Monthly Archives: November 2021

11.22.2021

Lighting Up Big Ideas

Photo of the Advanced Photon Source (Source: Advanced Photon Source)

My father was a scientist, one who spearheaded the development of the Advanced Photon Source (APS) at Argonne National Lab, which provides extremely bright X-ray beams to researchers from around the world. The facility has enabled scientists of all types to study and build solutions for global questions and problems. In fact, APS was recently used by Pfizer to develop its COVID-19 antiviral treatment.

I acutely remember the day in 1995 when the first x-ray beam was produced at APS. I watched the video recordings of my father and his teammates jumping in jubilation. 12 years of tireless work to get to this point had just paid off. They had succeeding in building the conditions for future scientists to achieve their own goals. This early exposure to thinking big, working intensely to get to that giant vision to serve others, and seeing the satisfying outcome forever shaped me.

With this context, it isn’t surprising that I put all of my energy into Embarc Collective, which like APS, supports builders of solutions for big challenges. For me, my work is a way to keep the memory of my father and his passion to support others alive.

In our work at Embarc Collective, we get to witness 110 startups all thinking big. The solutions being built here will remove inefficiencies within a multitude of industries and will challenge the status quo in so many different ways. Startups can get support from coaches, learn from each other at our startup hub, and be motivated by each other’s big visions at Embarc Collective.

When we got started, Embarc Collective was seen as a big vision. It was only when we reached 100 startups at Embarc Collective earlier this year did I start to accept what this team had built is real and is delivering against the vision.

Thanksgiving falls near the anniversary of my father’s passing (it will be 4 years this year). And while I wish he were still here to see what he inspired, I am grateful that 110 companies get to experience it each day.

Happy Thanksgiving,

Lakshmi

11.14.2021

Featured Founders: AlexAnndra and James Ontra of Shufflrr

Welcome to our Featured Founder series, where you’ll meet startup founders from Tampa-St. Petersburg who are building and scaling their ventures to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. We interviewed AlexAnndra + James Ontra of Shufflrr, which is defining the Presentation Management category. 

What were you doing previously and what inspired you to launch your company?

Presentations.  Over the years, AlexAnndra and I have delivered ad sales presentation systems for ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, NFL, NBA, IBM (3 letter acronyms to keep it short), and even exhibits in Epcot Center.  While working for these A+ presenters, similar needs and functions emerged and coalesced into a strategy called "Presentation Management."   To answer “Why did we launch Shufflrr?”, it would be to make it easy for any enterprise to implement this new communication strategy we call "Presentation Management."

What pain point is your company solving? What gets you excited to go to work every day?

Presentations are a mess. On an enterprise level, there is no consistency:  not of brand, not of message, and not of compliance.  On top of that, salespeople waste hours and hours assembling each slide show. This multiplied by the number of people presenting in your company.   Shufflrr cleans up this mess and streamlines the process.

Name the biggest challenge you faced in the process of launching the company. How did you overcome it?

Every challenge you face in launching a company is critical. Every step, or misstep, can throw you off course.  But the single biggest challenge for Shufflrr would be knowledge.  Knowledge in the c-suite that Presentation Management exists.  Knowledge that Presentation Management saves time across the enterprise, that it ensures brand and content compliance, and that it achieves harmony with their people singing from the same set of slides.

Where do you see your company headed next?

Just as Amazon is retail, eBay is auctions, Salesforce is CRM, Shufflrr is Presentation Management.  We are creating the category and at the same time leading it with the technology solution.  Shufflrr owns Presentation Management.

Give us a tactical piece of advice that you'd share with another founder just starting out.

Do it.  Put action behind your thoughts.   Make that prototype.  Write that code.  Investigate who might buy it.  You never know what will happen. I know all of this sounds a bit cliché, but until there is action, it is only a dream.

Why Tampa Bay?

Embarc Collective and the fertile technology ecosystem it supports.  Additionally, Tampa has a low cost of living, an incredible talent pool, and a winning attitude that continually earns the nickname “Champa Bay."  Shufflrr is proud to be here.

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11.07.2021

Featured Founder: Andrew Stephan of Kaya

Welcome to our Featured Founder series, where you’ll meet startup founders from Tampa-St. Petersburg who are building and scaling their ventures to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges. We interviewed Andrew Stephan of Kaya, which is the convenient, automated way to get active and out on the water. 

What were you doing previously and what inspired you to launch your company?

I’m a recent graduate! While wrapping up university, most of my time was spent both owning and operating a local juice bar, Swami Juice, as well as scaling our cryptocurrency company, Quad Coin.

The inspiration for Kaya came when visiting Cocoa Beach for a SpaceX launch that ended up getting canceled. Some friends and I were bummed out while eating lunch by the pier until I saw a bunch of people surfing and was ready to grab a board. We sadly found out all the shops were closed for the day and far from the pier. A light bulb popped up in my mind, and a mission to make watersports more available and efficient was born!

What pain point is your company solving? What gets you excited to go to work every day?

Accessibility is the key pain point that Kaya is aiming to solve. Kayaks and Paddle-boards are expensive and difficult to transport. By using technology we’re able to eliminate overhead costs and create stations in areas that can’t normally accommodate standard rental shops.

Creating a unique solution that allows the opportunity for more people to be active and on the water is what gets me excited to work on Kaya every day!

Name the biggest challenge you faced in the process of launching the company. How did you overcome it?

The biggest challenge for Kaya has been finding an optimal first location. In order to get over this hurdle, we needed to contact as many people as possible, push through all the rejections, and focus on the best opportunities. Ultimately, we might have now solved it through an unexpected partnership with someone who technically would have been a competitor to us.

Where do you see your company headed next?

After finalizing the first location and launching our MVP, I see us revising our product and system in order to create a more efficient solution for all future locations. Then grow the team and scale as quickly as possible along the east and west coast!

Give us a tactical piece of advice that you'd share with another founder just starting out.

Choose a mission you believe in that lights a fire under you. Prioritize well. Always focus on the “one thing” you can do that will make everything easier!

Why Tampa Bay?

Home turf! Tampa is rapidly growing in many ways and there are so many new communities forming. This city is increasingly becoming a great place to launch a startup, and for a company like Kaya, it’s positioned perfectly with year-round weather, beaches, water, and many parks. It’s a great place to be active!

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