Our Story
What do you do when you see a problem that has yet to be satisfactorily solved? If you’re sisters, Synette Tom and Sheree Loui, you design a total solution and provide top notch customer service that will – finally – help pets return home before they get picked up by animal control, snatched by an evil-doer, hit by a car… before anything bad happens. “The beauty of Gibi is that you don’t have to wait for someone to find your dog and report it,” Synette says. You make it easy to use, accurate, lightweight, waterproof yet durable. “We wanted it so anyone could use it and for the devices to stand up to dogs that play rough as well as water activities.” You create an application that allows the pet parent to outline safe zones, notifies the pet parent by text and/or email if their pet exits their designated safe zone, and then guides you to your dog’s exact location. “This allows you to fetch your dog yourself, no waiting, no worrying, no posting of lost dog signs, no scouring the neighborhood, no bothering the neighbors.” Next, win a Walmart contest of thousands and thousands of entries that gets “Gibi” on the retail giant’s shelves. “We couldn’t believe it when we heard we had won.” That’s the story of Gibi Technologies Inc., the new tech business owned by dog lovers. Synette is an electrical and electronics engineer from the satellite telecommunications industry. Sheree is a service-dog trainer. A four-year journey took the sisters, Hawaii natives, from inception to distribution. “It’s so exciting that pet parents can now get Gibi and relax, knowing that Gibi will help them keep their dog is safe.”
Synette Tom, Founder & CEO. Synette Tom always wanted to start her own business. She is an entrepreneur and self starter to the core. She never suspected, however, that it would involve developing GPS tracking service for dogs and cats. Nonetheless, her education as an electrical and electronics engineer, her experience as a designer of communication satellite systems and business development director in the space industry, and her childhood with a variety of pets on country side of Oahu, Hawaii set her up well to create Gibi and make it a reality to help pet parents keep their pets safe. Fortunately, Synette’s Labradoodle, Kalé, has never been lost, but the entrepreneur has seen firsthand what pet parents go through when their dogs wander – or run – off. Now she has done something about it.
Sheree Loui, Founder & Board Member. While raising 5 children, it came natural for Sheree to puppy raise and train medical service dogs for Hawaii Fido for many years. The children understand the command “leave it” just as well as the dogs. Sheree finds puppy-raising/training so rewarding when the dog works with a wounded warrior or a disabled person. She says, “it’s worthwhile to see dogs help their human best friends open doors, bring medications, and more.” She is also a board member of Hawaii Fido, a non-profit organization certified to train medical service dogs for people with disabilities. Community service is a must to Sheree. She has provided many volunteer hours to local public and private institutions, including the American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation in hope there will be a cure for all cancer someday.