“Our mission is to spark wonder and preserve the world’s cultural and intellectual stories, fostering exploration through AI-powered conversation.”
Our Story
WonderWay started with a father who saw wonder everywhere.
He had this gift. He could stand in front of a painting, a fossil, an old piece of pottery, and suddenly you'd see it differently. He'd tell you stories. He'd ask questions that made you think. It wasn't a lecture; it was a conversation. He made connections you'd never considered. He turned every museum visit into something that stayed with you long after you left.
When he passed, his daughter wanted to share that gift with the world.
That's what WonderWay is.
It's your pocket curator — a companion that brings art, history, and science to life through natural conversation. No apps to navigate. No long labels to read. Just talk, in any language, and discover what's around you.
Because here's the truth: most people who walk into museums are curious. They want to understand what they're looking at. But it often takes too much effort to learn about it. Reading long text. Downloading clunky apps. Deciphering academic language. All that friction, and the impossibility to connect these stories to their personal interest, kills the spark.
WonderWay removes the barrier. It meets you exactly where you're standing — in front of a Rembrandt, a dinosaur skeleton, a piece of ancient craftsmanship — and makes understanding feel effortless and personal.
The results speak for themselves.
Visitors stay in galleries 2–4× longer. 83% discover things they never would have found on their own. Children ask more questions. Adults follow threads of curiosity they didn't know they had. And people don't call it a tool: they call it a companion.
We built WonderWay on curated knowledge and designed it for real places: museums, heritage sites, landmarks, cities. It amplifies human expertise rather than replacing it. It makes cultural exploration intuitive and joyful for everyone (families, solo visitors, art lovers, and people walking into their first museum).
Your wonder leads.
We show the way.
Hélène Alonso - Founder
WonderWay was created by Hélène Alonso, a museum-technology innovator with more than two decades of experience shaping how people learn in cultural spaces. She has worked across leading institutions including the American Museum of Natural History, Liberty Science Center, the Wildlife Conservation Society, and the Museo de América, designing award-winning digital and physical experiences for millions of visitors. She later served as Chief Design Officer at multiple AI startups and currently teaches at NYU’s Interactive Telecommunications Program (ITP). Alonso holds Master’s degrees in Museum Studies and Education, and has devoted her career to making knowledge more accessible, engaging, and human-centered.
John Leonard - Cofounder
WonderWay’s technical vision is led by John Leonard, a technology and product leader with more than two decades of experience shaping interactive digital experiences. At frog, E*TRADE, and Argo Design, he oversaw engineering and product teams responsible for large-scale applications, data-rich interfaces, and human-centered systems. Earlier in his career at the Liberty Science Center, he designed hands-on interactive exhibitions that helped visitors explore science through play and discovery. He previously taught interactive design as an adjunct professor at the School of Visual Arts. He brings together deep technical expertise and a long-standing commitment to intuitive learning experiences, helping WonderWay make cultural exploration seamless, conversational, and accessible to all.