Stephen Makonin
When it comes to Knowledge Network, Stephen Makonin looks to his daughter, Cyan, for inspiration. Knowledge is one of the few television services that both she and Stephen regularly enjoy. Cyan is a fan of the animated kids’ series as well as the nature and animal programs, which they like watching together.
While the iPad works great for online viewing – Stephen gave up on cable a while ago – the screen is a bit small for the family to gather around. So Stephen, a software engineer, came up with an idea - he offered his expertise to Knowledge, and six months later, Cyan can watch Knowledge Kids on their Apple TV using the newly released app (see pg 42) developed by her dad.
The app isn’t the only Knowledge connection that Cyan has inspired. Stephen, who is part of the Leadership Circle, became a donor in 2015, when Cyan first started watching a lot of programs on Knowledge. ”I thought that it’s such a good service, I should give something to it. We always find something interesting to watch.”
Both Stephen and his wife, Anna, appreciate the fact that, unlike some other kids’ stations, Cyan isn’t held hostage by advertising. “I like the whole idea of Knowledge not being driven by profits,” says Stephen. “It’s worth donating even a little bit to have programs without commercials.”
Stephen will be able to contribute even more to Knowledge in the coming months. He recently joined us as a Senior Software Engineer, where he’ll have a hand in further app development.
