Parallax Advanced Research receives $750K SPRINT grant to create the Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit
April 13, 2021
Online database will foster inclusion by preparing first-time company founders to efficiently engage with the region’s wealth of entrepreneurial resources
Parallax Advanced Research was awarded $750,000 last week to create the Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit, an online database of interactive videos and documents that will prepare first-time founders of new companies to tap into the community’s many resources for entrepreneurs.
The U.S. Economic Development Administration designed the Scaling Pandemic Resilience Through Innovation and Technology (SPRINT) Challenge to harness America’s entrepreneurial spirit to address the economic, health, and safety risks caused by the coronavirus pandemic and to support innovation-focused economic recovery efforts.
“Parallax is a proud partner in the Launch Dayton community, and our local team has been central to the growth of the Dayton region’s startup community,” said Parallax President and CEO Dennis Andersh. “We are thrilled to continue this work to foster diversity and inclusion in Dayton’s innovation space.”
The Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit will house online resources created specifically to guide new entrepreneurs through the specific activities in qualifying and engaging with various entrepreneurial resource providers and programs available across the Launch Dayton community.
“Early grassroots efforts to connect entrepreneurs often involved one-on-one meetings to help new founders navigate the resources available across the Launch Dayton community. As we grow, new entrepreneurs outnumber resource providers, and these first-time founders are often overwhelmed by the range of programs and organizations they discover,” said Parallax Program Manager John Owen. “Launch Dayton partners believe everyone, regardless of their background, should have the opportunity to determine their own economic prosperity. The Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit will foster a more inclusive and diverse startup community by organizing and identifying the opportunities available to help all entrepreneurs grow their businesses.”
The Launch Dayton Digital Toolkit will assist entrepreneurs to build foundational business knowledge, connect with customers in the defense and MedTech industries, and establish ecommerce platforms to reach national markets. Topics will range from how to conduct market research, customer analysis or financial projections, to how to secure a government contract, write a proposal, or deploy an ecommerce business model.
The toolkit will build on work done by Launch Dayton partner the Entrepreneurs’ Center when they moved their T3 Defense Accelerator online last spring, just as COVID-19 hit and restricted travel and in-person meetings.
“With the impact of COVID-19, we needed to be agile and leverage all digital resources at our disposal. We moved quickly, acted boldly, and reset our mindsets to successfully deliver our high-quality training program remotely to our clients nationally,” said Lauren Tiffan, director of strategic programs, Entrepreneurs’ Center. “Creating value-adding digital assets to evolve the scope of our reach and efficacy has proven impactful in empowering small businesses for prosperity in the post-COVID future. We are looking forward and excited about continuing this work with fellow Launch Dayton partners.”
