Innovate Arkansas

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas (IA) at Winrock interviews Jeston George, founder and CEO of Apptegy, and Joe Ehrhardt, founder and CEO of Teslar Software. These two technology-based startup companies have been scaling rapidly but found themselves pivoting as the COVID-19 pandemic hit their clients. In this episode, David talks with Jeston and Joe about work their companies have been doing in recent months, the benefits of being headquartered in Arkansas, and what is on the horizon for Apptegy and Teslar. Learn more about Apptegy here: https://www.apptegy.com/ Learn more about Teslar here: https://www.teslarsoftware.com/

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas (IA) at Winrock interviews Douglas Hutchings, the IA Entrepreneur-in-Residence and an expert in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant opportunities. The SBIR program is touted as “America’s Seed Fund” and provides access to capital across a diverse portfolio of startups and small businesses in technology areas and markets to stimulate technological innovation, meet Federal research and development (R&D) needs, and increase commercialization to transition R&D into impact. David and Douglas also discuss the SBIR matching grant offered by the state of Arkansas, as well as the Technology Transfer Assistance Grant (TTAG) program. Learn more about each of these programs through the links below, or contact Doug at [email protected] with questions. To become an Innovate Arkansas client and receive assistance with all your startup needs, apply at innovatearkansas.org.  

https://www.sbir.gov/

https://www.mfgsolutions.org/services/technology-transfer-assistance-grant-program-ttag/

https://www.arkansasedc.com/science-technology/division/commercialization/sbir-matching-grant

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas (IA) at Winrock interviews Maf Sanko, CEO of AidBanc. AidBanc is the first full-service banking platform designed for non-profits to manage global spend from a single FDIC insured bank account. David and Maf talk about Maf’s path to Arkansas and the benefits of the product that he has built. Learn more about AidBanc at https://www.aidbanc.com/ and to see a product demo visit: https://www.loom.com/share/c330b582fd6b4e268da6b4dc25d0b6b7 

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas (IA) at Winrock interviews Michael Geranen, CEO of Captura Biopharma about the company’s lead product that acts as a decorporation agent to be given to individuals that have been exposed to radiation, such as may occur in a nuclear power accident or detonation of a “dirty bomb”. This product would be the first oral solution that can immediately be administered to eliminate harmful radioactive material from staying in the body. Learn more about the work that Captura Biopharma is doing at https://www.capturabiopharma.com/

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas (IA) at Winrock interviews Emily Reeves Dean, our IA communications and project manager. Emily and David talk about approaching social media as a startup company, how to plan the messaging, which channels to use, and testing to get the best results. To get strategic guidance on your social media messaging and work with Innovate Arkansas, go to innovatearkansas.org and apply to work with our team.

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas (IA) at Winrock interviews Mike McGibbony, CEO of White Rock, a solution provider for the Salesforce and Hubspot platforms that advises clients on strategic use of CRM systems across business operations. Mike discusses the scalability of Salesforce, making it a valuable tool for both small and large organizations. Given the pause in operations many businesses are currently facing, Mike talks about now as a good time to examine how to be efficient in providing the best, most consistent experiences for your customers by implementing a CRM technology. Learn more about White Rock at https://whiterocktech.net/.

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas (IA) at Winrock interviews Amy Hopper, program officer for the I-Fund accelerators. Amy shares the details of the program, including the in-depth customer discovery research that is part of the I-Fund and how proof-of-concept business ideas benefit from listening to customers. The Arkansas I-Fund is currently accepting applications. Learn more at https://www.ifundatwinrock.com/.

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas (IA) at Winrock introduces two IA team members who focus on specific industry sectors when working with startups in Arkansas. Josh Smith, CEO of Metova, supports software development-based startups and those that need software development talent. “G” Dennis is a specialist in the healthcare industry and advises healthcare-based startups on growth and investment. To work with Josh or G at Innovate Arkansas, go to innovatearkansas.org and apply to work with our team.

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas at Winrock talks with Dr. Darren Sommer, CEO of Innovator Health, an advanced telemedicine provider. David and Darren discuss the benefits of telemedicine for rural hospitals as a cost savings and during times of health crisis with limited PPE like the COVID-19 pandemic we are currently facing. To learn more about Innovator Health, visit https://www.innovatorhealth.com

David Sanders, Director of Innovate Arkansas at Winrock talks with Bobby Franklin, President and CEO of the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA). David and Bobby talk about the logistics of getting disaster funding when a company is backed by venture capital, as well as the programs available in Arkansas to support startup companies. To learn more about the NVCA, visit nvca.org.