Columbus : Innovation + Job News

The statistics for obesity in the United States are staggering.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obesity is common, serious and costly -- more than one-third of adults (35.7 percent) and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents are obese. Obesity-related conditions include heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and certain types of cancer.

Matthew During, Ph.D., founder of Obgenex, is well aware of these sobering statistics.  The professor and full-time researcher at The Ohio State University is working to develop an effective treatment for obesity.

“When investigating environmental manipulation to control cancer, we discovered that so-called enriched environments reduced body fat and made animals resistant to obesity," During explains. "We then discovered the molecular pathways in the brain that made these animals obesity resistant.”

That led to developing the Obgenex treatment. “Our product will be the first biological and neurosurgical therapy for obesity,” he notes. “We essentially reset that part of the brain that regulates appetite and metabolism.”

Obgenex recently received a grant of $100,000 from Ohio Third Frontier to conduct a proof-of-concept study. “The study will take six to 12 months and will demonstrate efficacy and safety, which means effective weight loss with no adverse events,” During says. He is using a specific type of mice in the study. “They have an identical mutation that is found in the subgroup of human subjects who we plan to enroll in our Phase I clinical trial.”

The successful completion of the study is necessary for FDA approval to move forward on clinical trials with humans and will be used to lure investors to fund larger scale trials.  The technology will be licensed from The Ohio State University.

 
Source:  Matthew During
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

With current technology, retailers must negotiate each site individually on which they want to sell, requiring a lot of extra time and coordination.

Yet the Columbus-based company nChannel has come up with a way to simplify the process. It has created a cloud-based service that allows retailers to connect all the sites and channels they must negotiate every day, making it easier and faster for retailers to navigate the system.

“It’s a unique technology that no one else is using in the marketplace, and a unique approach to multi-channel management,” says Lisa Steinhart, Vice President of Marketing for nChannel.

Steinhart explains how the new technology helps retailers function better from day to day. “I have to go to Amazon, enter all my images, prices, inventory, etc., and then do the same thing on eBay, Walmart, my retail store, and so forth," she says. "If you really want to be a retailer you have to be both online and at your store, and you’re also trying to compete with everyone else who has web presence.  We help connect all those systems, knit them together.”

Steinhart says, “Today, companies have two options. They either hire a developer (expensive, time-consuming, a major disruption), or choose products that already work with what they have. Maybe they’re not the best products, but the integration is possible. The advantage of nChannel is that it’s low-cost, quick, and gives companies the ability to use the system in which they’ve invested.

The nChannel site was launched in January of this year, and can be purchased directly from nChannel or through resellers. The company has landed two large customers -- one is an NFL team and the other is a large triathlon organization. nChannel will enable the latter to connect all their race locations and inventory.


Source: Lisa Steinhart
Writer: Catherine Podojil

Last year, one of the attendees at the annual Ohio Growth Summit in Columbus "quit his job the day before the summit, came to the summit and started his business the next day," says Mike Bowers, District Director of the Ohio Small Business Development Center at Columbus State Community College.

That summit attendee is Timothy Wolf Starr, who founded the Small Business Beanstalk, a "local-first" company that connects small retailers to a base of active consumers in the Columbus area. A Small Business Beanstalk card allows shoppers to obtain discounts at independent retailers. The company is now booming, and Starr says, “I send a lot of my clients to the Summit each year.” 

That's why Bowers and Starr encourage all Ohio small business entrepreneurs or hopefuls to attend this year’s summit, which will be held on May 24th at CSCC.

This year’s summit, Bowers says, “is focused on those small business owners who are either starting or growing their businesses. An individual coming to the event can customize their day -- whether it's an owner getting tools and techniques to use immediately, someone having only an idea and not knowing anything about business, or the person who’s been in business for years and is looking to grow."

Summit reakout sessions will address such diverse issues as financing, online social media, marketing and later-stage change. The Ohio Growth Summit is made possible due to a grant from the Small Business Administration.


Source: Mike Bowers
Writer: Catherine Podojil

Pat Valente, executive director of  the Ohio Fuel Cell Coalition, is convinced that fuel cells are the future of energy. The OFCC is a group of industry, academic and government leaders who seek to propel Ohio into a global leadership position in fuel cell technology.
 
Ohio has a competitive advantage in fuel cell technology, says Valente. “We have the supply chain (components), a skilled workforce, and ongoing research on college campuses and in business. We like to say that every fuel cell manufactured in the U.S. has an Ohio component.”
 
Valente touts the clean energy of hydrogen fuel cells. “The only emission that comes out of the tailpipe is water vapor,” he says, referring to the use of fuel cells in vehicles.
 
But fuel cells aren’t just for cars, trucks and buses anymore. Honda is working on an advanced fuel cell that could power a conventional household for six days. Stationary fuel cells are in the works that can power a shopping center or a small community, completely off the grid.
 
In late April, Valente was preparing for the Ohio Fuel Cell Symposium, which took place from May 1st-2nd at Lorain County Community College. “We’re expecting Honda, GM, Daimler, Hundaii, and Toyota,” among others. He thinks government needs to step up with stricter emission requirements, which would further encourage the fuel cell technology.
 
With a rising middle class in China and India, Valente believes it’s just a matter of time before the oil runs out to power all those cars. “We need wind, solar, fuel cells, a little bit of everything. “


Source: Pat Valente
Writer: Catherine Podojil

Students at 21 Ohio colleges and universities can currently seek course help through an e-Tutoring program run by the Ohio Board of Regents. Next year, new funding from the Ohio Tech Consortium, eStudent services, and the Ohio State Fund will enable every student enrolled in all 107 colleges and universities in Ohio to access this service.
 
Karen Boyd, Ohio eTutoring Coordinator, says, “There are other e-Tutoring programs in the country, but Ohio is the only statewide collaborative program.”
 
According to John Charlton, Deputy Director of Communications at the Ohio Board of Regents, “Ohio is a perfect place for such a program because of our '30-mile promise.' There’s a college within thirty miles of every citizen.”
 
E-tutoring is offered in accounting, anatomy and physiology, biology, calculus, chemistry, math, and statistics. Most students also seek guidance in writing.
 
Balee Peth studies marketing and communication at the University of Toledo. She praises the friendly and quick response of her eTutor, who helped her express herself  through her writing.
 
Kyle Steele, a biomed major at Capital University, says, “Even with a science background, it helps me to get advice [with my writing]. You submit your writing and your eTutor reviews it and sends back suggestions for improvement.”
 
ETutors need not be at the same institution as the student seeking help. For example, three students in China, who currently study online at the University of Akron, use eTutoring for their papers. Next year, two of them will spend the academic year in Akron, where they will attest to the value of the eTutoring program. They will also be able to demonstrate their ability to use technology as teachers when they return to China.


Source: Karen Boyd, John Charlton, Balee Peth, Kyle Steele
Writer: Catherine Podojil

Getting face time with the right decision-makers is priority # 1 for any would-be entrepreneur. A terrific idea for a much-needed product may never become reality if it can’t presented to the right people.

Unfortunately, getting face time with the right decision makers doesn’t come easily for entrepreneurs. Fortunately, a one-year-old program in Columbus called First Customer is helping to change that for Central Ohio entrepreneurs. 

First Customer is a joint initiative of Tech Columbus, whose mission is to accelerate the growth of Central Ohio's innovation economy, and Columbus 2020, an economic development organization.  The new organization is currently focusing its efforts on helping qualified entrepreneurs get access to decision makers at established medical device and software businesses.

Such access comes through a steering committee of eight chief information officers from a wide range of industries and fields, such as real estate, utilities, city government, restaurants, hospitals, insurance and fashion.

“To qualify, the entrepreneur must have a clear concept, a written business plan, a team in place and a previous funding source,” explains Parker MacDonell, who is facilitating First Customer. “The individual must also have completed a beta or clinical test and be ready to commercialize the product or service.”

According to MacDonnell, First Customer has had some 35 startups begin the vetting process since the program launched. “Three have gotten business so far, and there are another four or five that will over time,” he notes.

The idea for First Customer came from Columbus laparoscopic surgeon Dr. Wayne Poll. Dr. Poll invented a medical device to help doctors maintain clear sight during a laparoscopic procedure. While his device is now a success, Dr. Poll discovered that hospitals can be difficult to navigate when it comes to new products.

He hoped to see an organization created to help entrepreneurs get access to decision makers. First Customer is the result of his farsighted idea.
 
Source:  Parker MacDonell
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

Peter Greco and his cofounders, Rush Bartlett and Arthur Chlebowski, have just moved their startup company, LyoGo, to Columbus from Indiana.

LyoGo, which was one of the winners of last year’s 10xelerator program at the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University, has created a drug delivery system that makes it possible for patients to give themselves their own injectable medications. This technology cuts out trips to a physician’s office and thereby shrinks healthcare costs..

LyoGo's technology accommodates drugs that remain unstable in solution form and must either be refrigerated or lyophilized (freeze-dried) to be stored. The existing process for such drugs leaves room for error in the mixing and injection process. LyoGo streamlines and simplifies the process, leading to greater ease and safety in the self-medication process. The company name LyoGo was derived from a shortened version of the phrase, “Lyophilized products to Go."

Greco says that a major draw of Columbus is the Battelle Memorial Institute, the world’s largest, independent R&D organization. “Battelle will provide services to refine the LyoGo device,” which was made possible through a million-dollar investment from an investor who was present at the 2011 10X accelerator program, at which LyoGo was one of the ten funded teams.

Greco and his team are excited about the possibility of eventually seeing their device on the market. Greco says “LyoGo is gathering test data which the pharmaceutical companies can use to assess the compatibility of our device with their drugs. We expect to be working soon with a pharmaceutical company to pair their drug with our device so that it may improve patients’ lives.”


Source: Peter Greco
Writer: Catherine Podojil

If you had 10 minutes to pitch your business to a dream audience of potential investors, where would you begin?       

The 10 startups featured in this month’s 10-xelerator Winter 2012 Showcase recently pondered this exact question. Their paths to the dream pitch began 12 weeks ago when they entered the intensive 10-xelerator program of the Fisher College of Business at the Ohio State University.

Recently, they took the stage for the 10x Winter 2012 Showcase, sponsored by OSU's Center for Entrepreneurship. Mike Lisavich, Program Manager for the 10-xelerator, describes the event as "the culmination of all of their efforts."

Startup teams enter the 10-xelerator at different stages of development. Some have little more than an idea, while others have already built a functioning beta website or found their first investors. The selected companies spend the early weeks sharpening their real-world applications, followed by months spent with potential clients and collaborators to learn their target markets.

Teams are mentored by and attend workshops with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and angel investors throughout their time in the program.  A wider circle of potential investors were in attendance at the final 10x Showcase.

“The ability to have that group of people in attendance is not something that comes together very often, and the buzz and energy in the room makes for something very special,” says Lisavich. "The Showcase affords new 10x teams the opportunity to connect with an array of investors and community members."

“The great part about the diversity of investors in the audience is that each of them has their own space where they like to invest," adds Lisavich. "I think there was at least one company within the ten that sparked each investor’s interest.”

The 10x Winter 2012 team portfolio includes One Exchange Street, an online exchange for bankruptcy claim buyers and sellers; MorphCARD, a mobile application for storing and redeeming gift card values; and Rooftop Down, a property management organizational application.


Source: Mike Lisavich, 10-xelerator
Writer: Kitty McConnell

There's a reason why Ohio Supercomputer Center's new $4.1 million,  HP Intel Xeon, processor based system has been dubbed the Oakley Cluster. Like the legendary Ohio-born sharpshooter and social advocate Annie Oakley, it's fast as hell, doesn't miss a shot and is improving the lives of Ohioans.

Just ask Ashok Krishnamurthy, Executive Director of the OSC, a facility that is funded by the Ohio Board of Regents and has been in existence since 1987. "We have more than 2,000 academic users across the state, and they're discovering new materials and developing advanced energy applications," he says. "To be competitive, we must provide the highest performance system, and this represents a new level of capability."

OSC's new supercomputer can achieve 88 teraflops, which is tech speak for 88 trillion calculations per second. Yes, in case you're wondering, that's lightning fast.

OSC's new system will help to achieve its mission of assisting academic and business users. Large companies such as Proctor and Gamble and Rolls Royce use OSC as a "second level system when they have needs beyond what their systems can support," says Krishnamurthy. OSC helps small and midsize companies develop and test prototypes virtually rather than investing in actual models, while academics use the system to complete their cutting-edge research.

"We give them access to software and expertise," says Krishnamurthy. "Once they understand the value of what this can do, it changes how they do business."

As one example, Krishnamurthy cites an Ohio company that is developing an LED projector small enough to fit inside a phone. How do they convince various manufacturers that their device can handle the projector's heat without testing every single one? That's where OSC's computer modeling comes in.

"You can simulate how the heat is dissipated," he says. "It's an easy, low-cost way to show potential customers how your design can be incorporated into their products."

OSC has also helped to develop courses for students at community colleges and four-year colleges and universities, as well as professionals who are seeking continuing education. "OSC is in a fairly unique position," says Krishnamurthy. "It is the most consistently state-funded center of its kind in the country."


Source: Ashok Krishnamurthy
Writer: Lee Chilcote

Richard Wagner must have seen great potential for growth when he launched his startup, Prevedere Inc., in 2010. The name he chose translates from the Italian as “to foresee,” appropriate for a fledgling company that specializes in helping medium to large-scale businesses predict their economic climate.

Today, Prevedere’s patent-pending business forecasting software allows companies to analyze external economic data and market factors which could impact their operations. The application allows corporate strategists to compare industry-specific data, geographic factors and global trends with internal data, allowing for more informed decisions.

In March, TechColumbus announced plans to invest $300,000 from its pre-seed fund in Prevedere. The organization's pre-seed, convertible debt-investments are made in the most promising incubation stage companies in the Central Ohio region. Those that are successful have the potential for future investment.

“Prevedere is an excellent addition to our investment portfolio,” says Tim Haynes, Interim President and CEO of TechColumbus. “Business intelligence and forecasting harness the power of today’s computing, and Prevedere provides software to easily and quickly make sense of time-sensitive and intensive data that influences critical decisions that impact success and bottom line results.”

“TechColumbus was the first resource I reached out to,” says Wagner. “The Pre-Seed funds are a great starting point to fund startup activity such as starting to hire our employees and marketing our products and services.”

In addition to the support of TechColumbus, Wagner says that he has benefited from working in proximity to the Central Ohio tech development community. He also cites the Dublin Entrepreneurial Center and the Technology Commercialization Office at the Ohio State University as resources. Finally, he credits Columbus angel investor Mike Figliuolo from thoughtLEADERS for introducing him to the OSU's monthly morning pitch event, Wake Up Start Up.

Wagner says that Prevedere will apply TechColumbus’s $300,000 investment to marketing initiatives and to refining the implementation of the software application to meet the needs of larger businesses.


Source: Richard Wagner, Tim Haynes
Writer: Kitty McConnell

Tax incentives from the state of Ohio and city of Columbus will help keep thriving information technology development company Rampart Hosting growing here in our state.

Rick Hulse, vice president of business development for Rampart, says that the company will add as many as 26 new jobs in Columbus over the next several years as its mobile application development business grows.

Rampart received a 40 percent, seven-year Ohio Job Creation tax credit, which Hulse says enables them “leeway to hire the right people for the right projects.”

“We had looked into moving or opening branches in other states, which of course would mean fewer jobs here in Ohio,” says Hulse, who says some the company’s largest customers are out of state.  “But this (tax credit) absolutely made it more attractive to stay right here.”

The company currently employs 13 with an annual payroll of about $800,000.  In addition to mobile application development the company offers web hosting, web development and tech support.

“We can build something and then we also know how to take care of it,” says Hulse.  “We are the total package.”

Rampart Hosting was founded by Leo Daugherty III and Nathan Case.  The company’s revenue has more than tripled in the last three years.   They are looking to hire additional mobile app developers, web developers and sales and administrative support as their growth continues, says Hulse.


Source: Rick Hulse
Writer: Val Prevish

Platform Lab, a nonprofit information technology test and training facility in Columbus, had some big news to share last month. It appointed Silicon Valley veteran Ron Landthorn as Director and launched its new Data Center Solution Partner Program.

Landthorn has recently returned home to his native Columbus following a career in Silicon Valley working in international sales and business development for IT firms. He is a graduate of the Ohio State University with a degree in electrical engineering and has worked in engineering and management for businesses such as Procter & Gamble and AccuRay.

“My wife and I grew up here and it was always our intention to come back,” he says.  “I’m enthused about what’s happening in Ohio with technology development.”

Landthorn created the new program to help Platform Lab’s 200-plus clients gain better access to cloud backup solutions. The recently launched program is an important new collaboration with the Lab’s community of data protection suppliers that will help to protect data used and stored on the Internet.

“We’ve put together goals that can help us grow our respective business,” he says.

Platform Lab is the nation’s only state-funded IT test & training facility. It offers affordable access to IT infrastructure for testing, cloud computing, development and projects. “We give your company a competitive advantage by offering flexible, scalable services,” Platform Lab's website states. “Utilize Platform Lab solutions instead of investing in short-term hardware and software solutions that are difficult to manage and time-consuming.”

Columbus-based Veeam Software was selected as the program's first partner. Veeam has developed a large worldwide clientele and is considered one of the fastest growing and most innovative data protection suppliers in the world.

The Lab's Partner Program offers a win-win for business clients: first, it helps them to protect data, avoid costly mistakes and foster maximum productivity; second, it helps them to test such IT solutions to ensure they work optimally. 

Platform Lab is located within TechColumbus, a public-private partnership whose mission is to accelerate the development of Central Ohio’s innovation economy.


Source: Ron Landthorn
Writer: Val Prevish

Every year, the Columbus entrepreneurial community awaits the TechColumbus Innovation Awards gala with anticipation. The event is held in recognition of individuals, companies and technology teams in the 15-county Central Ohio region for achievements and contributions in technology leadership and innovation.

This month’s 2011 Innovation Awards program commemorated the Capitol City’s bicentennial. In celebration of “200 years of innovation in the Columbus region,” Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman joined Ohio State University President Gordon Gee and Les Wexner, Chairman and CEO of Limited Brands, in recognizing thirteen business leaders and two promising high school students.

The gala drew a record crowd of 1,100-plus attendees. Wexner led the audience in singing “Happy Birthday” to President Gee, whom he followed at the gala podium. During his speech, Wexner praised Central Ohio’s entrepreneurs and developers for emphasizing the importance of intellectual curiosity in their work.

TechColumbus CEO Tim Haynes attributes the event’s success to growing interest in TechColumbus’s mission as a startup business accelerator. “The idea that the innovation and tech ecosystem -- all of the companies that make up our tech economy -- are crucial to our individual and collective strength is really resonating," he says.

Innovation Award recipients are selected by a panel of independent judges from the entrepreneurial community. The 2011 winners included JP Morgan Chase’s Corporate Technology Team for Corporate Innovators of the Year, Owens Corning for Green Innovation; The Wright Center of Innovation in Biomedical Imaging at The Ohio State University for Innovation in Nonprofit Service Delivery; Health Care DataWorks for Outstanding Startup Business; and OSU’s Center for Automotive Research (CAR) for Outstanding Technology Team.

A complete roster of award winners is available on the TechColumbus website.


Source: Tim Haynes
Writer: Kitty McConnell

With a strong manufacturing infrastructure and more than 630,000 skilled workers, Ohio has the opportunity to become one of the most attractive states in the U.S. for clean energy manufacturers, according to the Ohio BlueGreen Apollo Alliance. Yet while Ohio has created policies to make clean manufacturing a priority, it needs to create further incentives to spur growth, according to The Ohio Green Manufacturing Action Plan (GreenMAP), a report by the Alliance.

“Successful renewable energy programs and energy-efficient projects over the past few years have proven that there’s significant potential for Ohio to meet the growing demands of the clean energy sector,” said Shanelle Smith, Ohio senior coordinator of the Alliance. “Ohio can’t afford to stand on the sidelines while other states and countries compete to win good jobs in one of the world’s fastest growing industries.”

The report praise Ohio’s new incentive programs for renewable energy installations and energy efficiency projects, as well as the new Alternative Energy Portfolio standard. However, it recommends renewed efforts targeting clean energy manufacturing.

“The state has lost over 400,000 manufacturing jobs since 2000 and needs to reassert itself as a manufacturing hub,” the report states. “The infrastructure and expertise remain in place … Ohio policymakers should bolster the manufacturing sector by doing more to support those trying to compete in the growing clean energy industry.”

The GreenMAP report outlines specific recommendations to help ramp up Ohio’s growth in clean manufacturing. These recommendations include expanding financing and incentives, prioritizing support for small to mid-size clean energy manufacturers and increasing support for research and development. Other recommendations include broadening workforce development programs to train more employees for these new industries, expanding Ohio’s demand-side clean-energy policies, and pushing for improvements in clean-energy manufacturing policy at the federal and regional levels.

The report emerged from a special task force comprised of representatives from the business, investor, labor, policy and environmental communities. The group aims to provide a blueprint for Ohio to win the competition for future clean-energy jobs.


Source:  Shanelle Smith, Ohio BlueGreen Apollo Alliance
Writer:  Lynne Meyer

To grow Ohio’s considerable clout in the aerospace industry, the state’s leaders are looking north to Canada as an important source of trade partnerships.

The Canada-Ohio Aerospace Summit held last month in Cleveland attracted a large number of Canadian and Ohioan aerospace business leaders and government representatives. It was initiated by the Ohio Aerospace Institute to help industry leaders get to know each other better with the hope of nourishing business relationships.

The two countries appear to be a good match for international aerospace trade, which is a $382 billion industry. Canada is the world’s fifth largest aerospace market with sales of roughly $22 billion annually. Ohio is the nation’s leader in propulsion and power technology with more than 1,200 companies 100,000 workers in the field.

“The event gave us the opportunity to highlight the potential for partnerships that could take place between businesses in Ohio and Canada in the aerospace trade,” says Patricia Grospiron, Director of Technology and Innovation Partnerships with OAI.

Grospiron also pointed to up-and-coming companies in Canada such as Bombardier in Montreal, an airplane manufacturer that is growing rapidly and challenging established leaders such as Boeing and France’s Airbus for international aircraft orders.

“Ohio is already a leader in supplying parts to airplane manufacturers such as Airbus,” says Grospiron. “Opportunities with companies such as Bombardier could help expand our businesses here.”

During the one and half day summit, at least 130 one-on-one business meetings took place between companies with synergistic profiles, says Grospiron.


Source: Patricia Grospiron
Writer: Val Prevish