It all started in 1981 when he was 13 years old, and his father asked him the golden question: “Ishwar what do you like to do?”
“My father was an artist; he always solved all his problems in very creative ways. And I remember I had this camera, very advanced in that time. The lens, the film, the focus and I still remember the brand; it was a brand new Minolta He showed me how to focus the picture through the small circle in the middle of a frame.
He was also a painter. He had many paintings, brushes, canvas etc. And yeah as a kid that was awesome! But it was never his career. He was a gold smith by trade. He crafted jewelry and sold those pieces to earn a living to support his family. But then came the question of whose answer would change the course of my life/career: “Ishwar what do you like?” A question that I needed to define: What did I enjoy doing that I could turn into a career? And he knew I really liked what he was doing.”
Soon after his father asked him that question, he gave Ishwar a Dell PC and said to him: “Ishwar this the future. Here you can design and connect with the world.”
“At that time, the Internet was still a new concept. I started to learn how to use various software to create my designs. It was a challenging process, not only the artistic part, but you needed to learn technical skills as well such as setup and software installation. The process was time-consuming, but hey,… it was really fast for that time.
It was at that point that I realized my love for computer technology.”
In 1992 there was a technology expo that Ishwar and his father attended. Little did Ishwar know that he would encounter yet another game changer.
“I remember I was so excited to go to this expo where you have all these computer companies exposing everything they have to offer as the NEW technology and you could try to touch new things.
And there was Xerox Corporation, with this new two freezer size “Digital Laser Printer”
And my dad told me to go and design something on the computer and let’s print it and see if it’s worth buying. So we asked permission from the sales team. So there I was designing a very colorful piece of art which we printed.
But little did we know that the GM of Xerox Antillana was right there watching.
We went to the expo the next day because I really wanted to go and print some designs again. And then one of the sales representatives told me that somebody really important wanted to meet me. So I told my dad, and he agreed to meet him. Then the sales representative comes with a gentleman who shakes my hand and my dad’s hand and says; “ I really like the designs and the way you do your work, please give us your number, and we will call you for a job after this event.”
In 1993, he received a call to go to an interview at Xerox Antillana. He started the very next day as a Graphic Designer for the next four years.
In 2003, he went to work in the United States and in 2004 IshMedia U.S. was born.
“In 2003, when I went to the US, I was working as a graphic designer and color specialist in one of the largest printing companies in Jacksonville. Soon after my arrival, I started my education in Cinematography and Web Development.
In 2004, IshMedia US was born. Together with a very good friend of mine, Christian Smucker in Pennsylvania, we developed a website. Our 1st customer was a paintball business. After that, we started to make shopping carts for businesses to integrate into their already existing website, or create a new website with a shopping cart.
IshMedia US slogan was “Where Art Meets Technology” Because I was a graphic designer, not only an artistic designer, I could code as well.
And IshMedia still exists today.”
In 2007 IshMedia.com was registered in Aruba as a business, where the company started to develop a website for the Aruba market as well.
In 2009, Ishwar and his family returned to Aruba to establish a TV studio called IshMedia Studios in order to develop a sports channel, a tourist channel and to continue developing websites using cutting edge technologies.
“As soon as I returned to Aruba to develop IshMedia Studios, I knew I was ahead of my time for the Aruban Market. Although Arubans are people that have technology, the culture of technology consumption and usage is not current. We are a community that has the technology, but is not using it in its full potential.
I was broadcasting live on the internet already at that time, and Facebook was just text base and picture. IP-TV was not even a talk at that time either. So I knew the Tourist Channel I designed in 2009 was not ready for it’s time. So we focused on the sports channel.
But there was too much political distortion and monopoly in telecommunication of Aruba, so we continued with IshMedia Studios as a production house to create TV programs. “Hope Makeover” was born, and we began rebuilding houses in Aruba like the American TV show “Home Makeover.”
We also introduced mass mail marketing together with live broadcast and shopping cart.
I was so aggressive with the mass mailing that a group of lawyers wanted to apply the spam law on the system. But we complied with all the spam rules, nothing could have been done.”
In 2018, Ishwar continued with his plan to develop the Aruba’s Tourist Channel dedicated to the tourist as a way to export Aruba’s Culture, History and Art on an international level.
The 27th of September 2018, Aruba Tourist Channel was officially launched as Aruba’s 1st and only TV channel dedicated to the Tourist Market.
“Aruba Tourist Channel was not ready for development in 2009. Aruba’s Telecommunication management was too laid back while the rest of the world I was about four years ahead in developments in all forms and fashion of technology.
I knew I was confronting time travel returning to Aruba in 2009, but I love Aruba so much that I said, I will do this time travel journey and will confront whatever it takes to establish Aruba’s 1st IP-TV Channel live from Aruba.
So we did invest over $250,000 U.S. dollars in equipment and studio facilities to create IshMedia Studios in Aruba.
I had to wait 8 years in Aruba to finally reach the vision I had in 2009.
Aruba Tourist Channel is a showcase of IshMedia Studios in its full potential; Website Development, Live Broadcast, E-Commerce, Social Media Integration, Video production both live and pre-recorded videos, Photography, Marketing plans, Marketing Strategy and Media Plans.
I cover the scope of old and new media from old newspaper ads to neuromarketing.”