Entrepreneurially Thinking: Innovation | Experimentation | Creativity | Business

Today, we are bringing you a guest we had on several seasons ago—Jared Arms, Founder and CEO of Kylar.io. We recently ran into Jared out and about at one of our incubators and as he was beginning to tell us all about the wonderful things happening for him and his company. We said “STOP” don’t tell us anymore—We want you to update our listeners so they can share in the progress and good news! As a reminder when we first chatted with Jared on this show, we learned about his background and how his mother, who sacrificed food and rent to buy him a computer at the age of 5, set him on his path to technological success. In his teen years, after seeing so many of his friends being killed, he used his interest and technological gift to develop a web-based way for folks to memorialize the dearly departed. In his 20’s, Jared then went on to create and launch his company, kylar.io, after identifying untapped problems within underserved communities and providing tech-based solutions. Jared and his company has been reco

How close do you live to your local grocery store? Most of us don't know. As long as it's close to home, it's not a problem. But when you don't have a local grocery store, or you have one but it's too far away to get to without transportation, figuring out how you'll buy your groceries becomes a big problem. For the past decade, Americans have driven an average of 6 miles between home and their closest grocery store. For rural Americans, especially those in the South, the trip can be much longer. This phenomenon is called a food desert. Food deserts aren't mere inconveniences to the people who live within one; they're an example of food insecurity and they negatively affect public health. Today, we are joined by Peter Webb, inventor of Food Computer kits and an avid supporter of OpenAg. We discover more about OpenAg and how Peter is providing solutions to those living in food deserts.

Change is inevitable. And, as we’ve noted, on several occasions, St. Louis’ entrepreneurship ecosystem is in the midst of change – new leadership, new organizations and new funding challenges. So what does that mean for one of the oldest entrepreneur support organizations in the City? ITEN’s new Executive Director, Mary Louise (ML) Helbig and Entrepreneur in Residence Jane Vancil visit with Christy and Cheryl to share how they are targeting their resources for maximum impact and having fun along the way. ML and Jane are accomplished business women, entrepreneurs and CEOs in their own right. With experience in nearly a dozen industries ranging from manufacturing and financial services to accounting and healthcare they have provided hundreds of regional startups with thousands of hours of mentoring and technical support. And they’re not done yet. During this conversation we get a better understanding of the frameworks for success ITEN has created, its plans to deliver these services beyond St. Louis and what i

From the early days of high performance computing to the cutting edge of Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things - a lot of things have changed. And much of that change is happening right here in St. Louis. Fueled by his own personal passion for technology and desire to bring together a learning community, Gary Stiehr created StampedeCon in 2012. Now, five years later, StampedeCon includes three conferences annually – the newest is StampedeCon AI on October 17, 2017. Each conference features an array of talented presenters and attracts top talent in the fields of data generation, analysis and application. It’s also a great place for those new to the field, offering them a place to learn about the latest advancements and trends, and expand their network. Gary spent some time with us to explore the changes in computer and data science, as well as the ways in which StampedeCon has put St. Louis on the map, attracting presenters from local startups like 1904Labs and Ariel Insights and experts

The World Economic Forum at Davos is where leaders from around the world gathered to discuss the implications of a new industrial revolution—the 4th industrial revolution (after the revolutions brought about by steam power, electricity and electronics). The 4th Revolution uses digital technology to revolutionize almost every part of our life at an unprecedented pace, from self-driving cars to AI-enabled assistants. One of the biggest implications outlined in The Industry Gender Gap report that was referenced in this meeting, is just how harmful this revolution may be to the progress of women because they are underrepresented in tech. As market forces transform industries to favor technological skills, women only hold 26% of all tech jobs. Worse yet, they only stand to gain 1 new STEM job for every 20 that are lost in other disrupted industries. For men, that ratio is a much more favorable 1 to 4. The reports makes clear, “If current industry gender gap trends persist and labor market transformation towards n

An estimated 60 percent of formerly incarcerated individuals remain unemployed one year after their release, raising the risk of recidivism and resulting in lost lifetime earnings. This cycle has major implications for American families as nearly half of all U.S. children have at least one parent with a criminal record. In 2015, SBA expanded its Microloan Program to small business owners currently on probation or parole. In 2016, The leaders of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) and micro-lender Justine PETERSEN formed the Aspire Entrepreneurship Initiative, a groundbreaking new $2.1 million partnership to expand access to entrepreneurial education and microloans for formerly incarcerated individuals, with a specific focus on those who are parents. The program launched in St. Louis in the fall of 2016 and rolled out in 2017 in Chicago and Detroit. Today, we are speaking with Galen Gondolfi, the Chief Communications Officer with STL based Justine Petersen, a national

Did you know, St. Louis is home to the largest Promise Zone in the country? Covering most of North St. Louis City and North County the Promise Zone is a special Federal designation created during the Obama administration to draw investment to distressed and urban communities that have been neglected for generations. Since its inception, Promise Zone director Erica Henderson, has brought together 150 partners and thought leaders to coordinate activities in order to maximize impact and successfully compete for funding from 13 Federal agencies. The result is more than $60m in program funding for activities in the Promise Zone in addition to the billions of dollars connected with the NGA site selection. Erica joined us to talk about her 14 years of economic development experience and explain how the Promise Zone’s approach to creating authentic, meaningful and well-coordinated programs, services and developments in the Zone is creating opportunities for business owners, entrepreneurs and job seekers, not to menti

Who knew that in addition to an elevator pitch you might one day find yourself making a pitch on The StartupBus!? Theresa Hines, St. Louis’ StartupBus conductor, describes it as a hack-a-thon on steroids…and wheels! She joined us in studio with Austin Murdock to tell us all about what happens on the Bus. This year, 100 participants were on 7 buses from 7 cities. They drove over 8,000 miles and visited 32 cities on their way to New Orleans. The St. Louis bus had 9 riders and two teams. Austin was part of the team - sponsored by Maritz – that made it to the top 5 out of 22 teams in the final round in the pitch competition. Needless to say, it’s amazing what can happen in 5 days with enough gas and energy drinks! We’re excited to learn more about this annual event and hear some stories about the people and ideas along for the ride on this special road trip. Get on the Bus!

Healthcare today is changing! We have technologies that are helping patients and physicians effectively manage chronic illnesses that years ago would severely impact and shorten the lives of those with illnesses like diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Today, we are speaking with Virta Health, a company that is using technology, a treatment plan that is geared specifically for each patient and a team approach that has been clinically demonstrated to reverse type 2 diabetes safely and sustainably WITHOUT the risks, costs, or side effects of medications or surgery. In studio today, we have Dr. Jim McCarter, MD, PhD and Head of Research for San Francisco-based Virta Health. Jim is an experienced biotech entrepreneur, adjunct professor of Genetics at Washington University School of Medicine (STL) and EIR with the Venture Fund BioGenerator here in STL. He is also the recipient of the Innovation Award from the Academy of Science (STL) and a Crown Fellow of the Aspen Institute. What an impressive individual, g

On the heels of the National Urban League Conference in St. Louis and the third anniversary of Michael Brown’s death, we are reminded that the events in Ferguson on August 9, 2014 are not past tense, nor should they be. In the intervening years there have been a wide range of protests, activism, engagement and change movements – all trying to change the status quo. Ferguson 1000 is one way people have reacted locally to the need for economic equity for people of color in St. Louis. Likewise, the “Blacks in Tech” platform is a targeted effort to demystify, de-stigmatize and drive toward diversity, inclusion and equity in the St. Louis tech scene. Ricky M. Wilson, Director of Business Development for Ferguson 1000 and facilitator of “Blacks in Tech” joins us to talk about his move from “inspirational thinking” to “inspirational doing”. From a middle child of five and a serendipitous encounter with a self-made millionaire from his neighborhood to a successful military career and luxury car sales position, Ricky

Agriculture is an $88B industry for Missouri. In St. Louis alone, there are more than 1,000 plant scientists – it is arguably the epicenter of world-class professionals in this field. In this episode we spend time with Janet Wilding, Vice President of Major Projects at the St. Louis Economic Development Partnership. Janet is leading the master planning of 39 North, the region’s newest and largest innovation community. On 600 acres at the western end of what some call the innovation corridor - from T-Rex in downtown through Cortex and out 64/40 –39 North is being built in the heart of AgTech activity in St. Louis. 39 North joins thriving agricultural innovation hubs in Columbia, Springfield, Kansas City and St. Joseph where "from seeds to steers", Missouri is on the cutting edge of AgTech. This means local innovators and entrepreneurs have another option among the variety of locations, communities and support organizations to choose from when deciding where to build their companies. It also enhances the exis

Accenture Consulting recently reported that the value of the Internet of Health Things will top $163 billion by 2020. Within the next five years the healthcare sector is projected to be #1 in the list of top 10 industries for Internet of Things app development. This kind of high-stakes, leading-edge industry development attracts brilliant young minds! Among those, Elizabeth Russell, co-founder and CEO of DataDog Health and Daniel Kapper, co-founder of MediModo, whose companies are riding this wave. Fueled by a deep curiosity and love of learning, Elizabeth and Daniel, respectively, have parlayed what started out as side projects into full-time entrepreneurial endeavors. They share how their corporate jobs influenced their desire to find technological solutions to the profoundly human conditions that affect our health and wellness.

In this episode we are continuing our Ethnic Chambers of Commerce conversation. Cheryl and Christy are joined by Segun Babalola, President of the newly formed St. Louis African Chamber of Commerce and Gabriela Ramierez-Arellano, Business Counselor at the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce St. Louis—a thriving institution that has served hispanics in our region since 1982. We learn more about these organizations, how they support new and existing business owners in our region, the types of programs they offer and their overall impact in our region. We also meet two entrepreneurs, Angel Jimenez-Gutierrez and Patrick Thimangu, learn about their ventures and how they are involved with each Chamber.

ETHINKSTL-041-Ilerasoft and Heartwork Video...Two Health Tech Companies with Heritage and Heart If you live here in the St. Louis region, then you should know that our city has been recognized as one of the top start-up cities in the nation. I think that this recognition is not only for the vast resources we have to assist those in starting their new ventures, but also for the different types of ventures being started in the areas of information technology, cybersecurity, fashion, agriculture and life science—just to name a few. Today, we have invited two individuals starting tech focused companies in the healthcare market. Melanie Igwe is co-founder of Ilerasoft, a digital health company developing software that will centralize a healthcare system’s entire medical equipment assets data on one platform to allow for shared use and to improve equipment utilization across all facilities. A modified lo-jack system for medical equipment! We also have Rachel Simon-Lee, CEO and Founder of Heartwork Videos. A very

ETHINKSTL-040- LIVE PODCAST with Cedric Cobb, Khalia Collier, Shawn Stevenson CHAMPIONS ARE WHAT ENTREPRENEURS ARE MADE OF…#ethinkstl Our primary focus for doing a LIVE show is to bring BioSTL’s, “Evening With” series to you. In this series, Cheryl normally interviews entrepreneurs discussing their personal and professional stories of how they built or are building their ventures. They step outside of their comfort zones, and as we always state, this podcast is all about stepping out of your comfort zone. So, we are truly stepping outside of our zone by hosting this episode in front of a live audience! We have with us three entrepreneurs that were high performing athletes in their career, that all love sports, and have turned their passions into successful entrepreneurial pursuits. Our first guest discovered her passion for basketball at her local YMCA at the tender age of 5 years old. She dreamed of becoming a star athlete. Recruited for Division I basketball, she excelled at the sport, however, when an

Supplier diversity is a business strategy that ensures a diverse supplier base in the procurement of goods and services for any business or organization. Research show that companies that embrace diversity are more profitable than companies that don’t. “On average, supplier diversity programs add $3.6M to the bottom line for every $1M in procurement operation costs” according to a 2015 study by The Hackett Group. The high return on investment is undeniable! Monsanto embraces and is strongly committed to inclusion and diversity in all areas of its business. To affirm this strategy with its suppliers, in 2014, they formally launched their “Growing Together” Initiative in the form of their Supplier Diversity Mentoring Program. This is a 12-month development program which includes mentoring from Monsanto’s executive leadership team, on-site training sessions with their subject matter experts, assessment evaluations and access to an external professional coach! Wow! The goal is to develop diverse certified suppli

There is a new business incubator in our city and if you weren’t there for the grand opening in December you missed a treat! In December 2016, Better Family Life located in the city of St. Louis opened a beautiful, new Business Development Center to support people who want to start a small to mid-size business or get help with an existing business. Cheryl and Christy are joined by the leadership team of this new venture, Eddie Davis, Neelu Panth and Rasheed Ingrim. They are sharing about this exciting new venture and the impactful partnership developed with Carrolton Bank which together they have created the new Better Family Life Micro Loan Fund. Also joining the conversation is Bianca Jackson, an entrepreneur they are working with who talks about her business and how Better Family Life has impacted and supported her new venture. Connect and learn more at betterfamilylife.org/

It’s hard to believe that this fall CET will be hosting its 4th Square One Boot Camp program. This 10-week intensive gives early stage IT, bioscience and consumer/manufactured product entrepreneurs 30 hours of core business competency curriculum and an additional 20 hours of coaching and mentoring to help them validate their business model and take the next steps in advancing their venture. Applications open in July for the September cohort. We’ve asked Clint Matthews and Kyle Rood of StartRight Foods and Kathleen Lodes from Send Well Wishes to join us to talk about the SQ1 Boot Camp experience, give us an update on their businesses and share some of their insights about being entrepreneurs. "Being entrepreneurial means having sweaty pits", so says Kathleen Lodes co-founder of Send Well Wishes. Sweaty pits are a sure sign that you are stepping outside your comfort zone and thinking about your business ideas in new ways. Kathleen shared this and other pearls of wisdom in this episode. Kathleen, Clint and K

Most of us don’t realize that every branch of the U.S. military is represented in St. Louis. Or that the Veteran’s Business Resource Center (VBRC) is based here and served a region that includes Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. For active service members, veterans and military families, resources like the VBRC are important to their success while enlisted and when they transition back to civilian life. Needless to say, keeping talented military professionals in our region, especially as business owners, is a good thing for St. Louis. To learn more about what VBRC does and the people it serves, we’ve invited Executive Director Darcella Craven and Donovan Foster CIO, Principal Consultant, at Brinex to talk about the agency’s programs and services and what that means to the men and women who participate in programs like Boots to Business.

Cheryl and Christy with Charlie Wallace, a serial entrepreneur, whose product helps basketball players improve their shot. It’s called the “Qube Basketball Trainer System”—a patent pending product and system that touts immediate results!! Their slogan, The Qube…re-shaping the way the world shoots a basketball, one player at a time. His unique invention is a breakthrough in teaching basketball players how to become great shooters! We’re going to find how how this is possible! Charlie Wallace, former all-state high school football player and recognized fitness center developer and personal trainer. As an entrepreneur, Charlie has always had a unique ability to turn his dreams and visions into reality. Charlie was the founder/owner of Magna Fitness Center in St. Louis. He was also the strength and conditioning coach for St. Louis University's Men's and Women's Basketball teams from 1995-1999. During his time in St. Louis, he developed a very successful sports training program where he and his staff trained mid