Bill Austin’s Press

Authority Magazine

Social Impact Heroes: Why & How Starkey’s Bill Austin Is Helping To Change Our World

From implementing the hearing industry’s first 90-day, risk-free return policy to continuing to put the patient first at Starkey, Bill Austin reflects on why it’s okay to do things differently. Read More

Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal

2022 Minnesota Manufacturing Awards: Starkey’s Bill Austin has devoted his 60-year (and counting) career to helping people hear

Bill Austin was named the 2022 Minnesota Manufacturing Awards Career Achievement honoree and reflected on what keeps him inspired after six decades in the hearing industry. Read More

Star Tribune

Minnesota is a Hub For Exciting Innovations to Treat Hearing Loss

Dave Fabry, Starkey’s Chief Innovation Officer, spoke with the Star Tribune about how the new generation of hearing aid technology is helping people with hearing loss. Read More

WKMG-TV, ClickOrlando

Hearing Aid Company Fits Athletes With Devices During Special Olympics

Through a partnership between Starkey Cares and Special Olympics, Bill Austin spoke about the importance of providing athletes around the world with hearing health resources at the 2022 USA Games in Orlando, Florida. Read More

Starkey Sound Bites Podcast

Bill Austin on the Founding and Future of Starkey

Starkey’s chief innovation officer, Dave Fabry, spoke with Starkey’s owner and chairman, Bill Austin, about how he got his start in the hearing industry, his mission to help the world hear and why caring is at the core of his work. Read More

Business Insider

How Millions of Hearing Aids Are Made Inside One of the World’s Largest Manufacturers

Starkey’s hearing aids can be customized, connect to phones, and translate foreign languages in real-time. Business Insider visited Starkey’s Eden Prairie headquarters to see how the industry is transforming. Read More

KSTP-TV

Starkey Helping Those With Hearing Loss Overcome Pandemic

Starkey launched a corporate social responsibility program called Starkey Cares aimed at helping reach more people with hearing loss around the world. Read More

The Hearing Review

The Philosophy of Growth by Serving People’s Hearing Needs: An Interview with Bill Austin, Part 1

Bill Austin celebrated his 60th year in the hearing healthcare field in February 2021. With this impressive anniversary, Hearing Review sat down with Mr. Austin to talk about how the hearing industry has evolved. Read More.

The Hearing Review

The Philosophy of Growth by Serving People’s Hearing Needs: An Interview with Bill Austin, Part 2

Hearing Review sat down with Mr. Austin to talk about how the hearing industry has evolved since he entered the industry 60 years ago. In Part 2, Mr. Austin discusses the future of hearing aids. Read More.

Hearing Health Matters

Reflecting on 60 Years in the Hearing Industry: Interview with Bill Austin, Founder and Owner of Starkey

After acquiring Starkey Labs in 1967, a small earmold company that specialized in industrial-grade hearing protection, Bill Austin ultimately transformed the organization into one of the leading hearing aid manufacturers in the world. HHTM President and CEO Kevin Liebe had the opportunity to discuss the lessons he’s learned along the way. Read More.

The Hearing Review

2018 AG Bell Global Gala Helped Raise Awareness of Organization’s Mission

Washington, D.C. business leaders and special guests gathered for the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 2018 Global Gala to commemorate the work of AG Bell as well as honor the humanitarian work of Bill and Tani Austin, both of whom received a lifetime achievement award from AG Bell. Read More.

Bloomberg Businessweek

The Future of Wearable Tech Is Called A Hearing Aid

When Brandon Sawalich started at Starkey Hearing Technologies, he was 19 and there were about 70 companies worldwide making hearing aids. Today, Sawalich is 43 and he’s president of Starkey, which has revolutionized the hearing industry. Read More.

Star Tribune

Minnesota Companies at CES Showcase Their Products

Minnesota companies that attended the 2019 CES Show in Las Vegas emphasized how their products’ technology advancements are meant to improve people’s lives, including Starkey’s Livio AI hearing aid. Read More.

AARP

Caregiving Tools Get Smarter

New products that fuse health and wellness information together are popping up in the marketplace, from hearing aids with GPS to contact lenses that can measure glucose. They’re not only helpful for the person who wears them, but they also can be valuable tools for a caregiver. Read More.

Kiplinger

High-Tech Aids for Aging in Place

For older adults, wireless technology is a game changer. From smartphone-managed hearing aids to home sensors that communicate with distant caregivers, new technology is helping older adults live at home alone longer. Read More.

SOUTHWEST METRO MAGAZINE

Starkey Executives Share Importance of World Hearing Day

Each year, the World Health Organization spearheads World Hearing Day on March 3. The annual event aims to increase awareness about ways to prevent deafness and hearing loss, as well as to promote ear and hearing care. Eden Prairie’s Starkey Hearing Technologies is at the forefront of addressing these important topics, and owner Bill Austin, and his wife, Tani Austin, share some insight. Read more.

AUDIOLOGY ONLINE

Starkey Releases Next-Generation Sound Never Before Possible with Livio Edge AI

Building on the success of the world’s first Healthable hearing aid, Livio AI, Starkey is pleased to announce the release of Livio Edge AI. Livio Edge AI combines the best of both worlds: industry-leading sound quality and sound processing for challenging listening environments. With a simple double tap, Edge Mode brings the power of artificial intelligence to a patient’s fingertips, by instantaneously conducting an AI-based analysis of the acoustic environment and making immediate adjustments. Read more.

YAHOO FINANCE

Starkey Announces Keynote Speakers for 2020 Hearing Innovation Expo

Starkey Hearing Technologies is excited to unveil details about its upcoming Hearing Innovation Expo, the hearing industry’s premiere event that promises to educate, motivate and inspire thousands of hearing professionals from around the world. Guided by the theme of Go Beyond, the fifth Hearing Innovation Expo will take place January 15 to 19, 2020, at The Cosmopolitan™ of Las Vegas. Read more.

ZAMBIA REPORTS

Starkey to Attend to 15,000 Hearing Impaired Persons in Kitwe

Bill Austin, Chief Executive Officer of Starkey Hearing Technologies, the largest hearing aid manufacturer in the United States, has targeted to attend to about 15,000 hearing impaired people in Kitwe. Read More.

KARE 11

Eden Prairie student recognized for volunteer service

At only 14 years old, Eden Prairie’s Ryan Stoltz is being recognized for his work to make the world a better, more informed place. Stoltz was just given the Prudential Spirit of Community Award for his volunteer service. Read More.

HEARINGTRACKER.COM

Starkey Hearing Foundation Turns Attention to Global Hearing Health

The first time Richard Brown helped fit patients with hearing aids on a Starkey Hearing Foundation mission, he knew there would be no turning back.  Read More.

BLOOMBERG BUSINESSWEEK

The Future of Wearable Tech Is Called a Hearing Aid

Even if your ears are fine, you might want a device that translates 27 languages, tracks fitness, and monitors vital signs. Read More.

BLOOMBERG

Bloomberg Businessweek Weekend – April 20th, 2019 (Podcast)

Hosted by Carol Massar and Jason Kelly. Featuring: -Polly Mosendz on the Smith and Wesson smart gun -Chris Flavelle on Japan’s Fukushima Power Plant -Josh Dean on Starkey Hearing Aids -Peter Coy on a mini series about inflation. Listen Now.

EDEN PRAIRIE NEWS

Olympian hears for the first time with donated Starkey aids

A soccer player for the Senegalese Special Olympics soccer team heard his own name for the first time in his life after being fitted with hearing aids from an Eden Prairie-based company, according to a news release from the company. Read More.

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GULF NEWS

From 1 to 121: A resounding success story at Abu Dhabi games

At a time when the world is battling hate and negativity, to see 121 determined athletes burst into tears of joy as they stepped out from the depths of deafness makes for a heartening story. Read More.

OUR AMERICAN STORIES

The Billionaire Who Spends His Time Fitting Hearing Aids

The founder of America’s largest hearing aid manufacturer is bored by making money. Listen Here.

STAR TRIBUNE

Elton John says farewell to his friends at Target Center

Elton acknowledged Tani and Bill Austin of Starkey Hearing in Eden Prairie for bringing free hearing aids to children in Third World countries. He dedicated “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me” to Tani, who was in the audience. Read More.

STAR TRIBUNE

Minnesota companies at CES showcase products from hearing aids with fall detectors to smart thermostats

Take Starkey Hearing Technologies’ new hearing aid, the Livio AI. Eden Prairie-based Starkey, which is the nation’s largest hearing aid manufacturer, said the device is its most advanced as far as its core use because integrated sensors allow it to adjust to noisy environments and reduce the effort that users need to exert to use it. Read More.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Starkey Hearing Technologies unveils three revolutionary advancements within Livio® AI: Fall Detection and Alerts, Heart Rate Measurement and Thrive™ Virtual Assistant

Building on the recent launch of the world’s first Healthable™ hearing technology, Livio® AI, Starkey Hearing Technologies announces the first-ever Fall Detection and Alert capability within a hearing aid, as well as Heart Rate Measurement and built-in Virtual Assistant, on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show. Read More.

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Vikings.com – EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn.

Rashod Hill’s Cleats Support 3-Year-Old Daughter with Hearing Loss

Maybe the emotional moment will come when Rashod Hill slips on his cleats in the locker room, or perhaps it will happen sometime during a break in the action. Read More.

4 NBC WASHINGTON, DC

AG Bell Lifetime Achievement Award

Bill and Tani Austin were honored with the Alexander Graham Bell Lifetime Achievement Award. Watch the video.

11 ALIVE – NBC

Help with hearing for victims of Hurricane Michael

Starkey Hearing Technologies is stepping in to help Hurricane Michael victims who have hearing loss. Read More.

KARE 11

Inventures; Starkey’s groundbreaking new hearing aid

It’s not just a hearing aid… a new device unveiled by MN-based Starkey links users to technology and an active life. Read More.

MARKETWATCH

Starkey Hearing Technologies’ Livio AI Revolutionizes Hearing

Starkey® Hearing Technologies has reinvented both the hearing experience and the hearing aid with Livio AI. Livio AI is the world’s first Healthable™ hearing aid to utilize integrated sensors and artificial intelligence, and the first to track physical activity and cognitive health.

PHYSICIAN FAMILY MEDIA

Starkey Hearing Technologies’ Livio AI Revolutionizes Hearing

The world’s first hearing aid with artificial intelligence tracks brain and body health, offers real-time language translation and advanced environmental detection. Read More.

MINNEAPOLIS/ST.PAUL BUSINESS JOURNAL

Starkey Hearing Technologies’ Livio AI Revolutionizes Hearing

The world’s first hearing aid with artificial intelligence tracks brain and body health, offers real-time language translation and advanced environmental detection. Read More.

MOBI HEALTH NEWS

Starkey’s new Livio AI is part hearing aid, part fitness tracker, part wellness coach

As a health wearable that far predates the invention of the term, hearing aids have always been an interesting spot. Now Minnesota hearing aid company Starkey Hearing Technologies, which launched one of the first hearing aids to connect directly to an iPhone back in 2014, has launched Livio AI. The product hopes to combine the feature sets of a hearing aid, a fitness wearable, and an AI health coach into one assistive product that can also help users communicate in other languages and, in the future, detect dangerous falls. Read More.

EDEN PRAIRIE NEWS

Starkey launches hearing aids that monitor fitness

Eden Prairie-based Starkey Hearing Technologies launched a product on Monday, Aug. 27, that tracks health measurements from the ear, rather than the wrist.

It’s called Livio AI, and it brings fitness technology with hearing-aid technology. Read More.

LOOK TO THE STARS

Three Leadership Tips For A Better World

Bill Austin founded one of the largest hearing aid companies in the world. He worked incredibly hard to do that, but works even harder to give it all away. Read More.

STARTRIBUNE

Dalai Lama plans return to Minnesota for humanitarian panel

The Dalai Lama is set to return to Minnesota in late June for a humanitarian panel at Starkey Hearing Technologies headquarters in Eden Prairie.

Starkey will be the 14th Tibetan Buddhist leader’s host for two days starting June 22. On June 23, he will participate in a panel, “A Call for Compassion and Conscious Kindness,” along with Starkey owner Bill Austin; Starkey’s chief philanthropy officer, Tani Austin, and actor Forest Whitaker. Read More.

THE HEARING REVIEW

Starkey Hearing Foundation Donates Hearing Aids in Namibia

Starkey Hearing Foundation co-founders Bill and Tani Austin took part in philanthropic initiatives both domestic and abroad last week, the organization announced. On Thursday, George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States, and former First Lady Laura Bush took part in the first-ever Starkey Hearing Foundation mission in Namibia. Also, on April 10, Bill Austin introduced Bill Clinton, 42nd President of the United States, at the Clinton Foundation’s Health Matters Annual Activation Summit in Little Rock, Arkansas, which brought together leaders to discuss solutions to improve health care across America. Read More.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Starkey gala lineup includes Jay Leno, John Mellencamp and Johnny Depp

The Starkey Hearing Foundation released the lineup for its annual gala Wednesday.

The So The World May Hear Awards Gala will be held at the the RiverCentre in St. Paul. Entertainers scheduled for the July 17 gala are singer-songwriter John Mellencamp, comedian Jay Leno, rock band Hollywood Vampires, country music duo Maddie & Tae, vocal quartet The Tenors and American Idol-winning singer Trent Harmon. Read More.

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VIKINGS.COM

Vikings Family Supports Starkey Hearing Foundation Gala

Generations of Vikings family members joined other athletes, actors and activists for the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s 17th annual “So the World May Hear” Awards Gala on Sunday at Saint Paul RiverCentre.

The representation of Vikings ranged from Hall of Famers Carl Eller, Chris Doleman and John Randle to roster contemporaries Harrison Smith, Xavier Rhodes, Kyle Rudolph, Alex Boone and Michael Floyd, as well as recently retired Chad Greenway.

The top three rushers in Vikings franchise history — Adrian Peterson, Robert Smith and Chuck Foreman — also attended the gala, placing nearly 25,000 rushing yards under one roof. Former receiver Greg Jennings and safety Jack Brewer also attended. Read More.

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MINNPOST

Starkey Hearing Technologies to Host His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama on June 22 – 23

Bill Austin, owner, CEO, and president of Starkey Hearing Technologies, and Tani Austin, chief philanthropy officer of Starkey Hearing Technologies, are honored to host their esteemed friend, His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama for two days at Starkey Hearing Technologies global headquarters in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

His Holiness will participate in a groundbreaking panel discussion “A Call for Compassion and Conscious Kindness,” with friends and fellow global humanitarians Bill Austin, Tani Austin and Forest Whitaker, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, Advocate for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and Founder and CEO of the Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative (WPDI), on June 23. Read More.

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SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE

Audiologist gives the gift of hearing

In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated Mississippi’s Gulf Coast, where David Illich grew up and much of his family still lives. In the weeks and months after the catastrophic storm, the Escondido audiologist was overwhelmed by the generosity shown to his relatives and other storm victims by his patients, his friends and even strangers. Read more.

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THE HEARING GARDEN

Starkey Hearing Foundation Founder Honored at Star-studded Celebrity Fight Night Event

Celebrities, athletes, actors and honorees convened in Phoenix on March 24 for the star-studded 18th annual Celebrity Fight Night fundraising event. Nearly 1,300 people attended, including one of the night’s honorees, Founder and CEO of Starkey Hearing Technologies and Starkey Hearing Foundation, Bill Austin. During the event, Starkey Hearing Foundation supporter Miley Cyrus presented Austin with an award for his charity work and tireless efforts to fit more than 100,000 hearing aids to underprivileged children and adults around the world each year. Read More.

CBS MINNESOTA

Meet Bill Austin – Founder Of Starkey Hearing Foundation

He is Bill Austin, owner of Starkey technologies. The only American hearing supplier is a major employer in the Twin Cities. The company operates out of Eden Prairie, as does the foundation — which fits people around the world with free hearing aids. The foundation’s star-studded fundraiser is Sunday, with Katy Perry headlining. The lights, the camera, the photo ops – and Bill and Tani Austin are in the center of it all, famous by default. “I never dreamed about having a big company and lots of money as being an important thing, I would have been happy to work in a place that had the bottom line that I had,” Bill said. Read More.

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AUDIOLOGY WORLDNEWS

Many happy returns to Bill Austin

This year also marks the 50th anniversary of the company he founded in 1967. Initially known as Professional Hearing Aid Service, Bill Austin merged his new company with a small earmould facility (Starkey Labs) he bought in 1970 for $13,000. Today Starkey Hearing Technologies is the largest hearing aid manufacturer in the USA and in the top six globally.

Whilst Forbes ranks Mr Austin in their global billionaire list, Bill is more often known for his philanthropic work across the world. Read More.

AUDIOLOGY ONLINE

Interview with Bill Austin, Starkey Hearing Foundation and Gyl Kasewurm, Audiologist

Topic: The Starkey Hearing Foundation “Don’t Say What” Campaign
Dr. Paul Dybala: Hello, this is Dr. Paul Dybala with Audiology Online, and I’m here conducting interviews regarding the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s “Don’t Say What” hearing loss prevention campaign. The foundation has partnered with USA Today, three-time Grammy winner Tricia Yearwood, and leading audiologist Dr. Gyl Kasewurm. I am lucky enough to be able to spend a little time with Mr. Austin and Dr. Kasewurm to find out more about this program. Bill, let me start with you. Give us a little background on this campaign. Read More.

bill-austin-medical-daily

MEDICAL DAILY

Giving The Gift Of Hearing Aids: Starkey Hearing Foundation Helps People With Hearing Loss By Facilitating Connections

Sophia Stamos was 7 years old when she got her first hearing aids. Now 12, Sophia will be receiving another state-of-the-art pair, created, customized, and paid for by the Starkey Hearing Foundation. But despite growing up with hearing loss and learning a modest amount of sign language to compensate, her family still has no idea when it began. Read More.

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NEW SOUND HEARING NETWORK

Bill Austin Receives $1,000,000 Donation on Behalf of Starkey Hearing Foundation During Nationally Televised Episode of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice”

Minneapolis, MN, April 11, 2011 (Starkey Hearing Foundation) Last night’s April 10, 2011 episode of NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice” featured a check presentation in the amount of $1,000,000 to Bill Austin, Chief Executive Officer of Starkey Laboratories and Founder of the Starkey Hearing Foundation. The presentation was made on behalf of the show and Donald Trump, Host and Executive Producer of “The Celebrity Apprentice”, by Marlee Matlin, cast member and Leader of Team A.S.A.P. Read More.

FORBES

Virgin Group’s Richard Branson Honored At Starkey Hearing Foundation Gala Fundraising Event

Sir Richard Branson,  the man  behind Virgin Airlines  and founder of the  Virgin Group,  (ranked  272 on Forbes’ 2013 list of the  World’s Billionaires)  was  among  six philanthropists  honored at  the  Starkey Hearing Foundation’s  13thannual  “So The World  May  Hear”  gala fundraiser   held at  the RiverCentre   in St.  Paul, Minn.  on July 28. Read More.