When Governor Rick Scott visited Starter Space on May 9, each of the incubator’s companies was around to shake hands and hear the esteemed businessman’s insights. While the tenants of Gainesville’s newest incubator are always eager to introduce visitors to their latest innovations, the governor’s visit was validation that the fledgling companies are moving with a speed and purpose being noticed by the entire state.
The governor did not stop by the incubator for a typical meet-and-greet. He talked to every person in the building and listened to every business idea. For many, he gave constructive feedback. He even found several ideas that were both enticing and in-line with his background, and he encouraged their designers to reach out after his visit for a continued conversation.
The first company Gov. Scott met with was Comm-N-Sense, a recent graduate of Starter Space that has secured the first round of funding and clients for its wireless sensors and communication software that accurately monitor perishable products requiring cold chain management.
Comm-N-Sense CEO Adam Kinsey said, “In less than five minutes, he grilled me with great questions about the specifics of our product, value promotions and growth strategy. He really seems interested in what’s happening with the state’s tech startups.”
After talking to the makers of TextZapper, an app for smartphones that blocks teens from texting while driving, Gov. Scott got a full understanding of how the technology could work on Florida roads.
CEO Daniel Liu said, “We are appreciative that Gov. Scott feels as strongly as we do about making our roads a safer place.”
When introduced to Apex Safety Technologies, a company that is using technology-enabled helmets to make cycling safer, Gov. Scott expressed his concerns over Florida having one of the highest accident rates for motorcycles. CEO Alejandro Ruperti said that the governor valued his company’s efforts to address these safety concerns, and Ruperti added that the visit was a great way to show off the amazing talent that resides in the local startup community.
MakeSend, a company that brings the possibilities of 3D printing to the masses, was also able to showcase some of its newest 3D designs to the governor. Eric Pheterson, CEO of MakeSend, said the visit and the governor’s engagement with each of the companies paints a promising picture for the future of Gainesville.
Gov. Scott also met the HaulBox team, which has created a solution to storing and retrieving items simply and stress-free. While the team first discussed the current model of helping individuals store their items, it was when they mentioned their near-future plans of getting into the corporate realm that the governor got very excited about the business’s expansive potential.
Derar Ayuoush, one of the founding partners, said the governor suggested the company would do well to explore expanding into the trial lawyer market. Scott added that HaulBox’s price points are spot-on for the level of convenience provided.
Gulejo, a socially conscious, premium coffee subscription service, was able to treat the governor to a sample of one of its blends.
Brad Austin, Gulejo’s chief operating officer, said, “I felt pretty inspired by his visit and impressed that he would take the time to talk to each business in Starter Space. Plus, it was awesome that he thought Gulejo Coffee tasted great!”
Gov. Scott ended his visit with a private presentation of Starter Space’s newest initiative, Health Accelerator. The incubator is planning to officially launch the new accelerator program on July 15 as a nonprofit that will help spin out batches of health-based startups with the goal of making Gainesville one of the top five hubs of health innovation and entrepreneurship in the country. Gov. Scott’s background in the industry made for a lively discussion on the first batch of companies the accelerator will try to launch:
MillenialCare: Designed to combat rising healthcare costs and shrinking employer-provided coverage by providing ease of access to health resources with a philosophy directed toward sustainable resources.
PatientBio: Ubiquitous digital platform for seamless, secure and error-free transfer of a patient’s health information.
DoseCalc: Patented, easy-to-use digital application designed to mitigate healthcare personnel dosage errors.
OBVI: Revolutionary system providing discrete, direct-to-consumer home-based, full-range STD/STI lab testing paired with therapeutic and support services to improve the health of the community.
Glutena: First of its kind consumer-based, at-home service to directly measure the efficacy of dietary and nutritional care by testing the levels of inflammatory markers.
Gov. Scott’s overarching message during the presentation was that the initiatives taken by the partners and tenants at Starter Space are positive and support the growing job creation trend in the state of Florida. However, he wanted each company to remember that while the drive and talent of entrepreneurs is critical in pushing toward success, it is equally important for the government to support new initiatives on all fronts in order to keep and develop talent in Gainesville.
From the start, this has been the mission of the Starter Space co-founders, Quang Tran, Payal Khurana and Duncan Kabinu. This is why the incubator has not only supported the companies that have come to work within its walls but has also created two programs, GatorLab and Health Accelerator, that are catching young talent and demonstrating the positives of building and maintaining a business in Gainesville instead of moving elsewhere.