This Startup Built a Zoom Alternative for Remote Market Research

The 2020 Arch Grants cohort included a bold and unprecedented element. Building upon St. Louis' geospatial revolution, 5 of their transformative $50,000 equity-free grants & pro-bono resources were awarded specifically to geospatial startups. Partnering with T-REX's new Geospatial Innovation Center, these 5 geospatial startups have also been awarded incubator space for the duration of their grant, embedding them within our growing geospatial ecosystem. Each month through this virtual event series, you'll get the opportunity to get to know the 2020 geospatial Arch Grants cohort and the newest T-REX community members. This March, T-REX's Mark Tatgenhorst will introduce and host a community conversation with Elango Thevar, Founder & CEO of NEER. About Neer: NEER offers a comprehensive integrated real-time water management platform that leverages Machine Learning to model and assess the risk condition of water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure systems. https://www.neer.ai About Elango: Elango Thevar is the Founder & CEO of NEER. He spent more than 15 years of experience on hydrology and hydraulic modeling, water quality modeling, LID BMP sizing, floodplain mapping, water resources system design, asset management, and project management. His experience has ranged from working on watershed master plan, sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) and combined sewer overflow (CSO) studies to strategic asset management for water, sewer, and stormwater infrastructure. About T-REX: T-REX is a non-profit technology innovation & entrepreneur development center in downtown St. Louis. With an emphasis on facilitating groundbreaking ideas from early-stage entrepreneurs, T-REX houses nearly 200 companies within its 160,000-square-foot, 8 Floor facility on Washington Avenue. Founded in 2011, T-REX has graduated more than 100 companies from incubation that remain in the St. Louis region. T-REXers have created 4,457 St. Louis jobs since its inception and are responsible for more than $620.9 million in annual economic output. In 2020, T-REX completed the construction of a revolutionary concept; the nation's first Geospatial Innovation Center, located on the facility's 4th Floor. http://downtowntrex.org​

The 2020 Arch Grants cohort included a bold and unprecedented element. Building upon St. Louis' geospatial revolution, 5 of their transformative $50,000 equity-free grants & pro-bono resources were awarded specifically to geospatial startups. Partnering with T-REX's new Geospatial Innovation Center, these 5 geospatial startups have also been awarded incubator space for the duration of their grant, embedding them within our growing geospatial ecosystem. Each month through this virtual event series, you'll get a chance to get to know the 2020 geospatial Arch Grants cohort and newest T-REX community members. This February, T-REX's Mark Tatgenhorst will introduce and host a community conversation with Whitney McClendon, Co-Founder of Eemerg Roadside Assistance Marketplace. About Eemerg: Eemerg roadside assistance is a revolutionary solution to emergency automotive dilemmas. Eemerg is an on-demand mobile roadside assistance marketplace geared toward customers with limited roadside assistance options. We are uniquely solving roadside assistance emergencies through an open platform where customers have multiple provider options at their fingertips with the press of a button. This app enables customers to decide which provider they want to go with, how much money they want to spend, and how long they want to wait for services. Not only is Eemerg cost-effective, but also offers quicker response times as well. eemerg.com About Arch Grants: Arch Grants disrupted the status quo of economic development in 2012 with a mission to transform the economy of St. Louis by attracting and retaining extraordinary entrepreneurs. Through their unique and groundbreaking Global Startup Competition model, Arch Grants provides $50,000 equity-free grants and access to an ecosystem of resources, helping early-stage startups grow and scale. Arch Grants’ program is a beacon for entrepreneurs globally, developing the next generation of employers, civic leaders, and philanthropists for the St. Louis region. Starting in 2020, Arch Grants began awarding 5 grants each year specifically to geospatial startups to help build a pipeline of talent and technology for the quickly expanding geospatial cluster in St. Louis. archgrants.org About T-REX: T-REX is a non-profit technology innovation & entrepreneur development center in downtown St. Louis. With an emphasis on facilitating groundbreaking ideas from early stage entrepreneurs, T-REX houses nearly 200 companies within its 160,000-square-foot, 8 Floor facility on Washington Avenue. Founded in 2011, T-REX has graduated more than 100 companies from incubation that remain in the St. Louis region. T-REXers have created 4,457 St. Louis jobs since its inception and are responsible for more than $620.9 million in annual economic output. In 2020, T-REX completed construction of a revolutionary concept; the nation's first Geospatial Innovation Center, located on the facility's 4th Floor. downtowntrex.org

The 2020 Arch Grants cohort included a strategic and unprecedented element. In an effort to continue to build upon St. Louis' geospatial revolution, 5 of their transformative $50,000 equity-free grants & pro-bono resources were awarded specifically to geospatial startups. Partnering with T-REX's new Geospatial Innovation Center, these 5 geospatial startupshave also been awarded incubator space for the duration of their grant, embedding them within our growing geospatial ecosystem. Each month through this virtual event series, you'll get a chance to get to know the 2020 geospatial Arch Grants cohort and newest T-REX community members. This January, T-REX's Mark Tatgenhorst hosts a community conversation with Byron Porter, CEO of Hum. About Hum: Hum was created to tackle chronic issues of inconsistent and unreliable service that have plagued the rail industry for decades. Inflexible existing data infrastructure frequently loses track of railcars and makes first and last mile delivery unpredictable. Mechanical defect detectors often provide more false alarms than actual alerts. Both systems have been unable to adapt to the needs of an increasingly dynamic supply chain, leaving railroads and rail shippers frustrated. Now, with advances in low power, wireless communication, geospatial tracking, and advanced analytics, Hum has developed a set of cost-effective wireless sensors for railcars that allows railroads the ability to not only deliver transparent, reliable service to rail shippers but also the insight to anticipate their ever-changing needs. Welcome to the modern supply chain that just … Hums. humindustrial.com About Arch Grants: Arch Grants disrupted the status quo of economic development in 2012 with a mission to transform the economy of St. Louis by attracting and retaining extraordinary entrepreneurs. Through their unique and groundbreaking Global Startup Competition model, Arch Grants provides $50,000 equity-free grants and access to an ecosystem of resources, helping early-stage startups grow and scale. Arch Grants’ program is a beacon for entrepreneurs globally, developing the next generation of employers, civic leaders, and philanthropists for the St. Louis region. Starting in 2020, Arch Grants began awarding 5 grants each year specifically to geospatial startups to help build a pipeline of talent and technology for the quickly expanding geospatial cluster in St. Louis. archgrants.org About T-REX: T-REX is a non-profit technology innovation & entrepreneur development center in downtown St. Louis. With an emphasis on facilitating groundbreaking ideas from early stage entrepreneurs, T-REX houses nearly 200 companies within its 160,000-square-foot, 8 Floor facility on Washington Avenue. Founded in 2011, T-REX has graduated more than 100 companies from incubation that remain in the St. Louis region. T-REXers have created 4,457 St. Louis jobs since its inception and are responsible for more than $620.9 million in annual economic output. In 2020, T-REX completed construction of a revolutionary concept; the nation's first Geospatial Innovation Center, located on the facility's 4th Floor. downtowntrex.org

The 2020 Arch Grants cohort included a strategic and unprecedented element. In an effort to continue to build upon St. Louis' geospatial revolution, 5 of their transformative $50,000 equity-free grants & pro-bono resources were awarded specifically to geospatial startups. Partnering with T-REX's new Geospatial Innovation Center, these 5 geospatial startups have also been awarded incubator space for the duration of their grant, embedding them within our growing geospatial ecosystem. Each month through this virtual event series, you'll get a chance to get to know the 2020 geospatial Arch Grants cohort and newest T-REX community members. This month, T-REX's Mark Tatgenhorst will introduce and host a community conversation with Ali Al-Jabry, CEO of Kwema. About Kwema: Each workday, 7,000 U.S. employees experience an emergency at work and unfortunately some of them result in a death. The time it takes for them to notify they are in danger and for them to get the right help is the biggest factor in these life threatening situations. Kwema bridges this gap and saves lives. Kwema mitigates the safety risks that employees face by providing no behavior change wearables that effectively addresses with three main use cases: 1.Quick notification to the right emergency personnel in life-threatening situations buying time. 2.Seamless Contact Tracing at the workplace respecting GDPR & HIPAA Laws to mitigate Covid-19 Spread. 3.Easily track employee location and automate Safe Zone Roll Call during Mass Evacuations at facilities. Kwema’s technology is designed to avoid adoption hurdles and training costs by being placed in something employees already wear. For example, Kwema’s Patent Pending smart employee badge holder. kwema.co About Arch Grants: Arch Grants disrupted the status quo of economic development in 2012 with a mission to transform the economy of St. Louis by attracting and retaining extraordinary entrepreneurs. Through their unique and groundbreaking Global Startup Competition model, Arch Grants provides $50,000 equity-free grants and access to an ecosystem of resources, helping early-stage startups grow and scale. Arch Grants’ program is a beacon for entrepreneurs globally, developing the next generation of employers, civic leaders, and philanthropists for the St. Louis region. Starting in 2020, Arch Grants began awarding 5 grants each year specifically to geospatial startups to help build a pipeline of talent and technology for the quickly expanding geospatial cluster in St. Louis. archgrants.org About T-REX: T-REX is a non-profit technology innovation & entrepreneur development center in downtown St. Louis. With an emphasis on facilitating groundbreaking ideas from early stage entrepreneurs, T-REX houses nearly 200 companies within its 160,000-square-foot, 8 Floor facility on Washington Avenue. Founded in 2011, T-REX has graduated more than 100 companies from incubation that remain in the St. Louis region. T-REXers have created 4,457 St. Louis jobs since its inception and are responsible for more than $620.9 million in annual economic output. In 2020, T-REX completed construction of a revolutionary concept; the nation's first Geospatial Innovation Center, located on the facility's 4th Floor. downtowntrex.org

How can startups better partner with government and military agencies such as St. Louis' National Geospatial Intelligence Agency? Learn first hand from an entrepreneur and consultant duo specializing in machine learning & artificial intelligence about how we can work to cultivate critical personal and professional relationships in our innovation community. Special Guests: Syeed "Sid" Mansur is the CEO of Sentrana Inc., a leading innovator in collaborative AI/Machine Learning Operations technology. He is the architect of Sentrana’s technology platform, DeepCortex, and engages closely with its users to maximize alignment of technology with mission needs. Sid’s background is in Applied Mathematics and Geospatial Analytics, and he previously served NGA as a geospatial systems architect. Dave McAllister is an Artificial Intelligence & Mission Analytics leader at Deloitte Consulting. He previously managed an innovative software program at the Defense Department’s Strategic Capabilities Office and was an Intelligence Officer in the Navy for over 29 years.   This month's event will coincide with STL STARTUP WEEK, celebrating the St. Louis region's entrepreneurs and startup community. -- LINKS -- Deloitte | Government & Public Services: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/indus... Sentrana: https://sentrana.com T-REX: http://www.downtowntrex.org The Geospatial Innovation Center @ T-REX: http://www.downtowntrex.org/geospatial/ STL Startup Week: https://www.stlouisstartupweek.com Location: St. Louis, MO *This event was produced with the tools our team members had available in their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.*

Geosaurus Unleashed is T-REX's monthly happy hour & discussion series revolving around the geospatial and location intelligence community. This month's conversation is with Zekita Armstrong Asuquo, the President & Chair of Gateway Global. Gateway Global American Youth and Business Alliance (AYBA) was established as a STEM based workforce and development organization to recruit, develop curriculum, and facilitate US DOL Registered GeoINT Specialist Apprenticeships in both urban and rural areas. In 2019, she launched Gateway Global Data Logistics, a geodata analysis and mapping talent firm to place newly skilled (and some experienced) workers into roles requiring exposure and experience with GeoINT and Geographic Information Systems. They are the only organization is the region operating a workforce-based training that awards GeoINT tradecraft workforce training and credentials to youth who have a need to earn while they learn. Their current partners include SLU, T-REX, USGIF, DHEWD, and school districts in the St. Louis region and Southeast Missouri. Links: Gateway Global American Youth & Business Alliance: http://www.ggayba.org Gateway Global Data Logistics: https://www.ggdlco.com T-REX: http://www.downtowntrex.org The Geospatial Innovation Center @ T-REX: http://www.downtowntrex.org/geospatial/ For video of this event & to view other Geosaurus Unleashed virtual events, visit the T-REX YouTube Channel

Seiler Instrument is a fourth-generation, family-owned business dedicated to excellence in optical instrument design, manufacturing and service. From drones and mapping to medical microscopes and planetarium equipment, Seiler Instrument has been using science and technology to see the world in new ways for 75 years. Seiler Instrument has been an integral partner of T-REX as we get set to unveil our Geospatial Innovation Center. Get to know the Seiler Instrument family, learn how they became an essential government provider, and even get a glimpse at surveying equipment used by the likes of former Presidents Lincoln, Washington, and Jefferson! Seiler Instrument: https://www.seilerinst.com Seiler Geospatial: https://www.seilergeo.com T-REX: http://www.downtowntrex.org --Credits-- Episode written, directed, and edited by T-REX Staff Music: HappyNES by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Cover Art: Jocelyn Edwards *This episode was produced with the tools our team members had available in their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.*

Arch Grants awards $50,000 equity-free grants and pro bono support services to entrepreneurs who locate their startups in St. Louis. This program is an aggressive effort to build a new economy and inspire the next generation of employers, civic leaders, and philanthropists for our region. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, this year's competition will look a little different. We talk with Gabe Angieri, Director of Development & Operations at Arch Grants, about this year's application process, the addition of 5 bonus $50K grants to be awarded specifically to early-stage geospatial technology companies, and tips for aspiring applicants.  2020 Arch Grants applications open May 15th. Apply at https://archgrants.org --Credits-- Episode written, directed, and edited by T-REX Staff / Music: HappyNES by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com / Cover Art: Jocelyn Edwards *This episode was produced with the tools our team members had available in their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.*

Devin Turner left the aerospace industry to create FocalCast, a virtual market research platform for remote teams. His startup has seen a rapid increase in users amid the COVID-19 pandemic as workplaces are shifting rapidly to allow social distancing and work-from-home. Hear about his company, his startup journey, and what he would do differently if he were just starting out as a new entrepreneur. Learn more about FocalCast at https://www.focalcast.io --Credits-- Episode written, directed, and edited by T-REX Staff Music: HappyNES by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.comCover Art: Jocelyn Edwards *This episode was produced with the tools our team members had available in their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.*

St. Louis is quickly becoming the global center for excellence in geospatial and location-based technology development. Just as T-REX was set to cut the ribbon on the nation's first Geospatial Innovation Center (dubbed "Geosaurus"), the COVID-19 pandemic and stay-at-home orders hit our community. For the past year leading up to the unveiling of the Center, T-REX has been organizing "Geosaurus Unleashed", a monthly discussion series and networking event for the STL geospatial ecosystem. Now that these large gatherings cannot happen, the T-REX Team is bringing you "Geosaurus at Home"; the first EVER episode in our new T-REX BYTES podcast series to continue facilitating important conversations and essential connections within our community, regardless of your physical location. In this episode: How can geospatial technology and our STL geospatial ecosystem assist in the fight against COVID-19? What will our entrepreneurial support organizations look like in the future? Can a St. Louis geospatial startup still successfully complete a merger in this environment? (Spoiler: YES! Congrats Justin Bennett & the Geodata IT Team!) Panel: Mark Tatgenhorst - Geospatial Program Director, T-REX Patty Hagen, Ph.D. - President & Executive Director, T-REX Andrew Kersten, Ph.D. - Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, University of Missouri-St. Louis Justin Bennett - President & CEO, Geodata IT --Credits-- Episode written, directed, and edited by T-REX Staff Music: HappyNES by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com Cover Art: Jocelyn Edwards *This episode was produced with the tools our team members had available in their homes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.*