Meet the Howard student behind the smartpad and app to protect children from weapons

Kayla Austin is the inventor of the patent-pending technology “My Gun’s Been Moved.” By improving community and child safety, the 21-year-old Chicago native’s invention gives law-abiding gun owners round-the-clock monitoring and alerts if their weapons are taken.

Along with this, Austin established “My Safety Circle” to promote proper gun ownership, monitoring, and storage in homes. Austin said in a statement, “According to the Brady Campaign, in 2023, an average of 23 children and teens under the age of 17 were shot each day in the United States. Guns now kill more children and adolescents than any other cause. I am excited to share how ‘My Gun’s Been Moved’ and My Safety Circle can be a part of the solution.”

She was only 12 years old when she watched news broadcasts about gun violence in Chicago, heard a family member’s experience, and took part in a youth program that gave her the idea to design the product.

The entrepreneur has been heavily involved in gun safety education, driven by a desire to employ technology for better gun safety. The State of Illinois and Congress have recognized her for her rigorous community activity, and her idea has won other prizes.

She was most recently selected as one of the National Urban League’s Future History Makers, AT&T’s Dream in Black Future Dream Makers, and Teen Vogue’s “21 Under 21” in 2022 as a young gun safety champion to watch, according to the statement cited by Black News.

Austin pitched at Pharrell Williams‘ Mighty Dream Forum and Black Ambition in 2022 and won $25,000. Her “My Gun’s Been Moved” product was on display at the Consumer Technology’s CES Conference, which is one of the most important technology gatherings in the world and highlights cutting-edge innovations worldwide. She was able to launch GoFundMe and WeFunder campaigns to assist the development of her invention because of her recognition at the conference.

The Howard University student’s tireless efforts, backed up by her family, have resulted in the creation of “My Gun’s Been Moved,” which currently has 35 student brand ambassadors.

Her “Kayla’s Safety Circle” also teaches and campaigns for children’s and communities’ safety through appropriate gun ownership, monitoring, and storage.