Startup Capital - TLH

Whether it’s the quintessential morning brew or a late afternoon pick-me-up, coffee is what fuels many an entrepreneurial dream. We brew it, drink it, crave it, and many of us can’t live without it. For some local entrepreneurs, the dream is powered by one brewhouse in particular: Catalina Café. Founded in 2010 by a couple of local entrepreneurs, Catalina Café is a gourmet coffee shop that’s grown quickly from their first location on Capital Circle. Patrons of Catalina know that they can depend on a consistent experience that the owners, Maurice Moulton and Trish Allaire, have worked hard to create. Their coffee is locally-roasted and fresh-ground, and their menu features a list of sandwiches, baked goods and other delicacies that pair nicely with any of Catalina’s signature drinks. Soon, they’ll be opening a large scale roasting operation and tasting room in Tallahassee’s up-and-coming south side, where they will expand their production volume and also begin offering coffee roasting and tasting classes for locals. Startup Capital host Alissa McShane spoke to co-founder and coffee expert Maurice Moulton to find out the secret behind Catalina’s consistently delicious coffee, and their rapid growth.

Founded in 2017, The Jim Moran School of Entrepreneurship at Florida State University is part of an ongoing effort to bring entrepreneurship to the forefront of undergrad education at the institution. The School is home to the new entrepreneurship majors at Florida State, as well entrepreneurship programs for non-majors and university faculty. Dr. Susan Fiorito, the Jim Moran School’s director, is in charge of sustaining and scaling the school’s growth and finding new opportunities for its students. A lifelong entrepreneur herself, Fiorito has been teaching entrepreneurship and advocating for entrepreneurial education for nearly the past decade. For season 3, episode 6 of the Startup Capital podcast, host Alissa McShane sat down with Fiorito to learn more about her story, and to chat entrepreneurship and education in the capital city. To hear Dr. Fiorito’s advice for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and find out how “saying yes and figuring it out later” can pay off, listen-in this episode of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft.

Most people would say that the best part about a good night's sleep is waking up feeling refreshed, energized, and ready to meet the challenges of the day. A good night's sleep can set you up for success, while waking up on the wrong side of the bed can set you up for, well, a different result. If you're using sub-par sleeping gear, that well-rested feeling in the morning might be overshadowed by an acute pain in the neck. According to today's guests, a lumpy old pillow is one big cause of poor sleep, and plenty of other health complaints as well. Founded by Tallahassee locals Adrianne and Aaron Kautz, One Fresh Pillow is a local startup that designs and manufactures what they're calling the last brand of pillow you'll ever buy. Host Alissa McShane sat down with the Kautzes to talk branding, marketing, product development, and more during this episode of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft.

It’s no secret that Tallahassee has become a destination for craft beer lovers. While Florida's coasts may have a greater volume of breweries, the 850 region has produced an impressive number of award-winning beers recently, and the scene has grown rapidly over the past decade. There are now five commercial-scale brewing operations in Tallahassee, with several more on the way. For local residents, it’s easier than ever to stop by their favorite tasting room for a pint, or pick up a six-pack of local beer at a grocery store. This wasn’t always the case, and for a long time the closest craft breweries were in cities like Apalachicola and Gainesville. That changed with the opening of Proof Brewing Co’s original location in 2012. Since then, four new tasting rooms have opened and the market for locally-brewed craft beer in Tallahassee has exploded. Proponents of craft beer say that breweries aid local growth by creating jobs and bringing tourism dollars into the city. As we found out, they also bring the different parts of Tallahassee together, creating a unifying effect for local neighborhoods. Together, these breweries contribute to a craft beer community here in Tallahassee, that’s been deemed Florida’s “Craft Capital.” To hear from Proof, Grasslands, Ology, Lake Tribe, and Deep Brewing, listen-in to Season 3, Episode 4 of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft.

  High-tech startups get all the attention here in the U.S., but the fact remains that many new businesses aren’t related to technology at all. Thousands of companies open up shop each year in America ranging from law firms to barbershops to martini bars. And let’s not forget the food industry. Here in Tallahassee, one local organization helps food-related businesses get started by providing space, advice, and networks to “micro-businesses” from around the 850. Focused on aiding businesses from the surrounding Frenchtown neighborhood, The KitchenShare Incubator at the Frenchtown Heritage Hub Farmer’s Market has been giving food startups a healthy push since 2014. By providing resources and expertise to local food and agriculture businesses, they're helping revitalize a historic Tallahassee neighborhood. Season 3 host Alissa McShane spoke with Interim Director Samahdi Jones and Market Manager Lauren Chappel to find out how KitchenShare is making an impact locally. To learn more about the KitchenShare Incubator, and to find out how you can get involved in local food entrepreneurship, tune in to Season 3, Episode 3 of the Startup Capital Podcast by Cuttlesoft. Support for Startup Capital comes from WFSU Public Media. Season 3, Episode 3 Links: KitchenShare Incubator Frenchtown Heritage Hub Olio Food Sharing App Red Hills Online Market Food Not Bombs Tallahassee Oasis Center for Women and Girls Living Classroom

For Season 3, Episode 2 of the Startup Capital podcast, we interviewed two founders poised to disrupt a product that’s been all but stagnant for years: mouthwash. Anyone who drinks as much coffee as your average entrepreneur knows that mouthwash is essential for getting that minty-fresh feel, but what about when you’re on the go? Once you leave the house, your options for freshening your breath are far more limited. That’s where our guests for this episode come in. Founded by FSU graduates Nick Telford and Michael Bracciale, Fly Mouthwash is a concentrated solution that lets you rinse and clean out your mouth without having to lug around an entire bottle of mouthwash.  The pair has been working hard to bring their product idea to market for the past few years, and in 2017, they secured a seed investment which allowed them to complete their first manufacturing run. Now, Fly Mouthwash can be found in stores locally and online on Amazon.com. Fast forward to 2018, and they've sold over 1,200 bottles and received more than 80 five-star reviews. But as you'll find out, it took luck, years of hard work, and a healthy dose of persistence for them to get where they are today. Season three host Alissa McShane sat down with Telford and Bracciale to learn what it took to get their idea off the ground, and what they plan to do next. To hear from Fly Mouthwash’s founders, and to find out the story behind the success, tune in to Season 3, Episode 2 of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft. Support for Startup Capital comes from WFSU Public Media.

"Hey babe, can I buy a drone?" Alex and Chelsea Workman have been living here in Tallahassee for just over four years. In that short time, their work has made them "Tallahassee's famous." As digital media storytellers, the Workmans help people tell their stories. Alex does this through photography and video. Chelsea prefers to work behind the scenes - producing content and putting together the final product. Together, their expertise culminates in The Workmans, the family's own brand and creative production agency. Along with their son, Keegan (the "unofficial junior mayor of Tallahassee") they work to help Tallahassee businesses and individuals tell their stories. On top of that, their viral Aerial Tallahassee series has given Tallahassee the identity residents were craving. "There was this mental transition that happened from 'I want to learn to love where I live,' to 'I want to create a place that I want to live.'" To learn about how this dynamic young couple has made such a big impact in Tallahassee in a such a short time, tune in to Season 3, Episode 1 of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft. Stay tuned after the show for a short announcement about the prizes coming to a few lucky Startup Capital fans! We're holding a drawing for Startup Capital newsletter subscribers featuring prizes from Startup Capital and the Workmans. Visit startupcapital.cuttlesoft.com/subscribe to enter to win!

How will the 2018 Tax bill affect new and small businesses? Back in December, the GOP-sponsored tax bill titled the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017" was signed into law after a relatively quick journey through both houses of Congress. The bill, containing long-awaited tax cuts and reform, has several stipulations which will affect small businesses and startups during the 2018 tax season. This bill, while the subject of intense debate, is going to affect next year's taxes, and there are ways businesses should prepare. To find out which aspects of this bill are relevant for startups and small businesses, we brought in David White, CPA and Partner with Carr, Riggs and Ingram. In this 10-minute bonus episode of Startup Capital, we asked David how this bill will affect startups, and how the playing field for all businesses will be shifting in 2018.

Welcome to the Startup Capital Season 2 finale! This is our Season 2 capstone episode, which means that instead of interviewing individual founders and leaders, we’ll be closely examining one company in particular: UberOps. UberOps is a healthcare IT firm that’s been growing steadily since its debut in 2004. From helping share data between hospitals, to tracking diseases for the federal government, to creating new tools to tackle newborn health, UberOps has its hands on important work that spans the globe – and they do it all from right here in Tallahassee. For Season 2, Episode 9 of the Startup Capital podcast, we decided to take a close look at this rapidly growing company. We spoke to the team to discover how their human approach to technology has helped them build a reputation as a global leader in healthcare IT. To find out the UberOps recipe for success, and their model for growth in Tallahassee, tune-in to Season 2, Episode 9 of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft.  

Engineering Agility in K-12 Every parent wants their child to succeed. That means making sure they’re equipped with the right skills and the right attitudes for the modern world. For parents looking to nurture an interest in technology and in-demand STEM careers, it’s hard to know where to start.   K-12 schools recognize the importance of STEM skills, and they certainly want to modernize their curricula. The problem is that institutional boundaries and lack of funding make change difficult and slow. It’s clear that to stay competitive, our education system needs to pivot, and fast.   “We need to change the way we teach teachers how to teach.”   For Season 2, Episode 8, of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft, we spoke with two people working to turn things around locally.   Miranda Manning is the Recruitment Coordinator for the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. Meagan Bonnell is the Tallahassee Director of CodeCraft Works, a K-12 coding program. Together, they’re working on local initiatives to make sure that local students don’t get left behind.   To get the full scoop on K-12 STEM education in Tallahassee, and what’s being done to help our educational system adapt to the 21st century, tune-in to Season 2, Episode 8 of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft.   Support for Cuttlesoft comes from WFSU Public Media.     S2E8 Links CodeCraft Works FAMU-FSU College of Engineering  Steamhack Tallahassee Startup Week Raspberry Pi Arduino

What are the building blocks of a startup community? Beyond infrastructure (coworking, incubators, accelerators, VC funds, etc.), a community needs people. Without passionate entrepreneurs and talented people, infrastructure can go so far. Many cities around the U.S., Tallahassee included, face steep talent shortages in tech. According to the TechHire website, hundreds of IT jobs currently sit vacant in Leon County. So how can Tallahassee build up its IT workforce? For season 2, episode 7 of the Startup Capital Podcast, host Lucas Lindsey spoke with a couple people working towards an answer. Ryan Kopinsky is a local developer, tech advocate, and director of I/O Avenue, Tallahassee's newest coding bootcamp. I/O Avenue is a partnership between Domi Station, FAMU, and the Office of Mayor Andrew Gillum. The program seeks to provide an alternative option for residents looking to learn IT skills and even start new careers in tech. Joining Ryan was Jim McShane, executive director of CareerSource Capital Region. CareerSource collects data on local hiring demand, and uses it to connect local businesses with qualified candidates. To learn more about I/O Avenue, and to hear Kopinsky and McShane's thoughts on the local IT workforce, listen in to season 2, episode 7 of the Startup Capital podcast by Cuttlesoft.

The Domi Story How a milestone for TLH startups came to be. Today we're bringing you a story that's pivotal to tech and startups in Tallahassee: the founding of Domi Station. Established in 2014, Tallahassee's first privately-operated startup incubator and coworking space marked the beginning of a community that continues to grow and evolve. We sat down at GrassLands Brewery with Micah Widen and Jake Kiker, two of Domi's founding members, to find out how it all began. What you're about to hear was originally recorded in 2016. Our current host, Lucas Lindsey, was not yet a part of the picture, and producer Nick Farrell is on the host mic. Due to some recording issues (who's idea was it to record in a bar anyway?), we decided not to release the episode at the time. But now, in celebration of Domi's 3rd anniversary, the time is right. Click the player just below to find out the story behind Domi, the origin of its name, and what it took to get it off the ground. You'll also hear a *Disclaimer: There is some mild profanity in this episode.* E6 Links Domi Station GrassLands Brewery The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship Launch Florida

Life after revenue How do you know when your startup is working? Is it when you start making money? Is it when someone tells you that it's working? Is it when you believe that it's working? Most people would choose option "A" - a business is working when it's making money. That's why for Episode 5 of Season 2 of Startup Capital, we spoke with two Tallahassee startups who've discovered how to go from idea to revenue. Both of the businesses featured in this episode have made it past the early stages of starting up, and now, they're looking to scale.   Our first guest is an apparel company with a socially-impactful mission. DivvyUp Socks manufactures custom-designed socks and donates a pair for each sale. Founded as an FSU class project by Mitch Nelson and Jason McIntosh, DivvyUp now sells custom socks all over the world. FullScaleNano is another mid-stage startup founded right here in Tallahassee. This team of scientists and business leaders creates quality assurance software for companies who work with nanomaterials. The process of analyzing electron microscope images of nanomaterials used to take dozens of hours. Now, their NanoMet software does it automatically. For Episode 5 of Season 2 of Startup Capital, our host Lucas Lindsey talked with DivvyUp's Jason McIntosh and Mitch Nelson, and FullScaleNano CEO Jodi Chase about the decisions and strategies that put them on the road to success. Episode Five Links FullScaleNano NanoMet DivvyUp Socks The Jim Moran Institute for Global Entrepreneurship InNOLEvation® Challenge  

Tallahassee has three centers of higher learning within its limits: FSU, FAMU, and TCC. Based on the number of students who live here, one would think that local businesses would be flush with young graduates. The reality is a bit more complicated. In spite of such a large talent pool, many companies can't find the talent they need. For businesses in science and technology, this is especially damaging. If a technology company can't recruit a technically-proficient workforce, how can it thrive? Like many small cities, Tallahassee is pushing to become more tech-focused and entrepreneurial. If this is ever going to happen, local businesses need a steady stream of candidates to recruit from. Since many students view Tallahassee as simply a stepping-stone to larger cities, this is a challenge. For Episode 4 of Startup Capital, Season 2, our host Lucas Lindsey spoke with local leaders Ebrahim Randeree and Jay Revell to try to understand the challenges facing local recruiters. Ebrahim Randeree (or Ebe, as he's known around campus) is an Associate Dean of FSU's College of Communication and Information. An advocate for local business, Randeree is behind many of the university's talent-focused initiatives. Jay Revell is Vice President of the Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce. Through this role, Revell works to make sure that students see a side of the city that they would otherwise never be exposed to. To find out how local businesses can better position themselves to hire recent grads and improve Tallahassee's reputation among students, listen in. This podcast was brought to you by Cuttlesoft, the idea-driven developers. Episode 4 Links Florida State University's School of Communication and Information The Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce RMS HWind Tallahassee Job Hop Knight Creative Communities Institute Launch Florida Ebe Randeree on Twitter Jay Revell on Twitter  

When a company's culture makes the news, it usually isn't because its employees are happy, healthy, and hard-working. More often, you hear about crushing corporate offices or "bro-centric" startups. That doesn't mean that workplace culture sucks everywhere -- it just means that examples of bad culture garner more press. Most companies strive for a healthy culture, and those who do see higher performance and better employee retention. For Episode 3 of Startup Capital, Season 2, we interviewed two growing local companies who've made culture a priority. Mindy Perkins is CEO and President of VR Systems, an employee-owned elections technology firm that prides itself on employee unity and buy-in. Tom Derzypolski is President of BowStern Marketing Communications, whose "culture of leading with kindness" has been a focus from day one. To find out how these two business leaders empower employees and keep them engaged, listen in. Episode Three Links VR Systems Bow Stern Marketing Communications

For Episode 2 of Startup Capital, Season 2, we reached out to someone who knows the intricacies of Tallahassee's ecosystem better than anyone: Tallahassee Mayor Andrew Gillum. Elected to the mayor's office in April, 2013, Gillum has been the driving force behind a number of local initiatives, both civic and economic. Most recently, Gillum began a community-wide initiative called the Tallahassee Innovation Partnership (TIP). Spearheaded by Gillum's office, the TIP seeks to connect the city's different institutions with innovative new businesses in town. Kicking off the TIP was an innovation pitch night, which gave local entrepreneurs the opportunity to pitch their startups to the community. This is a step towards solving one issue that we've identified here through Startup Capital: a disconnect between the local startup scene and many of the city's economic players in government and higher education. Two weeks after that Pitch Night, our host Lucas Lindsey sat down with Mayor Gillum for an honest conversation about Tallahassee's past, present, and future as a home for startups and entrepreneurship. Listen in to learn more about Gillum's plans for infusing the local tech scene with life, building innovation locally, and bringing new opportunity to the Startup Capital. This podcast was brought to you by Cuttlesoft, the idea-driven developers. Follow us on Twitter: Mayor Andrew Gillum Lucas Lindsey Cuttlesoft   Episode One Links: Tallahassee's Innovation Pitch Night Kicking-Off the Tallahassee Innovation Partnership From Government Town to Innovation Capital  

*Disclaimer: This podcast was recorded via live webcam, and the audio does suffer from some interference. We apologize for any distraction that this may cause.* Reflection and planning are deeply intertwined — in order to move forward, you have to know where you’re coming from. That was the premise behind the first ever podcast episode of the Startup Capital series. Startup Capital TLH, founded mid 2016, began as an interview series focused on spotlighting and supporting Tallahassee startups and entrepreneurs. Now, it’s coming to your ears in podcast form. In this introductory episode, Lucas Lindsay, executive director at Domi Station and the host of Startup Capital Season 2, speaks with Cuttlesoft’s Frank Valcarcel, Emily Morehouse-Valcarcel, and Nick Farrell about the origin, goals, and outcomes of the series. Before jumping in, each participant took time to study the interviews of Season 1 to determine the major themes of the Season 1 interviews. Those themes include: Startup culture Entrepreneurial ecosystems Talent acquisition and retention Tech education Diversity & inclusion In this cross-country conversation between Lindsey and Farrell in Tallahassee and the Valcarcels in Denver, CO, these themes are discussed and dissected. How are entrepreneurs making the most of Tallahassee’s business resources? How can universities better adapt to the changing demands of the workplace? Tune in to learn the answers to these questions and others during Startup Capital: Season 2, Episode 1. Follow us on Twitter: Cuttlesoft Lucas Lindsey Nick Farrell Frank Valcarcel Emily Morehouse-Valcarcel   Episode One Links: Interviews: Jessica Lowe-Minor with INIE Dr. Gary Ostrander Keith Bowers with the SBDC Matt O’Hagan and Christian Pelaez Espinosa Mark Powell with Hwind Dustin Daniels with the Mayor’s Office   Resources: The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) at Florida A&M University (FAMU) The Entrepreneurial Excellence Program Domi Station’s Get Started Program Florida State University’s (fantastic) CS department The Tallahassee Chamber of Commerce Workforce Development at Tallahassee Community College HackFSU TechNole Florida Hackers The Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence