Navigating the fine print of commerce as a consumer is, at best, tedious and obscure. Kamal Nahas, co-founder and CEO of pap!, is using AI to cut through the tangled web of laws and policies and get consumers money back on their purchases. We sat down with him to discuss his company, the privacy policy landscape, and the American visa process.
Engine released the 2025 Startup Policy Agenda showcasing how smart, thoughtful policy facilitates and encourages startup activity, leading to more innovation and more economic and job growth. The Agenda gives those working on policy an overview of the issues that are currently impacting—and the debates that stand to impact—startups.
Engine released the 2025 Startup Policy Playbook to give members of the startup ecosystem—founders, employees, investors, and support organizations—an overview of the policy conversations happening this year and how they can get involved in amplifying the startup voice. There’s lots to do, and lots to do better, and this playbook highlights why shaping innovation-friendly policies matters to startups.
After a career in corporate finance, Shweta Gandhi transitioned into the education sphere after recognizing the impact of data-driven solutions in addressing educational disparities. With experience in both nonprofit work and EdTech, she founded Strived.io, a program using AI to transform how schools utilize data for personalized learning. We spoke with Shweta about her journey, the future of AI in education, and more.
Edna Martinson is bringing high-quality practice and assessments in English Language Arts and Mathematics to students everywhere. With over two million monthly active users, the eponymous Boddle characters are in the hearts and minds of students and teachers alike. We sat down with Edna to discuss content moderation, access to technology in the classroom, and policies impacting EdTech.
As federal officials increasingly rely on tech companies to help combat the spread of COVID-19, entrepreneurs across the country are retooling their existing digital applications to aid in coronavirus detection and prevention efforts. Whether it’s working with local and state health officials to leverage their apps, or figuring out ways to implement their services in a beneficial way, startups are determining how to best utilize their mobile apps for the public good.
Capice, a Florida-based AI startup that uses deep learning to analyze data, is helping companies of all sizes quickly generate predictive outcomes from a variety of sources—including audio, image, spreadsheets, and text. But the startup also recently announced that it is offering medical researchers free access to its deep learning network to help combat the spread of COVID-19. We recently spoke with Capice’s CEO, Gordon McDonald, to learn more about how the startup’s deep learning platform works, and the firm’s decision to open up its platform to coronavirus researchers.
As Americans struggle to cope with the COVID-19 pandemic, hundreds of startups all across the country are leveraging their tools, resources, and services to aid medical researchers and businesses in need of immediate assistance. Engine spoke with four entrepreneurs who pivoted their business practices to better support those affected by the ongoing pandemic. This is the first post in a series on startups and entrepreneurs who are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Founded in San Francisco in 2015, mobility startup Scoop Technologies has grown into the nation’s largest carpooling provider in the United States. Scoop works with employers and commuters to find carpooling solutions that take the stress and pressure out of commuting to and from work. We recently spoke with Charles Knuth, Scoop’s head of strategic research initiatives, and Lizzie Ryan, Scoop’s communications manager, to learn more about the company’s carpooling efforts, the San Francisco startup ecosystem, and their mobility-related policy concerns.
Humanyze, a Boston-based analytics startup that developed out of the MIT Media Lab in 2011, is helping companies across the world gain a better understanding of their organizational health. With a privacy-first focus, the startup uses anonymized and aggregated enterprise data to help firms measure and comprehend how work gets done across their teams. We recently spoke with Ben Waber—Humanyze’s co-founder and president—to learn a little more about the startup’s work, goals, and policy concerns.
Wichita—the birthplace of Pizza Hut and White Castle—has long been a hub of entrepreneurial activity in central Kansas. One of the exciting tech startups that calls the Emerald City home is Quicc, a video transcription tool that lets video creators easily caption their content. We recently spoke with Jason Toevs—Quicc’s founder and CTO—to learn more about the platform’s video captioning tool, Wichita’s startup community, and how the company is working to protect user data across the world.
Based in Connecticut, AnytownUSA is the country’s first online market devoted exclusively to the sale of American-made goods. We recently spoke with Geralyn Breig, the founder and CEO of AnytownUSA.com, to learn a little more about the online marketplace, digital tax concerns, and the future of the platform.
Located in the greater Chicago area, MoreWithUs – Everyday Jobs is an online platform working to empower job seekers to market themselves to employers. The startup’s goal is to create a wide-reaching social media job candidates’ platform that includes profiles from millions of active and engaged job seekers.
Charlotte-based startup Vishion is a new mobile tool that lets users search for products from a variety of popular brands by color and hue. The app went live earlier this week, and is already positioning itself as a critical tool for interior designers and homeowners alike. We recently spoke with Samantha Smith, Vishion’s Founder and CEO, to learn more about the mobile tool, Charlotte’s startup ecosystem, and local diversity and inclusion initiatives to increase the voices of overlooked entrepreneurs.
Blerp, a Salt Lake City-based search platform, was started by three college friends as a side project while attending the University of Utah. Today, the audio sharing service is integrated with a number of large-scale social media and streaming platforms—including iOS, Android, Twitch, and Discord—and provides users with the opportunity to create and share audio clips with their friends and other online users. We recently had the chance to speak with Derek Omori, Blerp’s co-founder and Director of Operations, to learn more about the app, the Salt Lake City startup ecosystem, and how the company is working to moderate and share audio content in a fun and family-friendly manner.
Located in the rapidly growing Charlotte region, BAM Concepts is working to evaluate consumer products, such as razors, and then use technology to improve their benefits for consumers. We recently spoke with Attila Madarasz—one of BAM Concept’s three founders and the firm’s managing director—to learn more about the startup’s mission, the Charlotte ecosystem, and the company’s goals moving forward.
Located in the Sacramento region, OpenGrants is a new startup that’s working to provide equitable access to public funding through the use of software and data products. We recently spoke with Sedale Turbovsky—OpenGrants’ Founder and CEO—to learn more about his startup’s work, his concerns about public funding transparency, and what federal agencies can do to further promote entrepreneurial engagement.
Located in The Queen City, software startup 10XTS is using blockchain and distributed ledger technologies to help drive the next generation of regulatory compliant financial services data management. We recently spoke with Michael Hiles, 10XTS’s CEO, to learn more about his startup’s work, the Cincinnati startup ecosystem, and his work on behalf of the Token Taxonomy Act to support the development of the U.S. blockchain industry.
Braid Theory, a strategic advisory firm for entrepreneurs, is proving collaboration works by helping startups enter the marketplace and gain access to their customers. Based in San Pedro, the globally-focused firm is helping to establish an entrepreneurial ecosystem close to the Port of Los Angeles and Long Beach. We recently spoke with Ann Carpenter, the CEO of Braid Theory, to learn more about the firm’s work supporting startups and entrepreneurs.
KegSafe, a new startup venture based in Beaumont, Texas, is using ultrasonic technology and software to help bar owners and beer distributors keep tabs on their inventories by providing up-to-the-ounce data on every single keg. We recently spoke with Mark McCoy, KegSafe’s CEO, to learn more about the startup’s work and use of technology.
Sacramento-based entrepreneurs may not receive as much attention as their Silicon Valley neighbors, but StartupSac—a nonprofit focused on informing, educating, empowering, and connecting founders and innovators—is working to supercharge the local startup community’s growth. We recently spoke with Laura Good, the cofounder of StartupSac, to learn more about the nonprofit’s work, the local Sacramento startup ecosystem, and what the future holds for the city’s entrepreneurial community.
Startup Tucson is building a centralized resource for entrepreneurship in Tucson, Arizona. The team at this nonprofit is arming business owners and aspiring startup founders with the tools, knowledge, and support systems they need to help their ideas thrive. We recently spoke with Liz Pocock, Startup Tucson’s CEO, about the work they do and how they’re harnessing the resources and expertise of their community.
All too often, startups and other companies across the country fail to take advantage of local, state, and federal business incentive programs that could help them grow. IncentiLock, a St. Louis-based startup, is working to ease the incentive headache for startups and governments alike by offering software to automatically calculate tax credits and incentive benefits. We recently spoke with Jane Vancil, IncentiLock’s founder and CEO, to learn more about the company and Missouri’s startup ecosystem.
New Haven, the home of Yale University, is quickly emerging as a hub of entrepreneurial activity in Connecticut. One of the organizations spurring early-stage startup development in The Elm City is Collab, a community-led accelerator that works to build up the confidence, skills, and resources available to emerging founders. We recently spoke with Caroline Smith and Margaret Lee—the co-founders and co-directors of Collab—to learn more about the accelerator’s work, the Connecticut startup ecosystem, and the work they’re doing to empower future entrepreneurs.
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