Who’s up this month at Early Risers?

Then mark your calendar to attend Early Risers on Friday, December 1st from 7:30-9:00 am! We will be at 444 East Second Street. Followed by a day full of community events!

Xact Medical is an institutional investor-backed medical device startup located in Springboro, Ohio. With technology exclusively licensed from Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Ben Gurion University, Xact is developing a pioneering product in the soon-to-explode field of point of care robotics – the Fast Intelligent Needle Delivery System, or FIND.

FIND is a hand-held medical robot that integrates ultrasound imaging with autonomous needle advancement to turn every clinician into an expert at needle placement, which will improve patient outcomes and save hospitals time and money. The initial target market is vascular access, to be followed by regional anesthesiology and biopsy.

With extensive market research completed to confirm product-market fit and a proof of concept prototype completed, Xact is currently seeking to fill two exciting complementary opportunities for medical device development talent to continue to prototype and iterate FIND to a final product design (and then move on to the product portfolio that lies beyond the first device…). Interested parties should contact Andrew Cothrel, CEO, at [email protected] for more information.

The first opportunity is for our Director of R&D. This new position will direct overall product development strategy and tactics, lead a development team, and take a hands-on role in designing, developing, and testing a cutting edge Class II medical device. One of two areas of specific technical depth is required: either a) an EE degree and at least 7 years of relevant industry experience with motion control, optical systems and image processing, and electrical systems (medical ultrasound imaging experience is a plus), or b) an ME degree and at least 7 years of relevant mechanical design experience (e.g. delivering manufacturable injection molded and CNC generated components with feature sizes in the 0.1-10mm range). This role will be complementary with the Sr. Development Engineer, in that whichever set of technical expertise (EE or ME) the Director of R&D possesses, the Sr. Development Engineer will possess the other technical (EE or ME) skill set.

For this role, we seek a leader with demonstrated ability to bring a highly technical electromechanical product to launch, preferably in the medical device sector. Specific experience with robotics or surgical tools development is a plus. Demonstrated experience in establishing highly functional relationships with 3rd party developers and supplier partners is an absolute requirement. The Xact development team will remain a relatively small core team (4-5 people) during our product development stage. Therefore, previous experience and insights regarding how device development priorities and strategies in a start-up differ from corporate device development processes and workflows is highly valued.

This is a unique opportunity to lead product development with a leading-edge company pioneering the field of point of care robotics, with the FIND system as our first product entry. There will be a lot of exciting engineering innovation involved (www.xactmedical.com) as we evolve our functional prototype into a final product. This person will quickly join our team full-time in Springboro, Ohio (between Cincinnati and Dayton).

The second opportunity is for our Sr. Development Engineer. This position will play a critical role in how the design and development of the FIND system evolves into a final product, and will take a hands-on role in designing, developing, and testing this cutting edge Class II medical device. One of two areas of specific technical depth is required: either a) an EE degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience with motion control, optical systems and image processing, and electrical systems, with medical ultrasound imaging expertise a plus, or b) an ME degree and at least 5 years of relevant experience designing manufacturable electromechanical devices an components (e.g. with feature sizes in the 0.1-10mm range). This role will be complementary with the Director of R&D, in that whichever set of technical (EE or ME) expertise the Director of R&D possesses, the Sr. Development Engineer will possess the other technical (EE or ME) skill set.

For this role, we are seeking an engineer with demonstrated ability to deliver a highly technical electromechanical product to market, preferably in the medical device sector. Specific experience with robotics or surgical tools development products would be a plus. Experience in working with 3rd party developers and supplier partners would be beneficial. Xact is a startup, so a willingness to be hands on with all facets of the development process is essential.

TECHNICAL QUALIFICATIONS – applies to both the Director R&D and Sr. Development Engineer Roles

With a total attendance of 750 over 17 events, Pints & Preneurs has become a monthly staple event in Dayton’s startup community. This relaxed happy hour provides the opportunity for entrepreneurs to build real relationships with their fellow startup founders and the community that supports them.

In November, Pints & Preneurs will shift to 444 (E. 2nd St) and add targeted programming. The kickoff of the “new & improved” Pints & Preneurs will feature students from TEC’s Commercialization Readiness Program showcasing their unique product renderings based on technologies coming from Air Force Research Laboratory, University of Dayton, Wright State University, and Naval Research Laboratory. It’s going to be awesome, so make sure to mark your calendar and join us!

Over the next several months, Pints & Preneurs will continue to pilot this new model with monthly curated programming intended to connect people across networks and social boundaries. Our hope is that by being intentional in programming sessions, we can bring together diverse audiences to truly expand our startup community and accelerate serendipity.

Starting in 2018, Pints & Preneurs will also feature an “Intro to the Ecosystem” discussion. These discussions will serve as an entry point into the ecosystem and provide new members an opportunity to build relationships with keystones in the startup community.

While just an example, the above schedule would bring together techies, potential angel investors, and veteran entrepreneurs and help cross-pollinate people across networks.

We hope you’ll join us in the New Year as we roll out this newly polished event.

Many Dayton based entrepreneurs bootstrap their startup by using consulting gigs and defense contracts to fund their operations while they develop a stand-alone product. But starting next year, any company going after a defense contract will be required to be DFARS compliant. Secure Cyber Defense, a local Miamisburg based startup, shares what that means and how to prepare for this regulation.

Secure Cyber Defense, LLC is a Cyber Security services company that provides consulting in today’s cyber warfare world. We offer a premier set of Cyber Security services including security assessments, risk analysis, consulting and threat monitoring for any size organization. We are the only firm that combines federal cyber security practices with the profiles of active cyber attacks being tracked by the FBI and current industry compliance standards.

A new seed fund launched in Dayton is aimed at boosting the growing number of startups in the region. Together with the NCIC Capital Fund, the Downtown Dayton Partnership (DDP) is launching the Kiva Dayton Seed Fund to help jumpstart the use of crowdfunding tool Kiva as a lending source for local small businesses and startups.

Dayton’s urban core has seen a dramatic increase in the number of entrepreneurs and small businesses it counts among its workforce. Through the Start Downtown initiative launched in 2016, the DDP and several community partners have been developing new programs and resources aimed at nurturing growth for this segment, whether by means of creating new opportunities for entrepreneurs, fostering meaningful connections, or reducing or eliminating potential barriers.

Access to capital is often a large obstacle for small businesses to overcome. Traditional lending sources aren’t always the best fit for small businesses as startup companies may not have a revenue track record, or are unable to meet the loan down payment requirements. One of the Start Downtown programs launched a Kiva network in Dayton earlier this year. This crowd-sourced loan program opened up new funding channels for small businesses. In this new phase, more funding will help spark greater capacity for the Kiva Dayton network.

The new Kiva Dayton Seed Fund will help jump-start the crowd-funding campaigns of Kiva Dayton borrowers by committing the first 20 percent of the total loan intended to be raised through Kiva. This seed funding will provide important momentum to each crowd-funding campaign, which will give the entrepreneur a much better chance of reaching his or her fundraising goal. Like any Kiva loan, the seed funds will revolve as the loan is repaid.

“Small business is the backbone of the Dayton economy,” said Frank Winslow at NCIC, which is an affiliate of the Dayton Development Coalition. “But for many entrepreneurs, access to capital is a major barrier. We see this fund as an outlet that will help small businesses establish financial credibility to climb the capital ladder, which is critical if we want them to grow.”

Access to capital was a top concern addressed at early Start Downtown meetings. “For us to have a thriving small business and startup ecosystem, we can’t just focus on technology-based or high-growth startups,” said DDP Vice President of Economic Development, Scott Murphy. “There are plenty of service-based companies, retail businesses, and more that provide important contributions to our economy. These businesses need to have funding outlets as well.”

Keep up with Kiva, pop-up coworking events, and more Start Downtown programs, and receive other downtown business and economic development updates by subscribing to the DDP’s email newsletters. Email [email protected] to sign up.

Kiva is like crowd-funding, but instead it’s crowd-lending – after your loan is repaid, you can use the same dollars to support another small business. Loans are 0% interest and are repaid by the small business over a period of 6-36 months depending on the loan size. Businesses that apply for lending through Kiva have 30 days to reach their fundraising goal. If they don’t reach their goal, they don’t receive funding.

What Businesses are a Fit for Kiva?
Kiva borrowers are typically businesses that are unable to access capital through traditional lending outlets – either because they don’t have a revenue track record, or because they are unable to meet the loan down payment requirements. Kiva isn’t easy money though – you need to have a good plan and be willing to hustle to meet your fundraising goal. For entrepreneurs just getting started, Kiva is a great option to build financial credibility.

These are community members who provide mico-loans to Kiva Dayton borrowers. Each loan can be as small as $25. After the money is repaid by the entrepreneur, the lender can revolve the money to another borrower, or withdraw it from Kiva. Kiva Dayton currently has more than 40 people on its lending team.

As part of their business support and counseling services, these project partners provide a pipeline of prepared and vetted small business candidates that will use Kiva to borrow funds to grow their small business

These partners help promote the Kiva Dayton candidates during their public crowd-funding period. Promotion partners also raise awareness of Kiva Dayton and help encourage more community members to create Kiva accounts to lend to Dayton small businesses.

Wright Brothers Institute (WBI) and Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) are exploring the concept of providing supercomputer capability through WBI’s new 444 location to small businesses. Like a good business, they are currently performing market research and asking their customers if they would use this service before pulling the trigger. Please help our startup community partners and let them know you are interested in this opportunity by responding to their survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3ZL9VK

This is a great opportunity for the local startup & small business community and could be a huge asset for our region! Additional details on the capabilities and specifics of use are outlined in the survey.

FASTLANE is a great resource for any local startup (or business) that needs manufacturing support in our community. In fact, when the Dayton Tech Guide team hears of a startup that may need prototyping or manufacturing support it is FASTLANE that we will recommend as their first step.

One reason (besides their awesome team) is their availability of programming that can support manufacturers of varying sizes. They are the Dayton Region’s Ohio Manufacturing Extension Partnership affiliate location, a federal and state program, with the goal of helping small & medium manufacturers become more innovative and as such, often have funding to support local companies.

1) Funding is Available for Additive Manufacturing
But, time is running out! Hurry to apply for the FASTLANE 3D Printing – Additive Manufacturing Program. Have questions about how this rapidly growing innovative technology could help your manufacturing business? Ask their team how other manufacturers are using additive in their business or click here to learn more.

2) Funding is Available for Cyber Security
Many small companies are getting hacked, customer records are accessed, trade secrets are stolen and the State of Ohio wants to help you to protect your business. It has gotten to the point that the Department of Defense will no longer do business with companies who are not taking the measures to ensure they are compliant with NIST 800-171. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that your firewall is enough. Ask their team how you can protect your business or click Cyber Security Compliance Program to learn more.

3) Funding is Available for AS9100 Related Services
This funding opportunity includes expenses for training, gap analysis, consulting, audits, certifications, etc. Ask their team how you can get funding to help with your AS9100 certification.

When Wright Brothers Institute opened its doors at 444–the new collaborative innovation hub located at 444 E Second St in downtown Dayton– it re-focused its efforts to energize world-class R&D collaborations and technology innovation between the Air Force Research Labs and the community. Last Friday the WBI team launched a new speaker series that does just that. The series, 4th Friday at 444, pairs a speaker from “inside the fence” with one from “outside the fence” to discuss a specific topic.

Friday’s event paired Isaac Weintraub, an electrical engineer from AFRL, with Tom Mitchell, the Operations Manager at Proto BuildBar (one of our favorite places to grab coffee and get some work done). The two Makers shared their advice on the topic of Getting Your Hands Dirty.

Making = learning.

Eventually you need something tangible if you want to sell someone on your idea, and it’s not easy to go from your napkin sketch or simulation to physical representation of that item. Isaac shared that, “No matter what your simulation is showing, the real world just finds another way to make it worse. Nature always finds another way.” When you start turning your concept into a product and you build it yourself, you learn all of the quirks in the manufacturing, the packaging needs, and how to maintain it.

“You learn by building and breaking and failing. And then building and breaking and failing,” said Isaac. “And that is the process that it takes to go from a basic concept or idea to something tangible or something wonderful.”

Stay curious.

Go back to your childhood. You learned because you were curious. Tom shared that staying curious is the first step to Making and that Making can be anything. As an introvert, he has learned to engage with people easily because of his curiosity.

Isaac and Tom share a love for the sound of stepper motors. During a passing conversation, one suggested that someone should play music using them. So Isaac’s curiosity led him to turn the tone of a music note into the speed and duration of a stepper motor–which led him to play the Imperial March on a 3D printer. (Here’s a video on how that works. You’re welcome.)

Be fearless.

From the time we’re young we’re taught that failing is bad. But Tom shared that failure is good because it teaches us lessons. Isaac shared the biggest thing he’s ever built and what he considers as his biggest failure: a truck sitting in his garage that still doesn’t work. But as Isaac shared, he learned a lot. He went from being uncomfortable changing his own oil to taking an engine out of the truck, running hydraulic and gas lines, and understanding why and how a fuel injection system works.

A challenge to the community.

Isaac shared a fun challenge for all of the Makers in town–to build a bowling ball-sized version of skee-ball. If that sounds like your cup of tea, connect with him on LinkedIn. And if you’re interested in becoming a Maker or just plugging in to the Maker community, connecting with Tom and visiting Proto BuildBar is a great place to start!

Be sure to check out the next 4th Friday at 444, “Seeing is Believing” – a dialogue on using data to tell a story Featuring: Mandy Cinnamon, AFRL & Jennie Hempstead, Wright Brothers Institute Friday, September 22 nd 3:00-4:00 444 E. Second St., Dayton Ohio

Just get started.

Startup Grind Dayton’s Candace Dalmagne-Rouge sat down with Nancy Koors for August’s fireside chat. Nancy is a distinguished entrepreneur who has created, led, advised, and invested in successful startups throughout her career. If you missed the session, here is a recap of the insights and experiences Nancy shared:

Focus on your first market. | Nancy discussed the tendency for startups to spread their focus across a bunch of target markets or to only think about their largest market. Instead, she encourages startups to focus on their first market, the market that is the best fit for getting their product off the ground.

Just get started. | It’s easy for startups to put countless hours into grandiose plans, but Nancy believes in PED – progress every day. Once you get started, you’re going to get smarter and find traction.

What’s your game plan? | As an investor, Nancy looks for startups with thoughtful and realistic steps going forward. If plans are overly luxurious and ambitious, she is likely to step back. She expects there to be room for changes and iterations along the way. A good game plan focuses on the first market described above.

Be transparent with investors. | Candace asked Nancy about what she’s looking for when choosing whether to invest in a startup. Her one-word answer was transparency. She wants realistic projections and has little tolerance for spin and overselling. She wants to see founders who know their strengths and weaknesses. Startups need more than an investor’s check. They should present gaps in connections, relationships, and expertise that investors can fill.

Consider adding a Board of Advisors. | Nancy likes the flexibility and informality of a Board of Advisors. Whereas Directors have formal and structured roles, Advisors can dig more deeply into the entrepreneur’s real challenges. Advisors are the right people to go to for a good cry, to let it all out, or to grind through a messy issue. Advisors aren’t additional investment experts; rather, they surround a startup with additional relationships and skillsets. When the company’s challenges change and evolve, the Board of Advisors can change, too.

Nancy’s Career & the Cincinnati Startup Scene

Nancy spent her early career at Cincinnati Bell and then Fifth Third Bank marketing technology solutions, developing new products, and launching startups within the umbrella of these companies. The dawn of the internet pulled Nancy back to Cincinnati Bell in 1996 where she led the creation of CBTS (Cincinnati Bell Technology Solutions). Nancy saw the need for an association of internet professionals and began connecting with her fellow e-business pioneers in the early 2000s. These relationships led to her involvement in a number of startups and the creation of Main Street Ventures, an entity that eventually grew into Cincinnati’s well-know and highly successful accelerator, The Brandery.

Nancy emphasized that it has taken more than 15 years for Cincinnati’s startup ecosystem to get off the ground. In 2004, the initial push had pretty much fizzled out, but Cincinnati is now home to multiple venture funds and accelerators that are producing successful startups. She emphasized the importance of Cincinnati’s corporate catalysts in bolstering the startup scene. In recent years, big companies have been more open to working with startups and riding the bumpy roads that come with newborn products and companies.

Nancy has been in the middle of it all. After more than a decade leading and operating digital agencies, Nancy signed on as Executive in Residence and COO at Cintrifusefrom 2013 to 2015. She is a valued board member and advisor for startups and recently co-founded Find Your Next Customers Bootcamp. She even hopped back into a startup of her own as Co-Founder and COO at iReportSource, Inc.

Join us in September!

This post originally appeared on sheownsit.com: http://sheownsit.com/startup-advice-speed-determination-charlyndajean/

As a new entrepreneur, I have found that I only work at one speed: the speed of determination. It’s faster than a speeding bullet, light, sound, radio waves. No ruler or metric exists to measure this speed. If I tried to do so, I’d imagine the flapping of angels wings…the rhythm of your heart when you think of someone you love..the invisible sense of urgency to execute a vision that keeps you awake at night. My grandfather’s recipe for Mutt’s Sauce has been in our family since 1956. I learned that I inherited the recipe in July 2013. The company, Mutt’s Sauce, LLC, launched in December 2013. That’s right. I launched a food company in five months.

The speed of determination to share this blessing my grandfather gave me with the world is faster than I could ever imagine. At our first Production Day, I had to remind myself…”This is real. You’re not dreaming.” My Uncle Dewayne, Mutt’s youngest son, accompanied me for the experience. We watched as the bottles came off the production line, jaws to the floor. Needless to say, we were both very emotional. It takes some food businesses a year or more to get from concept to launch.

What have I learned on this journey? Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart! You read alot of articles about following your passion, but I’d emphasize that whatever you’re imagining as ‘hard work’.. multiply that by 2000. When you’re chasing your dream, the physical and mental exhaustion is overridden by the excitement and determination to succeed.

I remember one night, I had been working my ‘Launch Checklist’ after meeting with my new mentor, John, at SCORE.org in Dayton, Ohio. They provide guidance to business owners. It looked similar to this:

1. File for business license.
2. Research food process authorities. (Google what one is)
3. Review all financial accounts for possible capital. (avoid a loan!)
4. Research co-packing facilities.
5. Read the guide on uspto.gov (Trademark)
6. Google a marketing/branding company.
7. Start your business plan.

There were at least 75 items that I needed to do. One night, around 3a.m., I was working in my living room and I realized I was on the floor, and every square inch was covered in paperwork, applications, books, sketches, and guides. It doesn’t slow down, but thank God, with each new piece of acquired knowledge, it gets easier (that’s what I tell myself anyway).

If you’re reading this and you’re an entrepreneur, or aspire to be one, I’d love your feedback, questions, or experiences. Respond here or shoot me a line at charlynda@muttssauce.com.

Charlynda Jean

Charlynda Jean is a dynamic motivational speaker, Air Force Veteran, social media influencer, and the founder and CEO of Mutt’s Sauce, LLC, a company that makes “the sauce for every meal.”She prides herself on being a ‘country girl from the hills of Tennessee’ but her journey has taken her around the globe. Her goal is to unlock the gifts inside every person she meets. Her signature phrase is one that changed her life multiple times over “I believe in you.”

She is a Clemson University graduate, with a degree in Aerospace Science and Business Management. She also holds an MBA in Management and Strategic Leadership. She started the company Mutt’s Sauce, LLC while she was still serving on active duty in the military.

Charlynda has been featured in MadameNoire.com, CBS News, Military.com, Army.com, and Air Force Association Magazine.

She is now focused on launching her personal brand and teaching people everything she knows. She has a passion for entrepreneurship, fitness, veterans, girl power, food, fashion, and travel.

http://www.muttssauce.com

Are you ready to be a Connector?

Making = learning.

Stay curious.

Be fearless.

A challenge to the community.

Just get started.

Nancy’s Career & the Cincinnati Startup Scene

Join us in September!

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