Live Learn Innovate Foundation
Our history
It Started With a Simple Realization
For most of human history, information was tangible.
It lived on paper, in objects, or in people’s memories. It had weight. It had context. It had ownership.
For nearly 6,000 years, information existed this way.
Then, in a remarkably short window of time—less than 2% of human history—we moved to digital information.
Suddenly, people began generating enormous amounts of data about their lives, health, environments, and behaviors.
That data became incredibly valuable.
But the people creating it rarely benefited from it directly.
This realization became the foundation of Live Learn Innovate Foundation (LLIF):
If personal data is valuable, people should benefit from it—without losing control of it.
Told by our founder, Jim French
In 2015, I began discussing the concept of LLIF with my friend and now board member Dave Frampton, and with my son, who suffered from migraines.
At the time, Dave and I were also talking about how difficult it was to detect IT security events early—largely because systems don’t provide clear feedback. With people, at least you can record symptoms.
That parallel stuck with me.
What if people could observe patterns in their own data the same way engineers observe systems?
Formalizing the Foundation
In April 2018, I incorporated the Live Learn Innovate Foundation.
By December 2018, LLIF received its 501(c)(3) nonprofit status from the IRS.
LLIF was built intentionally as a nonprofit to ensure:
- Mission alignment over monetization
- Long-term stewardship of sensitive data
- Clear governance and accountability
- Protection from incentives that lead to data exploitation
During this period, LLIF was developed alongside full-time work, and later through a combination of personal funding, board support, and volunteer contributions.
Building the Infrastructure
By 2020, LLIF began assembling a team of engineers and collaborators to explore what ethical, longitudinal data infrastructure could look like in practice.
This work focused on:
- Secure data storage
- Long-term data models
- Participant-controlled access
- Foundations for research use
The goal was never to build a consumer product for scale—but to build the underlying foundation that responsible products and studies could rely on.
From Concept to Real-World Use
As LLIF infrastructure matured, external teams began using it to explore real-world applications.
One such example is Best Life, a consumer health and lifestyle tracking application developed and operated by Best Life Inc.
Best Life uses LLIF Cloud as an infrastructure provider.
LLIF does not develop or operate consumer applications.
This separation ensures:
- Clear ownership and accountability
- Protection of nonprofit mission
- Stability of the data foundation regardless of individual products
Leveling the Playing Field—Ethically
LLIF exists to support:
- Individuals who want control over their data
- Researchers seeking ethical, opt-in datasets
- Communities working to improve quality of life
- Developers building privacy-first applications
Our role is to protect the data layer, not to compete in the application layer.
When infrastructure is governed ethically, innovation can happen safely on top of it.
From Inner Strength to Shared Purpose
LLIF’s early branding reflected community, diversity, and curiosity.
As the foundation evolved, so did our identity.
Today, LLIF represents:
- Simple, explainable infrastructure
- Transparent governance
- Long-term trust
- Innovation without bias
Our focus remains the same:
help people benefit from the data they create—without losing control of it.
Looking Forward
LLIF continues to evolve as:
- A steward of ethical data infrastructure
- A partner to researchers and developers
- A nonprofit committed to public benefit
Applications will change.
Technology will evolve.
The need for trustworthy data governance will only grow.
