Around the INOV8 Horn: Memorial Day, Picasolar, Iron Yard
A quick glance around the IA horn on a beautiful but cool, late spring Friday reveals some activity for Innovate Arkansas client firms.
But first, this Memorial Day weekend, let's take a minute to reflect on the sacrifices made by men and women over the past 240 years. Those sacrifices have ensured this luxury we enjoy of sitting comfortably in offices, in the greatest nation the world has ever known (despite its flaws and perhaps in part because of them), contemplating things like tech startups and entrepreneurship.
We remember and honor all those who served and those who gave the ultimate sacrifice, and to all those who serve today, thank you.
“It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which
they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be
here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored
dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full
measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have
died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and
that government of the people, by the people, and for the people, shall not perish
from the earth.”-- Abraham Lincoln
Now, around the horn we go:
- IA client firm Picasolar moved in to new, expanded headquarters at the UA's tech park in Fayetteville, giving it more elbow room to develop the makings of super efficient solar cells.
- The Iron Yard coding school, which announced it was Little Rock-bound earlier this year, will begin classes in central Arkansas on June 29. And to help entice students, it and Winrock International are offering $60,000 in scholarships.
- William Burgess of Power Technology Inc., chairman of the Arkansas District Export Council, presided over the 2015 Arkansas export awards on Tuesday at the Governor's Mansion. Innovation Hub director Warwick Sabin was there and joined the chorus of small business owners supporting the role of the Export-Import Bank.
- ARK Challenge firm Skosay's app went live at Harps Foods in Springdale. Earlier this month, Skosay received a $100k grant from ASTA.
- IA is sponsoring a new media workshop from IABC/Arkansas next month from Heifer Village in Little Rock.
- The Little Rock tech park board approved the architect for Phase 1 of the park along Main in downtown Little Rock. The wheels are in motion.
- IA's Fauxsee Innovations of Magnolia was awarded a $100k SBIR grant to further develop its Roboglasses for the sight impaired.
- Phyzit's Stewart Whaley spent some time in the Bay area....
- And BioVentures, the startup incubator at UAMS that's produced several IA client firms, was featured this week in Arkansas Business.
So, enjoy the pool/lake/river this weekend (the water's gonna be....not warm), but don't forget to remember what it's all about.