Dr. Leonardo Bonanni—Founder and CEO of Sourcemap—was conducting product research at MIT when he came across the challenges companies were facing in developing a concrete understanding of their entire supply chain. This led him to develop Sourcemap—a platform that enables companies to network with their suppliers and understand vulnerabilities. We sat down with Bonanni to discuss how Sourcemap works, the impact of COVID-19 on their business and supply chains, and how the government can better partner with startups that are innovating supply chain technologies.

OPT Industries is an additive manufacturing and 3D printing company that is working to take innovative technologies to scale for mass production of an array of products. We spoke with Jifei Ou—Founder and CEO of OPT Industries—to learn about the technology OPT has developed, his experiences navigating the immigration system as a startup founder, and how the U.S. can better incentivize entrepreneurship in the manufacturing industry.

Anne Kim—Co-Founder and CEO of Secure AI Labs (SAIL)—is a researcher at heart. While working through her graduate studies, Kim discovered a significant obstacle to her research in her efforts to obtain patient data from hospitals. This led her to the concept of SAIL, a data management platform that focuses on the need for accessible yet secure medical data. We sat down with Kim to hear what brought her to develop the platform, her thoughts on how startups and policymakers can be more forward thinking about privacy policy, and how she thinks the government can provide startups a boost as a partner and customer.

Nombolo is a social media platform that enables users to engage with one another in real time, to answer questions and share experiences through geo-positioned videos and requests. We spoke with Prince Mlaudzi—Founder and CEO of Nombolo—to learn how he developed the idea for the platform from his love of basketball, the challenges he faces as a small platform developing systems for responsible content moderation, and how the government can do more to support underrepresented founders.

Jean Anne Booth is a serial entrepreneur who came out of retirement when she and her mother realized an unmet need for technology to promote both safety and independence in aging populations. Based in Austin, Texas, Booth founded UnaliWear and developed the Kanega Watch to provide vulnerable individuals and their families better alternatives to live with the dignity and support they deserve. We spoke with Booth to learn more about her company, the prospects for funding medtech development, and her experience with the U.S. patent system.