What happens when an 11 year old is banned from Facebook twice?
Well if you are 11-year-old Zach Marks with an I.Q. of 147, who has been nominated for inventor of the year by the Florida Inventors Society, you go out and create your own social network – GromSocial. Zach, who is now 12, is the second oldest of 6 children ranging in ages from 1 to 14. He hails from Melbourne Beach, Florida from a family known for producing nationally ranked surfers and has caused a bit of a viral wave for himself. After being banned from Facebook by his father for the second time, Zach asked his mother if it would be alright if he made his own "safe" site for his friends and siblings to use. After getting permission, Zach borrowed $2,500 from his older brother Luke to create the site. Four months later when he presented the creation to his father for the first time, his father was so impressed by the level of sophistication that Zach had produced, that the family then rolled up their sleeves and pitched in to get the word out.
"Parental approval is an integral part of the site and is required before a child can begin experiencing the many wonders of the site. We built an environment that not only gives parents continued control but encourages safety and allows kids to be themselves. We have anti-bullying, anti-drug and anti-smoking sections. Educational videos are available in the Grom tutorial section for grades 1-10, in addition to places where kids can comment on current events and of course games and entertainment. We wanted to create a safe and secure place that benefits kids' lives and we are hearing back from parents that it is doing just that," stated Zach's father Darren Marks.
GromSocial, which has grown organically, has seen significant traction and the family has begun getting calls from local media which landed Zach on the cover of FLORIDA TODAY and the local FOX-TV affiliate which garnered syndication from such publications like USA TODAY, HUFFINGTON POST, RADAR ON LINE, NEW YORK DAILY NEWS AND YAHOO NEWS.
Recognizing the opportunity ahead, GromSocial set out to find a strategic partner with the expertise and experience to assist it in managing the viral media blitz the site was to encounter. Such a partnership was formed with Mark Arzoomanian , Chairman and CEO, and Anthony Sirabella , President and Chief Technology Officer, who are experts in the field of Technology Solutions servicing firms worldwide across Media, Entertainment, Financial Services, Insurance, Legal, and Energy verticals. The first order of business together was to ensure the site could handle the anticipated increase in traffic. Today, there are over 25,000 plus visitors to the site daily coming from China, India, Indonesia, Australia, Russia, Europe and the US.
Visitors are quickly converted into "Gromers" a term coined on the site by kids after a few short visits. The word Grom is an Australian slang term for a young surfer which Zach translated into "a promising young kid, who is quick to learn".
