Lehi Business
Kids Take the Reins at Gabb as Company Launches Youth Advisory Council
Staff Writer | Lehi Free Press
Gabb headquarters was briefly run by new executives—sixth and seventh-grade kids—during the launch of its first Gabb Kids Advisory Council.
The daylong takeover was designed to give Gabb leaders a closer look at how their core audience thinks and what they want from kid-focused technology.
“Kids need tech that is designed specifically for them from the start,” Interim CEO Lance Black said. “This is why we continually listen to kids — and parents — to help us challenge tech norms and create a safer and better world.”
The 2026 council includes four “Kid VPs,” each assigned to a different area of the company: customer service, growth, music, and product development. Members are Emma of Louisville, Kentucky; Nikoli of Santa Rosa Valley, California; Alex of Middleton, New York; and Lila of Buckley, Arizona.
The program builds on Gabb’s previous “Kid CEO for a Day” initiative, which, over the past two years, put a 9‑year‑old in charge of brainstorming sessions, policy ideas, and product feedback. By expanding to a full council, the company will regularly consult young users for input on products and policies, ensuring their voices shape future developments as the council continues to grow in the coming years.
During their visit, the Kid VPs sketched concepts for future products, designed custom wallpapers, recorded customer service messages featuring light humor and riddles, curated a holiday playlist for the Gabb Music app, produced short videos for parents’ social channels, and answered questions at a mock press conference.
Kerri Fox-Metoyer, Gabb’s head of entertainment, said having a Gen Alpha voice in the room is already shaping next year’s plans. “Lila has so many ideas on how we are going to elevate Gabb Music in 2026,” she said.
The council will continue meeting quarterly and will take part in surveys and early product testing.
Eric Davis, senior product designer, said the kids’ input is already influencing the company’s direction. “They brought creativity, honesty and excitement,” he said. “Together we turned their ideas into real product concepts — and they reminded us who we’re designing for.”
One message the kids emphasized: encouraging peers and adults to “look up.” More than half of U.S. teens ages 12 to 17 spend four or more hours a day on screens outside of schoolwork, according to the National Center for Health Statistics.
Alex, who uses the Gabb Watch 3e and serves as the Kid VP of Growth, said kid-safe tech helps strike a balance. “If you look around public places, you see that most people are on their phones,” he said. “With kid-safe technology, people can go on their phones or watches and still have fun.”
Lila, from the Phoenix area, said the limits built into Gabb devices have changed her habits. “I’m definitely outside more,” she said. “If I had social media, I would be inside all day.”
Founded in 2018, Gabb focuses on creating phones, watches, and apps designed to give kids independence without exposing them to social media, adult content, or other online risks. The company positions its products as tools to support healthy development and help parents guide kids through early tech use.
