Photo courtesy of Sam Malik, Malik Media LLC
Kwame Christian of American Negotiation Institute and the Christian Law Office LLC addresses the audience at an Innovate New Albany TIGER Talk.
In 2007, the U.S. economy was edging toward crisis, and many would have thought twice before launching a new business. But when New Albany’s Community Improvement Corporation decided to start Innovate New Albany, fears turned into hope.
Jennifer Chrysler, director of community development for the city of New Albany, and a team of creative minds launched this entrepreneurial ecosystem by partnering with the New Albany Company and becoming an affiliate of Rev1 Ventures. With a strong focus on providing space to small tech-oriented businesses – as, often, these companies do not see an immediate profit return, but are still vital – Innovate has also allowed other service-providing companies into its space in hopes of boosting not only the New Albany community, but the Ohio economy.
“We really needed to create an environment that was good for businesses to grow,” Chrysler says. “Innovate is this hub, and from the hub come all these spokes.”
Innovate provides not only physical and virtual office spaces, along with in-house conference rooms for startups, but also networking opportunities and resources to help grow and promote brand. Within the past two years, resources have grown significantly, all thanks to a local professional brander.
“The energy he has created in that physical space is so vital to an incubator. … He has put Innovate New Albany on the map.” - Chrysler
Starting out simply as a resident at Innovate, Neil Collins rented out a full-time office for his startup, Results Marketing Group. But after showing a great deal of interest in enhancing Innovate, the organization decided to hire him to help publicize and recruit new businesses.
“He really gave us the opportunity to grow Innovate New Albany into something even more than what we imagined,” Chrysler says. “The energy he has created in that physical space is so vital to an incubator. … He has put Innovate New Albany on the map.”
Today, Collins still has his Results office, but also oversees Innovate with business coordinator Angela Hobart. Now in an even more thriving environment, Collins has created TIGER Talks, in which successful entrepreneurs tell their stories, and TIGER Workshops, which provide lessons on business-related topics.
Collins says residents can now “earn their stripes” and gain the skills to move from Innovate and, hopefully, into the New Albany area.
“We want people here who see it in their long-term to be in New Albany,” Collins says. “We’re all about cultivating and helping to create exciting companies, interesting companies and companies with a future.”
A small nonprofit humanitarian organization called Design Outreach has been with Innovate for more than two years, and is creating a global impact. By implementing advance engineering, the group has designed long-lasting, durable water pumps for countries and villages in need.
Amelia Messamore, development coordinator, worked her way from a volunteer to full-time employee with Design Outreach. She describes the work the organization is doing as not only inspirational, but vital.
A woman in Zolomondo, Malawi uses a LifePump, which provides her community with clean, reliable and accessible water - things the people of Zolomondo did not previously have. Design Outreach, the nonprofit that created LifePump, is incubated by Innovate New Albany.
“The engineers in our organization said, ‘Let’s build a better pump, let’s build a pump that will go deeper into the ground, that will last longer, that will be a source of water people can rely on day after day,’” Messamore says. “If you just compare the community before and you compare the community now, you realize the amazing, incredible impact of sustainable water within a community. It’s really exciting to see that.”
The pump, called LifePump, is now being used in six different countries, and the devices have yet to break down. And because members of the communities using LifePump are no longer walking miles to collect water, they now have more time to improve their communities and enjoy life.
As Design Outreach continues to grow and create other products to help areas in need, Collins has helped the organization thrive within Innovate by providing a larger work space where more collaboration can occur.
“We are very grateful for Neil,” Messamore says. “We have grown since we have been at Innovate, and it was all because Neil was looking out for us and was really looking for opportunities for us to grow.”
Messamore says, apart from Collins and all his help, Innovate, in terms of an office space where other companies work, has been a great opportunity to make contacts and seek advice.
“Innovate is a great hub of entrepreneurial minded people,” she says. “It’s just a great networking opportunity. … It has been a great opportunity to meet a lot of interesting, like-minded people who are interested in making the community and the world a better place.”
And though Design Outreach is growing rapidly and may one day “graduate” – as OLAH Healthcare, Auditgraph and Capture Education did – Messamore says Design Outreach is very content with its current arrangement.
“We would love to have our office and mission shop and test facility all on the same property,” she says. “But for now, we’re very satisfied with the space we have here at Innovate. It’s the perfect chance for our small team … to collaborate and work together.”
Other companies within Innovate are SpineDynX, which commercializes the clinical lumbar motion monitor from research by Dr. William Marras from the Spine Research Institute at The Ohio State University; Mollard Consulting, LLC, which helps build up nonprofits; and mCORE Athletes, which creates mobile cardiac screening – particularly for student athletes – and provides CPR training.
Collins says by providing a space where new companies are emerging, Innovate offers opportunity for New Albany residents to maybe one day work alongside one of the organization’s graduates.
“We’re creating opportunity for people who live in New Albany because we’re allowing any great entrepreneur who wants to start a company here,” Collins says. “This is like a garden bed, it’s a place where the seeds can be planted and they can grow. … And New Albany has lots of smart people that have some great skill, a vision to make things happen and a desire to have their own business.”
Lydia Freudenberg is a contributing editor. Feedback welcome at adeperro@cityscenemediagroup.com.
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Photos courtesy of Sam Malik, Malik Media LLC
Kwame Christian of American Negotiation Institute and the Christian Law Office LLC addresses the audience at an Innovate New Albany TIGER Talk.
