During Susan Bonilla’s last year of veterinary school, her aging pet developed arthritis. She made the decision to expand her treatment options and become an Integrative Vet, offering complementary therapies such as acupuncture and chiropractic. Over the years, her practice has grown and the treatments she offers have continued to diversify.
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Video conferencing has been around for a while, but it’s also been known for its instability. The engineers at Zoom rebuilt the technology in their quest to create a more reliable cloud platform for “frictionless video communications.”
There’s nothing like community to make you feel like you belong. Hannah Sim-Phan, who always loved baking, opened her “neighborhood coffee joint” ten years ago. She gave a free cookie to the kids, chatted with the customers and her shop grew by word of mouth. Today, those kids come in on their own, and Hannah has a job she loves.
Loyalty is important to Jim Riggins. Well… loyalty, copiers and business technology are important to Jim. Over the years, what was founded as a copier firm has become a full technology company of copiers/scanners/IT solutions—but always with a focus on customer experience. And what a great marketing staff!
In this age of immediate, digital communications, there remain those who still prefer to hand write a note, pen a letter or mail a special invitation. These people are Arzberger Stationers’ clientele and Luther Dudley’s passion. Since 1922, Arzberger has produced finely crafted stationery for the discerning customer.
Joel Slatis’ company needed a web-based time tracking capability and there weren’t many online timesheet services in the early 2000s. So he developed one for his own use and ultimately launched a company around it. And the rest is history.
Seeing an arc flash—a type of electrical explosion—changed his life! As an electrical engineer, Ryan Kennedy saw hazard and risk in commercial building and felt that with today’s technology, he could develop a safer process. Startup Atom Power offers a solid-state circuit breaker system and a better way (pre-UL) to open and close breakers.
Mobius Medical Systems provides software to radiation oncology clinics that recalculates and recalibrates treatments to address potential mistakes and improve treatment outcomes. Its primary products, DoseLab and Mobius3D, were developed in an employee-centered culture that has served the company well.
Brenna Bolger was in the right place at the right time—in Silicon Valley when it was still just Santa Clara County. More than 40 years and 22 coffee markers ago, she (she!) launched her marketing communications strategy firm. They’ve grown with the times, but are still fiercely passionate storytellers.
Looking for a way to impress existing clients and bowl over prospects? You should be thinking outside the box—or inside the box as Caleb Musser tells it. Musser & Co. offers a “message box” that is certain to open doors and strengthen relationships. And it works!
Entrepreneurism and collaboration are alive and well in the Midwest among the hardworking people of The Heartland. Navin co-founded Loud, early stage venture partners that invest time, capital and network resources to increase the success rate among startup healthcare and non-healthcare companies.
Vanessa Vaughn survived a tornado and wants to help others do it too—although a bit more figuratively and at the company level. Would you know what to do if your company’s greatest assets were suddenly unavailable? Asfalis serves its customers as business longevity partners to help identify risk and create ways to innovate out of it.
Coffee is an art and for those who are passionate about their brew, work knows no bounds. Chromatic exports, imports, roasts and produces its coffee very much in the “fork to table” philosophy. The company sells coffee wholesale, runs a café with an in-house chef, and works with San Jose’s local business community to meet their coffee needs, whatever that may mean.
Silicon Valley is growing like crazy and it has been for years. Now Google has announced plans to open a 6-8 million sq. ft. campus in San Jose, which will affect transit, housing and all things downtown. What a perfect storm for Silicon Valley Synergy, a consulting firm that helps clients negotiate the government process for permits, regulations and other govt requirements. Bob Staedler has the scoop.
Custom software is a powerful tool—for those who can afford it. EduSource hires student developers as apprentices to help develop business process software at a more affordable cost for companies with specialized needs. In the process, they create a pipeline of talent for their own future hiring needs. Clever!
A group of medical researchers, many of whom are Eli Lilly refugees with powerful pharmaceutical experience, share a common goal of wiping out cancer. And they just might do that. Apexian was founded on the work of Mark Kelley, who identified a unique protein that drives the growth of cancer cells. They have now developed a drug that targets this protein and is in Phase 1 clinical trials. And there are more drugs in the pipeline.
“Producing food in the future will be similar to brewing beer.” Well, maybe. Biotech company Xylogenics engineers organisms to make renewable chemicals for food and cosmetics. The company uses genetic engineering techniques to introduce genes from different organisms to make compounds, such as protein, through yeast fermentation.
Andromeda was founded as a software company. For its first product, FlexePark, Andromeda partners with small business to help them sell their available parking after hours. Then, FlexePark, a digital parking app, allows users to check in to the parking space. It’s a win/win!
If you’re making, moving or growing things, the machines you use can produce data and keep you informed. That data can work for you in many ways, if you know how to use it. We’re still learning just how powerful the Internet of Things can be and how it will ultimately transform our economy.
A corporate business law firm that cares about customer service?! North Carolina’s Forrest Firm treats clients like, well, clients as they seek to be more responsive, accessible, and predictable when it comes to pricing.
Tired of waiting? Do it yourself! Blue Duck wants to decrease the number of cars on the road so they’re starting with short hops. Just download the Blue Duck app, find the nearest (electric) Duck and go.
Globally we eat 73 billion chickens annually and that number is expected to double by 2050. ALS-S has created a biodevice now in research that improves the effectiveness of poultry vaccinations, in the process decreasing the use of antibiotics and generally improving the quality of the flock. The ALS-S system can vaccinate 100,000 chicks per hour in the first 24 hours of life. Imagine!
Big companies have security teams, but many small businesses cannot afford an enterprise-level cloud technology. So they hire Jungle Disk, a startup that, in 2006, was one of the first to leverage Amazon’s S3 storage. They also have added support for Rackspace’s cloud platform.
The founders of Directions Home Loan believed they could do it better by keeping the boutique feel and ramping up the customer service. The company provides mortgage loans for the San Antonio area and all over Texas.
“IT” means so much more today than it did just a few years ago; besides being more complex, products are downloaded when needed “As A Service.” And that changes everything. Network Alliance, a systems integrator, offers managed services and cloud services that helps clients fulfill their strategy and, ultimately the vision for their company.
The founders of InspectionXpert saw an underserved industry and went after it—a hallmark of the entrepreneurial spirit. The company builds software for the quality control processes of small precision manufacturers that are building parts for automotive, aerospace and medical device companies.
For Ajay Tejwani, success is many things besides money. He wanted to really help his clients—the right clients—which sent his global digital marketing agency in a new direction.
There is no room for complacency in entrepreneurism. Online marketing is still in its infancy, but there’s always room for improvement. SymplyDone assesses, strategizes, then tailors and executes its online marketing effort. And they do it all locally and in a simpler fashion.
Is it in the water? Sure. Is it in the recipes? Absolutely. Is it in the history? Definitely. Craft beer for those who make it is more about following your passion than following a career path; just ask James Hudec. But it’s also a business, and he knows all about it.
The importance of analytics may be mostly understood today, but many operations don’t realize just how powerful it can be. Quantworks, a custom software development company, focuses on the creative—and thoughtful—implementation of analytics and big data. Volpe & Ghitelman believe it can be a gamechanger for any company.
Phenomenal growth can rapidly kill a young company. Zia Bhutta says Synechron’s focus on execution kept it healthy. His boot-strapped IT services firm today has 8,000 employees in 13 countries. He also launched the TapToBook ordering and payment app. Then there’s his most recent startup, Accelirate, another disruptive technology service.
As Medicaid continued to increase in complexity, Brian Marshall believed a particular industry was being underserved. And, based on the company’s growth since its founding in 1998, he was right! Primary Solutions provides software, training and consulting services to those who support the intellectual and developmental disability community.
Public transportation is a great concept, but one that could be executed better. Uber and Lyft disrupted the norm; now TransLoc seeks to optimize efficiency of the vehicles while improving rider experience. Together with Ford Smart Mobility Business Group, they’re out to change public transit in a big way.
Icimo uses its business intelligence expertise to empower clients to better understand and more efficiently utilize their own data. Once clients are trained to be self-sufficient in Tableau software and data visualization, they can see and act in real-time. And that changes everything.
As a TV news anchor, Mikaela Hunt produced news and human interest stories. Today, as a brand journalist, she tells stories in a slightly different way, helping clients determine the story they want to tell then producing videos for social media channels. She also partners with PR companies to provide client media training.
Navin Goyal co-founded a dental anesthesia service which opened the door to a venture capital group and angel investing capability, prompting more startup involvement and, well, it all grew from there.
The Columbus Idea Foundry started out as a 60,000-sq-ft creative space and has since become a community of purpose, an ecosystem for creative and tech startups where likeminded entrepreneurs can interact and exchange talent and ideas.
How do you find the best media for your purpose? Well, there’s an app for that. DOmedia uses a cloud-based app to create an exchange that connects buyers and sellers of out-of-home media.
“Eyes on anything. Anytime. Anywhere.” Forty thousand “lookers” utilize a mobile technology platform to go onsite to any location to collect data. What started as a service for consumers considering a purchase on Ebay has rapidly expanded to an international vendor-displacing B-to-B operation that can augment almost any external workforce.
What do you focus on when you have a crack group of software engineers working for you? You find the piece of the puzzle that is most important to your client… then you build around it
Florida’s innovation economy is growing through academic outreach, cross border collaboration and corporate advocacy. South Florida Accelerator’s initiatives, like Codeskools, reach out to American youth, foreign countries and corporate support in creative ways.
Mad Dev builds absurdly great digital products and has earned the trust of some amazing partners. As a digital products agency, these guys have built completely web based virtual reality, chat bots, augmented reality and more over-the-top solutions.
Accelerators and incubators have been around long enough that we’re starting to see some pretty significant differences in their strategies. South Florida Accelerator uses an “off-ramp” model to decrease time and risk as it incubates startup life science, data and technology companies.
It’s just good, old-fashioned entrepreneurism. The guys who founded Blooom saw an underserved market—what they considered a social injustice—and addressed it. Most 401k investment plans are not big enough to warrant professional advice or active management.
Big Data is the future of marketing; selling to the people who need you NOW could be even more powerful. BDEX is a data exchange, a real-time platform to connect buyers and sellers.
What if you could receive early payment on your invoices? What if interim financing was cheaper and easier to obtain? What if cashflow pressure eased up? Wow, and what if it were all hassle-free?!
The best entrepreneurs have passion; similarly, the best brands have purpose. Will & Grail wants to be a force for positive change and they do it by helping organizations find their sense of purpose, creating a more innovative brand and improving performance.
Innovation, entrepreneurship and venture capital in the middle US are our topics in our interview with the co-founder and Managing Director of early stage VC firm Mercury Fund in front of an audience in Milwaukee Wisconsin.
Everyone knows about Silicon Valley, but do you know about Kansas City? You should! The Kansas City Startup Foundation is working diligently to access the passion and power of its startup community as it builds a more vibrant startup ecosystem.
Sometimes it takes a different perspective to shake things up. These guys see basketball differently, believing that immediate analysis can make every player—every team—better.
One of the best ways we can support our fallen or disabled soldiers and their families is to ensure their future through education. Folds of Honor provides scholarships for just such a purpose.
It’s hard to beat the excitement of early stage and the entrepreneurial bug is everywhere! Oklahoma City’s shared working space is Star Space 46, “a community hub for all things entrepreneurial and tech.” And now they’re expanding, adding more offices and working/training spaces.
Sometimes opportunity appears in strange packages. Paco discovered the importance of purpose and has since been devoted to building his food pantry and its support system. Who knew a smile could be such a powerful motivator?
Twenty years ago, Oklahoma took steps to develop and support its startup community when it created i2E, a venture development organization.
Startups and businesses seeking to expand are always in need of more support and small business champion Ossie Kendrix has the success stories to prove it.
At a time of explosive growth in the healthcare industry, angelMD provides a marketplace that connects medical technology startups with investors, the majority of which are physicians.
As the healthcare market continues to shift, efficiency becomes a top priority for local pharmacies, many of which are small businesses run by entrepreneurs and pharmacists. Founded by a community pharmacist, ComputerRX offers a software management system that supports community pharmacies and their unique needs.
Delivering the right message through the right channel to the right audience at the right time is trickier than it sounds and requires a specialized yet extensive expertise to cover all the moving pieces.
FortyAU is about perspective, knowing your place in the universe. It’s a reminder to stay focused and humble, even when you’re a top-notch software development firm.
Workplace injury is known for its red tape. Chronwell wants to use its technology to automate and facilitate the process to improve the outcome for the injured worker. Work injuries has traditionally been an underserved niche.
“We’re not a small business, we’re a growing business,” so says the teachings of Scale Up Milwaukee, an initiative of the Greater Milwaukee Committee that uses entrepreneurial growth to generate economic development.
Autism rates are increasing, but autism is still misunderstood. HAAPE believes autistic people can be happy, productive members of society. This new Ft. Lauderdale facility will offer testing, training, job matching and advocacy to help to integrate and support autistic citizens 18 and over.
Telemedicine means many things to many people. Satchel Health uses technology to improve care between the patient and physician in a skilled nursing setting.
In this era of small business and entrepreneurship, shared work spaces serve a specific need. Scott Lorenz takes his business development job seriously and is proud of the many benefits for clients working with Milwaukee’s business café.
Can the wine term “terroir” apply to craft beer? Well, why not?! Lakefront Brewery, a Milwaukee craft brewery and restaurant, is known for its hyper-local brews. Those brews are also innovative, organic and are produced in a brewery considered “green” by the state.
Spirit, wine and beer retailers think they know us, but they don’t. Spirit brands have a relationship with the venue, the bar or the restaurant. Breweries and distillers don’t even realize they need help identifying their customers. Shared Spirits, a mobile app, seeks to change that.
Data is no longer a by-product to be stored; it’s now capital—capital to build your business and drive revenue. Data should be used. Accessibility and transparency are critical to any data exchange; infrastructure must be improved. And Buzzi.io is all over it!
One year after he completed grad school, Steve Hooper founded Kigo to fill the “cooked-to-order wok-fired eats” void among fast/casual restaurants.
More than $7 million in donations is nothing to sneeze at. From the land of famed glass sculptor Dale Chihuly comes GlassBaby, a votive candleholder available in 400 colors. Each color has a name and a story, many with giving partners.
A serious artist will spend time preparing for a tour. A serious production company will too.
In woodworking, ‘square peg’ refers to a strong connecting joint. The phrase also refers to a person who doesn’t ‘fit in.’ For Amy King, co-founder of Square Peg Construction, it’s about second chances. SPC hires and provides support for previously incarcerated adults.
When he launched his power bike company in 2007, a very young Mike Radenbaugh couldn’t possibly have known how perfect his timing was. As the popularity of biking has soared, Rad Power Bikes has innovated to accommodate and better serve its fans.
Tennessee has a vibrant entrepreneur community, partly due to the efforts of Launch Tennessee and CEO Charlie Brock. Under Brock’s leadership, Launch Tennessee has grown 36|86 into a major entrepreneurship conference.
For 16 years, this reluctant superhero has been quietly making the world a better place. Now that physical and mental well-being in the workplace are trendy, ErgoFit Consulting has become hot and trendy as well, experiencing intense growth.
Coworking has evolved into a more flexible form of shared space that caters to a more varied customer. Book the kind of workspace you want for only the time you need it—whether that includes a desk or a conference table or a bar sink.
They call themselves “Future Tellers.” Studio 216, a digital production agency, enables clients to experience the unbuilt environment, building the property, airport, museum, stadium digitally before it actually exists. The future is today!
A strong business model and a sense of identity makes the execution clearer. So says Ethan Stowell, a self-taught chef and crazy-successful restaurant owner in Seattle.
The healthcare industry is exploding with technology, startups and investors; changing laws and funding options continue to complicate that growth.
A surprise audit strikes terror into the hearts of even the best prepared companies, especially those in the heavily-regulated financial and medical industries. With technology created by NASA, Lucidoc ran with the concept to create a compliance and document company that seeks to change that.
When wrangling babies, lugging hiking equipment, climbing Mt Ranier or just living life, one often feels a third hand would be most helpful.
Tapestry Associates offers services as a trusted advisor to ultra high-net worth clients in the management of their non-financial assets. Randy Gantenbein offers details.
“More investors, more networking, more awareness for entrepreneurs in a more startup friendly atmosphere,”
John Griscavage introduces PlayMaker CRM and its mobile-forward sales platform that helps post-acute care companies monitor sales activity and productivity.
Erick Goss is the CEO at Creative Trust Ventures where they manage brands and develop audiences for leading content and content creators.
Russ Capper sits down with Sridhar Sudarsan in front of a live audience at the Insperity event in Seattle Washington.
She was told she’d never walk again, but she did… through tenacious motivation, aggressive therapy and hours of hard work. It was experience Jessica Harthcock used when she founded UtilizeHealth.co, a specialty care coordination service.
Since its founding five years ago, Glass Distillery has been a “Willie Wonka-esque” adventure for MacNeil’s small and exclusive team. You might say Glass Vodka is the Neiman-Marcus of spirits!
Suit Music is managing musical careers and building their brands exactly where they want to be and they are loving the community of Nashville.
Edward Hechter, CEO of one of the Puget Sound Business Journal’s Fastest Growing Top 100 private companies, introduces an industry coming into its own, and the company that serves it.
Butch and Kay Smith Blum brought European designer wear to Seattle and built an apparel powerhouse.
As a top supplier of non-apparel, licensed goods, Logo Brands loves a winning team—a winning team with lots of fans.
If real estate agents used better technology, and if they were truly focused on their role as customer advocate, the real estate space would be a friendlier, less stressful place for homebuyers and sellers.
It’s a race to the cloud and today’s software technology can empower your employees with faster data.
Cloud based systems are taking over the business world, but how do you manage the growing complexity of managing cloud based infrastructures across the enterprise?
BusinessMakers USA checks in from Nashville, Tennessee. Russ Capper visits with Tony Giarratana, residential developer changing the downtown Nashville skyline with big, bold innovative skyscrapers.
Russ Capper visits with Jamie Fleming, co-founder and CEO of Studio 216, a visualization company focused on immersing people in real estate environments, many that do not yet exist.
BusinessMakers USA checks in from Nashville, Tennessee. Russ Capper sits down with Charlie Brock, President and CEO of Launch Tennessee, the organization connecting people and fostering collaboration to enhance entrepreneurship in the state. They discuss challenges, successes and the vibrant Nashville economy.
