Timing the sowing and watering of crops is as important as ever in agriculture. Jessi Korinek and her co-founders at Nave Analytics are developing a software that uses satellite data to help farmers cut down on water costs for irrigation. We sat down with Jessi to discuss her product, the impact of tariffs on the agricultural industry, and the challenges she faced in receiving federal research and development (R&D) grants.
Startup ecosystem feels the effects of DOGE cuts
The Trump administration’s push for “efficiency” is undercutting key programs and tools that maintain balanced intellectual property frameworks that protect startups against low-quality patents and meritless, but expensive and time consuming, litigation.
With a looming reauthorization deadline later this year, Congress has a chance to renew and improve a government funding program that can be critical to startups engaging in costly R&D.
Carefully is a Brooklyn, N.Y.-based platform enabling parents to collectively share the responsibilities of childcare. We spoke to the Founder & CEO Leslie Borrell about how working as a single-mom inspired the creation of Carefully, why policymakers should prioritize solving the childcare crisis, and how founder support programs were critical to helping her build a startup.
Airpals is a New York City, N.Y.-based platform working to close gaps in the local delivery logistics market. They have built their technology with “a triple bottom line approach”—focusing on people, the planet, and profit—in mind. We spoke to the Founder, CEO, & Creative Director Joshe Ordonez about the goals she has for Airpals, how she navigates building her workforce as a growing startup, and the ways in which policymakers can support the interconnected tech ecosystem.
Ecobot is a mobile and cloud platform optimizing fieldwork by speeding along regulatory approval and lowering costs. We had a conversation with Co-Founder and CEO Lee Lance about Ecobot’s impact on environmental permitting fieldwork, his experience raising capital as an Asheville-based founder, and how the potential expansion of broadband impacts Ecobot’s work.
Grapefruit Health is a B2B tech-enabled platform helping to solve one of the biggest problems in health care: the workforce shortage. We spoke with Founder and CEO Eric Alvarez about his background in health care, the importance of startup support organizations when it comes to generating early funding, and the company's own fundraising journey.
Eskuad is a field data platform designed to work offline, allowing fieldworkers to easily manage their data without the hassle of trying to find and connect to a signal. Founder and CEO Max Echeverria spoke with us about his experience working with accelerators and raising capital and how policymakers can better fill talent gaps.
Edison Marks makes small-and medium-sized enterprise owners more aware of the cybersecurity threats facing their businesses by creating personalized reports and simplifying the issue. Co-Founder and CEO Jeremiah Smith spoke to us about his company, his experience with the Small Business Association (SBA) and the Small Business Technology Council (SBTC), and what he thinks policymakers should consider when thinking about cybersecurity.
Actionfigure enables its customers to make decisions that best fit their needs by collecting and curating transportation intelligence data. Co-founder and CEO Matt Caywood spoke with us about his company, his experience working in the sustainability and transportation spaces, and how the federal government could help simplify the income tax process for startups.
Talyn’s eVTOL aircraft system is automating middle-mile cargo with aircraft that can take off and land without a runway. It utilizes two separate vehicles to bring aircrafts to a cruising altitude with 100 percent battery, allowing Talyn to fly faster and farther than its competitors, thus expediting the cargo delivery process. Co-Founder and CEO Jamie Gull spoke to us about his company, his experience working with various government entities, and his thoughts on the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program.
PILOT’s virtual HR platform is designed to help organizations boost employee engagement, build better workplace relationships, and create a business culture that empowers employees. Founder & CEO Ben Brooks spoke with us about his company, his experience with startup incubators, and how he believes privacy legislation can impact the startup ecosystem.
BadVR’s immersive analytics platform uses virtual reality and machine learning to make complex datasets easier to understand for everyday users. Founder and CEO Suzanne Borders spoke to us about her company, her experience with the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program, and how she navigates varying state laws and regulations as a remote employer.
Nucleic Sensing Systems (NS2) is an environmentally-focused company that employs biological sensing technology to monitor the presence of species in aquatic ecosystems. CEO Ed Rudberg spoke with us about his company, his experience with Small Business and Innovation Research (SBIR) funding, and policy areas of concern for startups and startup founders such as access to talent and affordable healthcare.
Startup Boston is a community-building organization that provides New England-based startups with the programming, content, and initiatives to propel them toward success. Stephanie Roulic, Founder & Lead Organizer of Startup Boston, spoke with us about her organization, COVID-19’s effect on the startup ecosystem, and how policymakers can better support startup founders beyond the pandemic era.
Availyst is a customizable delivery management platform that allows consumers to find and sort through local grocery, takeout, convenience, and spirit options. Mandy Poston, CEO of Availyst, spoke with us about her company, what policymakers can do to help bolster the success of new businesses, and the difficulties startups face trying to navigate American privacy law.
Legal Karma is a software platform designed to expand the availability of legal services through a contract automation system that supports legal firms. Kory Kelly, Founder & CEO of Legal Karma, spoke with us about his business, the importance of programs that support founders through the process of building a startup, and the burdens that the differences in state tax and employment laws can place on startups hiring remote workers.
Founded in Portland, Oregon, Lithic Tech builds software for startups, non-profits, and other teams, and assists clients in launching new products with a strong foundation. We talked to Co-Founder Rob Galankis about his programming background, the importance of business incubators in smaller tech hubs, and how policymakers can craft reasonable patent laws and financial programs that enable innovators from all backgrounds to have the flexibility they need to take risks and grow.
Raydiant Oximetry, Inc. has developed a low-cost, non-invasive biomedical device to monitor oxygen levels in fetal blood and improve outcomes of both mothers and their children during childbirth. Neil P. Ray, Founder and CEO, opened up about his medical professional background, how Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding has impacted his company, and how policymakers can better support innovation that addresses the country’s critical needs.
Los Angeles-based Camino Financial supports entrepreneurs and small business owners from disadvantaged communities through its AI-powered direct lending platform. We sat down with Co-Founder and COO, Kenneth Salas, to learn more about the work his company is doing. He also spoke with us about the use of artificial intelligence, the importance of support for local startup ecosystems, and the benefits of a policy landscape that incentivizes investment in new, innovative companies.
George Hristov has found himself in a number of different roles within the startup ecosystem. Currently, he serves as Community Manager for Denver-based Colorado Startups, a community-building organization for founders, investors, and others to develop their startup network and share resources that can help them in their career pursuits. We spoke with George about what led him to Colorado Startups, how they approach building their startup community, and how policymakers can help develop environments that encourage innovative entrepreneurship.
Nixsheets is an innovative workflow and automation platform for accounting teams. By combining several software categories, Nixsheets simplifies accounting and reduces manual work. We spoke with Founder and CEO Sal Abdulla about how his varied background in finance and politics led him to launch his own company, the gap Nixsheets fills in the current market, the burdens of a state-by-state patchwork of privacy laws, and how policymakers can help facilitate (or at least not frustrate) critical interoperability.
Brandon Winfield is the Founder & CEO of Atlanta-based iAccess Innovations. After facing his own challenges finding spaces that would be accessible to his own mobility range, he decided to build a space where people with disabilities could share their accessibility experiences with public businesses and spaces. We spoke to Brandon about his journey building his company, the challenges of moderating user content as a small platform, and his company’s work to train other businesses on disability etiquette and inclusion.
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