Endeavor’s must watch Midwest Entrepreneurs
You don’t have to live on a coast to be a successful entrepreneur. Some of the most exciting early-stage entrepreneurs and startups are shaking things up in the heart of the country, advancing industries like healthcare, software, financial technology, and many more.
Operating a successful startup is not easy. It takes funding and expertise in a specific field to bring an amazing idea to fruition. With Endeavor Scale Up, early-stage, high-growth startups are given support during their path to success. The eight-month program includes tactical workshops, entrepreneur-to-entrepreneur mentoring, and other resources to help entrepreneurs scale up quickly and thrive. If you have a flourishing startup that you want to continue scaling, Endeavor Scale Up can help you gain the attention you want from the people you need.
Here are some of the most innovative and successful early-stage entrepreneurs across the Midwest.
IncludeHealth — Cincinnati, Ohio
CEO Ryan Eder came up with the idea for IncludeHealth in 2006 when he was a senior at the University of Cincinnati. He was at the gym and noticed a man who was confined to a wheelchair, struggling to work out. He decided to dedicate his senior thesis to the concept of making exercise accessible for everyone via a piece of equipment he named The Access Strength.
After gaining popularity for his thesis, Eder graduated and submitted the design for The Access Strength to the Industrial Designers Society of America for consideration for an International Design Excellence Award. After taking home gold, Eder parlayed his win into a profitable business called IncludeHealth and built a prototype for The Access Strength in 2013. The innovative machine removes the need for dexterity while exercising, and can be used while standing or seated in a wheelchair or elsewhere.
Ryan Eder has transformed the fitness industry by making it more accessible for everyone and his company’s success was recently featured by Forbes. Realizing that technology holds the answers to accessible exercise, it’s exciting to watch his business grow.
Learn more about IncludeHealth at https://www.includehealth.com/.
AuthentiCX — Carmel, Indiana
Amy Brown has long been a mover and shaker in healthcare, public relations, policy development, startup management, and quality improvement. She’s spent more than two decades in both the public and private sectors, and noticed a void where businesses have a lot of unstructured data that could be used to improve customer relations – enter AuthentiCX.
AuthentiCX helps businesses use technology to analyze data from customer-to-business interactions. Brown and her company organizes data and gathers insights to help businesses serve their markets better. While still in its startup phase, AuthentiCX has received top clients in pharmaceuticals and healthcare and was recently honored with the Top-Rated Emerging Culture award by Powderkeg.
Learn more about AuthentiCX at https://authcx.com.
The Home Team — Cincinnati, Ohio
After running a moving company for several years, Rodney Walton and David Marsili realized something was missing. Customers didn’t just want to move their belongings from Point A to Point B, they wanted people to help with tasks such as packing, loading, and unloading while staying within their budgets.
The two put their heads together and created The Home Team platform in 2016. Customers can use the platform to find people who will provide moving and household services, including but not limited to unloading trucks and lifting heavy yard clippings. Customers can even find people to pack up their kitchens or move into dorms.
The Home Team was an instant hit, helping more than 5,000 customers in just a few years. The startup is doing their part to help the community as well by providing 1,000 jobs and counting for college students.
Learn more about The Home Team at https://hirehometeam.com.
Qualifi — Indianapolis, Indiana
As a Vice President at Viral Launch, Darrian Mikell was responsible for HR and recruiting duties. It didn’t take him long to find out how time-consuming the hiring process can be. He spent much of his time doing simple tasks such as phone interviews to screen candidates, and soon realized the importance of streamlining the process. He teamed up with his brother Devyn Mikell and two software developers to create Qualifi.
The business allows recruiters to record and send interview questions to job candidates. The candidates then use their phones to listen and respond to the questions, removing tedious issues like rescheduling and poor connection often associated with interviewing candidates.
Qualifi currently has four employees with plans to expand soon. Considering how pleased the company’s clients are thus far and it’s recent feature in Forbes for achieving maximum efficiency in recruiting, one can expect the expansion will happen sooner rather than later.
Learn more about Qualifi at https://qualifi.hr.
GoWild — Louisville, Kentucky
An avid hunter and fisherman, Brad Luttrell discovered a problem when using social media sites to get tips and find locations for his next adventure. His questions were often met with anger, and he realized that standard social media sites aren’t always safe for outdoor enthusiasts. He thought he might find an application geared toward other sportsmen, but quickly realized that the available apps didn’t focus on social media. That’s when he decided he needed to make his own.
As the creative director for OOHology at the time, Luttrell spent his off time outside of work fine-tuning his app with Chris Gleim, Zack Grimes, and Donovan Sears. In 2017, he launched the GoWild application. Along with hunting and fishing, the application services other outdoor categories, such as archery, firearms, gardening and biking. Users can click on a category to share tips, read information and connect with other users.
It’s been a wild ride for GoWild thus far. The app has partnered with Garmin, allowing users to track and share digital data and add points of interest. The response has been unbelievable with user approval and downloads are quickly increasing.
Learn more about GoWild at https://timetogowild.com.
From Early-Stage Entrepreneurs to the Next Level
These early-stage entrepreneurs know how to get the job done. They have developed ideas, organized funding, and made strategic partnerships. You can do the same with your startup by applying for the Endeavor Scale Up program and joining a network of like minded entrepreneurs.
