About us

OUR MISSION

A world where storytelling builds confidence, connection, and independence. To make safe products that give kids the tools to freely imagine, invent, and share stories that are radically meaningful to them.

From MIT research to the living room

playgeni originated from MIT Design Intelligence Lab, which specializes in physical AI and explores how physical interfaces can make AI tangible and constructive for young learners. The work draws a direct line from Friedrich Froebel's 19th-century kindergarten "gifts": the simple wooden blocks, spheres, and sticks that shaped the creative thinking of Frank Lloyd Wright, Buckminster Fuller, and others. It poses a new question: if physical objects helped children grasp the principles of architecture and design, what materials could help them explore the building principles of generative AI?

The answer was not a screen or a chatbot, but physical blocks that children customize, arrange, and remix, with each combination sparking new storylines.

Children listening to stories with yellow headphones.

A child resting beside a storymaker and yellow headphones.

How we work with parents, kids, and educators

That’s why we’re not just exploring these questions - we’re also looking for new ways to address them. We dive into research, talk to experts, and reflect on our own experiences as parents. And we’re working on solutions to help families navigate the digital world more intentionally.

We hope this space sparks curious conversations, new insights, and maybe even a few ideas to help all of us navigate parenting in the digital age.

If you have thoughts, experiences, or research to share, we’d love to hear from you. Let’s figure this out together and shape a better digital future for our kids.