Women founders partner on Dayton-made holiday gift set

Mandy had pulled together gift baskets in prior holiday seasons, but only featuring her own products, she recalled. This year, she decided to incorporate other products from local startups.

“I didn’t set out to do woman-owned businesses, but that’s who I’ve connected with at these events over the last year,” she sais. “There are lots of woman-owned businesses in Dayton, & that’s awesome. We’re really excited to have something local all together and be able to share with the community.”

The baskets are available for local pick-up only — order by Dec. 20 and pick up Dec. 16 or Dec. 23 between 2 & 7pm.

The Brightside Music & Event Venue, Sound Valley and Venus Child Productions are partnering to launch Dayton Battle of the Bands — a new, exciting incubator music project starting in January 2020.

“The goal with the Dayton Battle of the Bands is to shine light on new and upcoming bands in the community, while providing a prize package that helps launch them to their next level,” the organizers said in a Facebook post.

Bands or musical acts of any genre that have been established 5 years or less and live within a 35-mile radius of downtown Dayton are eligible to apply, but a band representative must attend an informational session to learn about the competition & provide proof of residency — two sessions will be held, on Tuesday, Dec. 10 & Tuesday, Dec. 17 at The Brightside.

Visit daytonbattleofthebands.com for complete rules and registration. There is no fee to apply or perform. Online registration opens Friday, Dec. 6 and closes on Sunday, Dec. 22.

There will be 20 bands selected to compete by a panel of judges and industry experts. The bands will be slotted to perform in groups of four over five Tuesday evenings starting on Jan 14, 2020.

The winner of reach round is selected by an equal combination of audience and judges votes. The winner of each round will be invited to perform at the Finals on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2020. The champion will be determined by 100% audience vote.

Each band will also get constructive feedback from our judges to help guide all participating acts. Battle of the Bands final winner will receive an EP recording session at Reel Love Recording Company, a music video by Sound Valley, a professional photo shoot by Mike Jones, and a spot on the BIG stage at The Brightside during the Sound Valley Music Festival.

The Early Risers Academy pre-accelerator program, designed to take participants from business idea to launch within 10 weeks, will kick back off in January 2020.

There are six cohorts slated for 2020, three of which are industry agnostic — any team or individual with an idea for a business can apply. Two of the cohorts will focus on entrepreneurs with ideas for tech-based businesses. The final cohort will be for students who are in between their senior year of high school and their freshman year of college.

“2020 is the beginning of a new decade, and in this new decade, we are intentionally carving out space for minority founders and business owners to access resources that help build solid foundations and provide hands-on support in order to create successful businesses,” program manager KeAnna Daniels said. “We are committed to reaching non-tech and historically under-represented founders who haven’t always felt seen in Dayton’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

The dates for each cohort are as follows:
• Jan. 14 – March 17, 2020 — general
• April 7 – June 9 — general
• April 8 – June 10 — tech-based
• June 30 – Sept. 1 — general
• Sept. 30 – Dec. 2 — general
• Oct. 6 – Dec. 8 — tech-based

The Early Risers Academy pre-accelerator application will be open on a rolling basis. Applicants should indicate which cohort they want when they apply. Up to six places are available in each cohort.

Cohorts will meet for 10 weeks, with in-person meetings on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings from 5:30-8:30p in the Nucelus Coworking Space in the Kuhns Building, 15 W. 4th St, Dayton. Applicants should be able to commit at least 4-6 hours per week to coursework for the duration of the academy.

“Our ideal applicants are aspiring entrepreneurs with solid ideas that they have given some real thought to and have begun to asks themselves the hard questions regarding its feasibility,” Daniels said. “We particularly want to know that they have skin in the game and are committed to making their idea work, even if they have to pivot. We are looking for aspiring founders who are looking to take action.”

Participants will spend those 10 weeks moving from idea to founding a business through coursework from the Kauffman Foundation, the country’s preeminent entrepreneurship-building organization. Aspiring founders will receive pitch coaching and hands-on mentoring, weekly discussions with successful entrepreneurs and experts, access to Dayton’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, & alumni support after graduating the academy.

Graduates who pursue business launch will also have a chance to pitch for a $1,000 grand prize at the conclusion of their cohort’s programming. Pitch events will be organized with Launch Dayton, a collaborative effort to connect entrepreneurs to peers, resources, and supporters, and to tell the stories of our region’s thriving startup community.

This pre-accelerator is supported by The Entrepreneurs Center & Wright State Research Institute, collaborators on the region’s Entrepreneurial Services Provider (ESP) grant which is funded by Ohio Third Frontier.

Wright State Research Institute has four open requests for proposals for various work within the Launch Dayton community. See brief descriptions below, and download the formal RFP here for full details.

Daunted by that full RFP? If you’re an individual interested in working with our team, approach your proposal this way:

1.1 Copy & paste this list of required identification numbers to your cover sheet. If there’s something you don’t have (such as a Cage Code), just list N/A.

1.2 & 1.3 Lay out your costs. Direct labor — you will spend X hours doing X activity at X rate. Direct costs — you will purchase X equipment for X purpose at X price. So on & so forth. Not familiar with organizational cost share? Don’t worry about that part.

2.1 Technical Approach — Write out how you plan to tackle each task in the relevant statement of work.

2.2 Technical Confidence — Draft your bio. Who are you & why are you the person who is ideal to complete this work? What are your relevant skills? Give examples of why you can carry out this work.

2.3 Management Plan — What is the structure of your team? Who does what tasks & who reports to who? Are you applying solo? The you’re the person executing each task, so write it out that way.

2.4 Past Performance — Have you done work like this before? Give examples of your experience in managing projects.

Early Risers Academy Co-Facilitator (Tech) — In 2019, WSARC launched The Early Risers Academy, a pre-accelerator to take potential entrepreneurs from idea to business plan to company launch leveraging The Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac educational course work. WSARC is looking to contract with a facilitator with entrepreneurial experience to support, at minimum, three 10-week cohorts of 5-10 entrepreneurs.
The facilitator will work with the WSARC Project Manager to accomplish the following tasks. These particular cohorts will be geared towards entrepreneurs with high-tech opportunities, which likely require IP protection and high growth strategies.

Early Risers Academy Co-Facilitator (Main Street) — In 2019, WSARC launched The Early Risers Academy, a pre-accelerator to take potential entrepreneurs from idea to business plan to company launch leveraging The Kauffman Foundation’s FastTrac educational course work. WSARC is looking to contract with a facilitator with entrepreneurial experience to support, at minimum, three 10-week cohorts of 5-10 entrepreneurs.
The facilitator will work with the WSARC Project Manager to accomplish the following tasks. These particular cohorts will be geared towards main street businesses that will not have intellectual property and where the customer base is mostly the local population such as retail, food, consulting, and marketing businesses.

Lead for Veteran/DoD Outreach — The goal of this specific initiative is to accelerate the growth of an inclusive startup and commercialization community of entrepreneurs, mentors, resource providers, and community members by specifically targeting populations that are underrepresented. WSARC is looking for an innovative proposal that:
1. Develops & executes a regional strategy to attract veteran/DoD partners to the startup and commercialization community;
2. Creates specific educational programming for veterans/DoD to connect them to the
startup and commercialization community;
3. Connects people to existing community programming;
4. Promotes new programming developed by regional initiatives to veterans/DoD.

Lead for Defense Tech Accelerator — The goal of this specific initiative is to accelerate the growth of our startup and commercialization community by bringing in outside capital and talent and ensuring top local startups have the opportunity to grow locally. The awardee will develop a tech accelerator model & curriculum & execute a pilot program.

The AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup is a national pitch competition with semifinal rounds held in Pittsburgh, Boston, Washington DC, Chicago, Research Triangle (NC), and San Jose.

Dayton is one of eight cities within driving distance of Pittsburgh that will host an AlphaLab Gear Hardware PittStop. Six startups from the Dayton region will be selected to pitch on Jan. 16, 2020 at 5p at the Nucleus coworking space in the Kuhns Building, located at 15 W. 4th Street in downtown Dayton.

The PittStop winner will receive a travel stipend and two-night hotel stay in Pittsburgh, plus a chance to compete in the semifinal competition on Feb. 27, 2020. The winner of the semifinal will win $3,000 and a shot at the $50K AlphaLab Gear Hardware Cup grand prize in May.

To be eligible, a startup must have at least one physical product component. These products range from manufactured products, IoT/connected devices or health/medical devices to consumer products, consumer electronics, food, fashion, robotics, etc.

The deadline to apply for the Dayton PittStop is Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. A panel of representatives from area entrepreneurial support organizations will select the top six startups to pitch on Jan. 16.

Each startup will have 3 minutes to pitch, followed by 3 minutes of Q&A from a panel of judges which will include a rep from the Pittsburgh Hardware Cup semifinal team.

The Dayton Hardware PittStop will be held during the Jan. 16 LaunchPad, a monthly event designed to connect and support the Launch Dayton community. LaunchPad events offer a series of workshops, meetups and networking opportunities for the region’s entrepreneurially-minded individuals, whether they’re launching a tech startup, a retail storefront, a new product line, a community project or a nonprofit.

Want to see your favorite Dayton startup snag the Soin Award for Innovation — & the associated $25K in funding — in 2020?

The Soin Award is designed to identify, honor and financially assist a Dayton region company demonstrating the community’s historical innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. The award recipient will showcase a new or pending product or service with the ability to sustain longterm growth for the company, increase local employment and help create economic prosperity in the region.

The award’s sponsors include Soin LLC, the Rajesh K. Soin family, the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce, CareWorks and Cox Media. The Soin family and the Chamber have partnered to offer the annual innovation award since 2007.

“The Dayton area has a long history of innovation and discovery. We must continue to encourage our local entrepreneurs to build on this and create new enterprises, jobs and additional opportunities for this region,” Soin International Chariman and CEO Rajesh Soin said in a press release.

The Chamber’s Education and Public Improvement Foundation (EPI Foundation) will present the 2020 award at the organization’s annual meeting in April 2020.

Last year, Dayton startup GlobalFlyte won the 2019 Soin Award for Innovation. GlobalFlyte’s team of seasoned public safety professionals license cutting edge technology from the Air Force Research Lab (AFRL) and integrate it into commercially developed mapping, imaging and smart phone technologies to provide emergency responders with a cloud-based service to cut through chaos and better coordinate emergency response.

The year prior, Dayton startup Battle Sight Technologies won the 2018 Soin Award for Innovation for their chemiluminescent writing tool — essentially an infrared glow stick that writes like a crayon to enable soldiers to communicate on the battlefield via messages only visible through night vision goggles.

“Winning the Soin award opened doors we could have never planned for,” Battle Sight Technologies cofounder Nick Ripplinger said. “Through the award and the publicity that comes with the Soin Award, we were contacted by countless organizations and individuals offering a variety of assistance to help us grow.”

Other past award winners include Mound Laser and Photonics Center, Inc., IYA Technologies, Composite Advantage, Commuter Advertising, NanoSperse, UDECX, AAA Wastewater, NONA Composites, Redwall Technologies and Obi / DESiN LLC.

Representatives of the region’s business and academic leaders will join EPI Foundation board members on the selection committee.

Meghann Naveau, founder of Es & Joe Communication, likes to do “good work with good people.”

The mother of two launched her communications company in the spring, seeking to use her decade of experience in agency and corporate marketing in a new way that allowed her to also be heavily hands-on at home.

Meghann likes to work with small business and non-profits that are mission-focused or pursue some sort of “greater good” goal. Her services range from strategic marketing planning to traditional PR. And she likes to build local pipelines, so she can connect her clients to other local business owners who offer additional communication services she does not, like day-to-day social media management.

“I love helping companies figure out how to talk about themselves in authentic ways,” she said.

In this first year of growing her business and reconnecting to downtown Dayton, she has met a plethora of other female business owners. As she began to consider what a day of discerning, reflecting and planning for a new year of growth would look like, the idea of hosting a Lady Leaders Day was sparked.

“I’m envisioning taking a day early next year to gather with other female business owners, reflect on the past year and look ahead to 2020 – both in terms of how we care for our businesses and ourselves,” Meghann said. “The day could include breakfast and lunch, guided reflections, perhaps a workout break, and time to meet other women leading their small businesses.”

Co-collaborating on the Lady Leaders Day is Elizabeth Beil, founder of Beil Nutrition.

Meghann & Elizabeth want you to weigh in — are you interested in a convening of fellow female business owners? What topics are most important to address? What activities do you want to see included? Please complete this short survey by Dec. 6.

Looking to support Dayton entrepreneurs? Buy from Dayton startups this holiday season! Dayton’s growing startup ecosystem offers something unique for everyone in your life, from the foodies & coffee lovers to the game night hosts to the gardeners and outdoors sports enthusiasts. Happy gift giving!

*Mutt’s Sauce — Veteran Charlynda Scales was stationed at Wright Patterson Air Force Base when she inherited her grandfather’s secret sauce recipe in 2013. This tomato-based “sauce for every meal” comes in multiple flavors including original & ghost pepper. Snag it from your local Kroger or Dorothy Lane Market.

*JuicyMelt Supreme — Jeffrey & Tracy McElfresh launched their small-batch, hand-crafted hot sauce startup over the summer. They currently offer five flavors, mixing chiles with fruits ranging from peach & grapefruit to pineapple & pomegranate. Order online or catch them at a local market — see their event lineup here.

The Wright Cup & Third Wave Water — The Wright Cup brings the best beans from Ohio roasters into a subscription box, while Third Wave Water — featured on Shark Tank — adds just the right combination of minerals to your water to help you brew the perfect cup of coffee. Purchase a one-time sample pack, or snag a monthly subscription for the coffee lover in your life.

*Savorista Coffee — Gourmet coffee for the caffeine-conscious coffee lover in your life. Founder Kait Brown & her husband, Daniel, traveled the world looking for the best beans for Savorista’s craft decaf of low-caf blends. They’re up to seven flavors in their online shop, plus gift packages that pair decaf coffee with sweet treats from other local startups like Ella Belle Gluten-Free, featured below.

*Ella Bella Gluten-Free — Ella Bella began when founder Mandy Groszko’s daughter was diagnosed with gluten intolerance. In her search for a chocolate chip cookie both daughter and husband would eat & like, Ella Bella was born. Snag your delicious, gluten-free flour and baking mixes online or at these local retailers.

*Maui Maes — Anna Borchers began her chocolate company on the island of Maui, shortly after the birth of her first child. She has moved to Dayton to be closer to family, but continues to grow the company and use ingredients like fresh macadamia nuts from Maui. Find the sweets in local retailers including Dorothy Lane Market, Whole Foods & Kroger.

*Pig of the Month BBQ — For the BBQ lover in your life, you can’t do better than Pig of the Month. From crispy bacon and sausage, to savory pulled pork, to perfectly smoky, tender ribs, Pig of the Month offers it all. Order a one-time gift set or tasting platter, or gift someone a subscription to try a new meat each month. Shop online and remember founder Lea Richards’ secret ingredient — the best BBQ is made with love.

*SmithFly — Ethan Smith first began designing new outdoor gear in college. His Troy-based company now offers recreation gear ranging from fly fishing & whitewater rafts to floating tents & cabana rafts. Order online.

Edge Cycling Technologies — Physical Therapist Shane Page designed this bicycle seat with comfort in mind. The PhysioSaddle combines biomechanics and anatomical knowledge to create a bike seat that doesn’t hurt. It’s available online.

Airborne Outfitters — For the outdoorsman or outdoors woman in your life, consider veteran Jason Evatt’s Bitterroot, the world’s first three-in-one dry bag, that not only keeps gear dry, but also filters water and pumps up an air mattress. Snag one online.

RARE Active — Featuring a patented waistband, Patty Vanderburgh’s athletic outerwear pants are designed to be slipped on and off quickly — over shoes, boots & shorts — to quickly get you where you want to go. Perfect for the active woman in your life, the pants are crafted from a fleece-lined, moisture wicking, anti-microbial Italian fabric that will keep her warm — on her way to the gym during a Midwestern winter, on the flight between cold and warm climates, and on the hiking trail before the sun rises to raise the temp. Snag a pair online or at Centerville’s Up and Running store.

Neet Seat — Slip this beauty over your stadium seat to store your coat or purse so you can watch the game or enjoy the concert unencumbered. Clap, cheer, eat, and drink in comfort while keeping your personal items clean and protected. Available online.

Handy Hats — Handy Hats are a patented hat with a secret pocket to conceal your ID, credit card, key, chapstick etc. Dani Ruffolo developed the hat in an entrepreneurship class at University of Dayton. Grab one online.

*Global Neighbor – Global Neighbor founder Jon Jackson is the creator of WeedErase, a new wand tool that uses directed lightwaves to kill weeds, instead of harmful chemicals and herbicides, making it perfect for the green gardener in your life! Order online.

Galatune — For the gamer in your life who loves medieval fantasy and science fiction, snag a Galatune deck. Dreamt up by a 10-year-old Adam Wik, he launched the battle card game — think Super Smash Brothers and Overwatch — nearly two decades later as a student at Wright State. He raised more $20K via a Kickstarter campaign for the initial launch. Grab a copy online.

*Dolphin Hat Games — Founder Dave Campbell is passionate about party games that get people moving, interacting and laughing. Dolphin Hat’s first release was Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza — stay tuned for a Christmas version! Order online.

*Smooch Maquillage — For the lover of a vibrant, bold lip, snag a lipstick or gloss from Jordyn Calhoun’s independent cosmetic line, Smooch Maquillage. Colors ranges from pink and red to blue and purple to nude and gray, with finishes from matte to gloss to glitter. Order online.

*Baba Love Organics — Founder Vaniti Byrd is passionate about plant-powered beauty. Her skincare products are made from 100% plant-based organic ingredients, and customers rave. Order online.

*Fox in Socks Soapery — Founder Katie Hall hand crafts small-batch milk & honey soaps. Her favorite part of her business is supporting other small business owners’ dreams by sourcing locally. She also launched a storybook line in November to benefit Dayton Children’s Hospital. Snag your bar online or at her shop at 2nd Street Market.

*Yetunde Rodriguez Designs — Yetunde Rodriguez’s textile products are block-printed by hand. They range from pillows to purses in a variety of colors and patterns. Order online.

*tr3Designs — Trotwood native Trey Hope can whip you up a custom design, in addition to his line of 3D-printed home products and accessories. From earrings to phone cases to key chains to dishes, if you can dream it, he can make it.

Dayton startup founder Mick Hopkins testified in front of Congress earlier this month on the opportunities for innovation in healthcare.

“I was there to share how innovations from the bedside can have a global impact,” he said.

The True Concepts Medical founder has invented a series of new syringe technologies capable of revolutionizing healthcare across the globe. The first of these technologies, Diversyn, has the potential to reduce false blood cultures by up to 92%. The second, S.A.F.E., can save lives during cardiac arrest by ensuring the proper saline flush automatically follows the administration of epinephrine. The third, RECON, can reconstitute dry powder medications to revolutionize vaccine delivery.

Mick spoke at the Committee on Small Business hearing, “Upskilling the Medical Workforce: Opportunities in Health Innovation,” the morning of Nov. 13.

The U.S. faces a shortage of up tp 100,00 doctors by 2030, according to the committee. The panel focused on how to tap new technologies to provide access & healthcare to those in need.

“In rural areas in particular, the medical practices that provide care are small businesses, and as those practices go away, we have to figure out how to cut costs, but still provide quality care, to prevent citizens needing to drive hours to a big hospital system,” Mick said.

While much of the testimony focused on teleheath and health IT, Mick encouraged the representatives to find ways to invest in new medical technologies, like Diversyn, that promise significant healthcare savings that could be re-invested into other areas of the healthcare system.

“This is the ideal public-private partnership,” he said. “An investment by the government would be pennies on the dollar compared to healthcare savings.”

Mick was tapped sit on the panel alongside Dr. Matthew Conti, Orthopaedic Surgery Resident at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery, testifying on behalf of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons; Dr. Ingrid Zimmer-Galler, Founding Clinical Director of the Office of Telemedicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; and Dr. Nancy Fahrenwald, Dean of Texas A&M College of Nursing, speaking on behalf of the American Association of Colleges of Nursing.

“It was a pretty amazing, surreal experience,” he said of his trip to the capital.

This year’s accelerator focus is low-cost, low-maintenance additive manufacturing pieces for unmanned aerial vehicles — think sensors or engines for drones.

The T3 Accelerator will run for 10 weeks between March & May 2020. The accelerator will culminate in a demo day, after which participants can submit proposals for a Direct to Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award of up to $1.5M.

Participants will alternate between weeks in Dayton, Ohio and offsite weeks at the companies’ home locations. A $35K stipend is available to cover company travel and other expenses associated with attending the accelerator & demo day. This stipend is not a grant for general business expenses and is in consideration for full participation in the Accelerator. To encourage meaningful engagement throughout the Accelerator, selected companies will receive $17,000 in January (prior to the accelerator) and $17,000 in May (after demo day participation).

Lauren Tiffan, director of the T3 Transition Accelerator, uses the Fitbit as an example of what the accelerator can accomplish. The sensor tech originally designed for the Department of Defense was expensive and not as advanced — by taking it to the public, the inventors were able to refine the product by listening to the marketplace. Now the company can sell to civilians and the military at a lower cost, thanks to economies of scale.

The deadline to apply for the 2020 program is Sunday, Dec. 8. Companies will be notified of acceptance on Friday, Dec. 20.

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