Dallas ISD and then as a multi-unit Mathnasium franchisee owner before purchasing Techie Factory in 2019.
I purchased Techie Factory with the purpose of franchising and opening locations all over the country. There were several coding franchises for kids, but Techie Factory is the first to offer a more robust, well-rounded STEAM education platform featuring many learning opportunities with coding/ robotics, digital content creation and Esports. Whereas others in the space offer siloed opportunities within the STEAM umbrella, Techie Factory leads the way as the only company with STEM certified curriculum for kids 6-16.
As the proud father of an 8 year old girl who loves gaming, I realized there weren’t enough safe spaces online for younger kids who love gaming. My partners and I went about developing and building eTourney. The eTourney app utilizes various forms of artificial intelligence, facial recognition, moderated chat, along with a stringent registration process to make a COPPA and GDRP-K compliant platform that both parents and their kids love.
I am a strong believer in the importance of play, whether it be online or off and I advocate for moderation when it comes to digital variety. Many statistically significant research studies have been done that lend even more support to the benefits of gaming… of course along with everything else in life… moderation is the key.
