Before policymakers regulate AI, they need to understand a fundamental technology: neural networks.
Congress needs to act on child care challenges
The video game industry is concentrated in a handful of locations, leaving incredible talent in underserved areas frequently overlooked. Ben Kvalo started Midwest Games to change that narrative, supporting underrepresented game developers because increasing diversity in game development leads to better products and bigger markets. Ben recently joined us to talk about Midwest Games, the challenges of raising capital in the Midwest, the importance of small developers in maintaining a healthy video game ecosystem, and the potential benefits of AI for the industry.
Engine statement on SCOTUS Decision in Moody v. NetChoice and NetChoice v. Paxton
Consumer weather models are too coarse for farms and conservancies that are large enough to occupy their own microclimates. Dr. Carlos Gaitan started Benchmark Labs to solve this problem, leveraging artificial intelligence to create custom weather models for farmers and conservators—helping them increase their crop yield and better manage their land. Carlos recently sat down with us to discuss Benchmark Labs, his experience as an immigrant founder, the value of government funding for startups, and how policymakers should approach AI policy.
shared and discovered through their proprietary music sharing platform. President and Co-Founder Rolf Locher told us about what led him to Cranberry Queues, the challenges he’s faced in building a technology startup, and how he’s navigating the complexities of things like privacy and content moderation given the platform’s unique features.
Fifth Star Funds is a venture philanthropy fund that seeks to create a more equitable start-up ecosystem in Chicago, Illinois through early-stage investment. We sat down with Samir Mirza, Co-Founder and Executive Director, and Francisco Martinez, Venture Associate and Head of Marketing Communications, to talk about their organization’s mission, the racial funding gap, and how policymakers can provide much-needed support to help underrepresented founders scale their businesses.
Based in Los Angeles, Calif., Abstract is working to enable access to and understanding of California legislative and government data. Co-Founders Patrick Utz and Matthew Chang spoke to us about their vision for the Abstract platform, the need for policies that enable growing startups' ability to access new talent, and why lawmakers should support tax incentives that encourage innovation.
Based in Los Angeles, Calif., Abstract is working to enable access to and understanding of California legislative and government data. Co-Founders Patrick Utz and Matthew Chang spoke to us about their vision for the Abstract platform, the need for policies that enable growing startups' ability to access new talent, and why lawmakers should support tax incentives that encourage innovation.
Bryght Labs is a connected gaming startup dedicated to making STEM-based games more accessible. Based in Overland Park, Kansas, Founder and CEO Jeff Wigh walked us through the company’s beginnings, the success they’ve seen with their launch product ChessUp, and how Wigh’s extensive experience with patents has informed his views of the US patent system.
Based in Portland, Oregon, Adhere Gear is focused on developing sustainable use IoT Smart Cargo Network for cargo operations and logistics. Founder, CEO and Chief Engineer Robert Buchanan took a moment to share with us the origins of Adhere Gear, how he and his team hope to improve the global use of cargo, and his vision for the company’s future.
Civil is a virtual resource library that provides educators with vetted, researched, and summarized political topics and lesson plans that help safely foster discussion around current events in the classroom. We spoke with Founder and CEO Max Tendero about what experiences led him to create Civil, how potential changes to current copyright regulations could present challenges to startups like his, and why alterations to current Internet frameworks could impact Civil’s growth in the future.
Based in Washington, D.C., Pruve Systems is leveraging a variety of emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and blockchain, to develop workflow systems that are easy, inclusive, and completely secure. Co-Founder and CEO Thomas Dawson, spoke to us about what led to the founding of Pruve, how it’s important to be inclusive in the development of new technologies, and why policymakers should reframe how we think about the development of tech talent.
Maurice Ng is the Co-founder and General Partner of Tings Capital, a minority-owned venture capital fund based in New York City, N.Y. looking to invest in underrepresented founders, including people of color, women, LGBTQIA+, first generation immigrants, and people with disabilities. Ng took the time to share his immigrant experience, his unique mission behind the firm, and some of the barriers marginalized communities face in the startup space.
Based in Superior, Colo., hobbyDB is an online collectibles database that aims to catalogue every collectible in existence. Founder and CEO, Christian Braun, spoke to us about the origins behind the company, how platforms like hobbyDB have responded to market facilitator laws, and the barriers imposed by the U.S. immigration system to the entry of new entrepreneurs.
SparkFun, headquartered in Niwot, Colo., designs and manufactures electronic development tools used to build new technological innovations and enable research. We sat down with Nathan Seidle, CEO and Co-Founder, to learn why he launched the company, the challenges for a small business of navigating the U.S. intellectual property landscape, and how startups looking to support educational communities can face significant structural barriers.
Authentise is a software company headquartered in Philadelphia, Penn. that is working to enable 3D printing systems to operate more efficiently by using artificial intelligence and other digital tools. We sat down with Andre Wegner, CEO and Founder, to learn about what led him to start the company, the barriers the U.S. immigration system creates to hiring the talent he needs, and how policymakers can look to additive manufacturing to fill gaps in existing supply chains.
Event Vesta is an event discovery and promotion platform founded in Omaha, Neb. working to improve the connectivity between event organizers and attendees. Andrew Prystai, CEO and co-founder, shared with us the origins of the platform, his experience as a tech entrepreneur in the Midwest, and the ways in which existing tech policy frameworks have enabled their team to build a successful platform.
TopProp is a daily fantasy sports platform designed to enable users to import existing fantasy football teams and calculate the odds of winning their matchups with friends. We spoke with Michael Zavagno and Griffin Kurzius, Co-Founders of TopProp, about what led them to build the platform and the challenges startups face when navigating different regulatory structures based on location.
Storj is an encrypted, decentralized cloud storage provider that utilizes its own digital token to facilitate transactions. We spoke with Ben Golub, the CEO of Storj, about how their platform functions, the current uncertainty around cryptocurrency and digital asset regulation, and the importance of considering startups’ perspective in policy making.
Tomodachi is a social learning platform that enables students to create unique content and present work to audiences beyond the classroom. Started by a wife and husband duo, Na Xue and Ken Lo, with the mission of creating meaningful educational connections and providing a global, inclusive learning environment. We had the chance to speak with Na Xue—a former educator and co-founder of Tomodachi—about the origins of the company, regulatory challenges in EdTech, and the challenges women founders can face when building their startups.
Melon is a Chicago-based company working to build and implement e-commerce solutions for an array of businesses that are increasingly relying on digital consumers, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Ryan Nicholson—Founder and CTO—told us why he founded Melon, the ongoing impact he’s seeing of COVID-19 on the businesses they work with, and how startups are looking for certainty across an array of policy topics.
WithClutch is a software company working to provide access to easily refinance car loans through credit unions. Based in San Francisco, Calif., Nicholas Hinrichsen—Co-Founder and CEO—told us how he founded WithClutch, the challenges he’s faced while navigating the immigration system as an entrepreneur, and how his company has benefitted from the innovative environment provided by a regulatory sandbox in Arizona.
Based in New York City, N.Y., Fund Black Founders is a crowdfunding platform dedicated to narrowing the racial capital access gap by connecting Black founders with the financial and community resources they need. Founder & CEO, Renee King is focused on building an organization that can provide a necessary “Family & Friends” funding round for founders who would otherwise lack access to such capital. We spoke with Ms. King about what led her to build Fund Black Founders, the importance of access to early stage funding for Black founders, and how government agencies can make existing resources more accessible to emerging entrepreneurs.
TeacherCoach is an education technology company that is dedicated to providing accessible personal and professional development tools to educators and parents in school districts across the U.S. Based in Mount Laurel, N.J., Jared Scherz—Founder and CEO—told us about what led him to found TeacherCoach, the challenges he’s faced in building a social enterprise startup, and how he’s navigating the complexities of content moderation given their platform’s unique audience.
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