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Zoom Town | Geospatial tech accelerates in St. Louis | CMU targets Parkinson’s

“We have to let go of this very office-centric culture and incorporate people who are in a lot of geographies.” — Hayden Brown, Upwork CEO 

 

Today’s itinerary:

  • Zoom Town 
  • Podcast: Your next big idea
  • Geospatial tech accelerates in St. Louis
  • A GPS tracker for your dog
  • A hub for sports tech
  • Black women and breast cancer
  • A tumor-destroying vaccine
  • CMU targets Parkinson's
  • Fueling the Future
  • Name that Flyover City!

December 17, 2020

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35,000 FOOT VIEW

Rise in remote work benefits talent between the coasts

A 15-Year-Old Entrepreneur Impresses the Sharks - Shark Tank

Image by InstagramFOTOGRAFIN from Pixabay 

 

You’ve heard the word “boomtown.” San Francisco was a boomtown in the mid 1800s during the gold rush. Now there’s a different term to describe what’s happening across the U.S.: the “Zoom Town.” In a play on words involving the web conferencing platform, Zoom Towns are places that are booming as remote work takes off.

 

According to research by the Harvard Business School, it is estimated that 16 percent or more of American workers will switch from professional offices to home offices as a direct result of COVID-19. Gartner says 74% of organizations plan to transition some of their employees to permanent remote work. Major tech companies like Facebook and Google are also projecting that their work-from-home numbers will increase dramatically.

 

So what are the cities between the coasts doing to take advantage of the opportunities that are becoming available with the rise of remote work?

Some cities, such as Indianapolis, Columbus, and St. Louis, are working with Pittsburgh-based One America Works, a nonprofit that helps fast-growing companies connect with talent and resources across the country.

 

Earlier this year, One America Works received a $1 million grant from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to help companies find the right cities for expansion.

 

One America Works is currently in the beta testing phase of a new tool designed to help folks determine which cities best meet their needs, whether it is employment, housing, or other factors. Managing Partner Patrick McKenna told Forbes, "The tech industry has never been one to shy away from the impossible, and remote work gives us the opportunity to tackle some of the most pressing, intractable business and social problems facing our country today."

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INNOVATORS PODCAST

Your next big data & AI idea is one podcast episode away

This fall we launched our inaugural Innovators Podcast with the Future of Work Initiative powered by Microsoft in Louisville. Each episode shares stories from experts at the forefront of data and artificial intelligence. Listen to gain valuable insight and inspiration for your own data strategy.

Here are a few of the most listened to episodes:

Episode 10: Serve the superuser, change the world

 

Episode 7: Data, logistics, kidney donors, and cute puppies

 

Episode 6: Data and AI is for EVERYONE

 

Episode 5: Prioritizing data to prioritize care

 

Episode 2: Can where I live impact the future of my health?

LISTEN TO MORE EPISODES
You can also listen to these episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google, or wherever else you get your podcasts.

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Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce
 

PUDDLE HOPS

Geospatial accelerator coming to St. Louis

The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and Missouri Technology Corp. are launching an accelerator in St. Louis that will focus on boosting geospatial companies. Up to eight startups will be chosen to receive $100,000 in non-dilutive grant funding, access to office space and mentorship as part of the 13-week program.

Lassie come home

If you’ve ever known the terror of your dog getting lost, you will appreciate this technology. FitBark is a GPS tracker that secures to your dog’s collar that makes the search much easier. From the mobile app, owners can see where and what their dog is doing 24/7. They can also receive an alert if the dog gets out. The Kansas City-based company is seeing an increase in business due to the pandemic.

Indy emerging as sports tech hub

It looks like Indianapolis has become a nucleus for sports tech startups. Over the past five years, investors have pumped $2.2 billion into Indiana-based startups and approximately $1.3 billion into startups based in Indianapolis specifically, according to Crunchbase data. Sports tech companies located in Indy include Upper Hand and Stick & Hand.

Black women and breast cancer

A researcher at Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center is studying the biology that makes Black women more susceptible to breast cancer. A $1.3 million grant from the Department of Defense - Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program will help Harikrishna Nakshatri, PhD identify unique biomarkers that impact Black women.

A vaccine that can destroy tumors

The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center may be onto a potential therapeutic anticancer vaccine that frees suppressed cancer-killing immune cells, enabling them to attack and destroy a tumor. Published in the journal Oncoimmunology, on October 1, 2020, the findings showed that the peptide called PD1-Vaxx, a first checkpoint inhibitor vaccine, was safe and effective in a colon cancer syngeneic animal model.

Progress in Parkinson's disease research

Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a technique for isolating cell types that are implicated in Parkinson’s disease. Separating cells of a certain type from their neighbors is thus a critical first step for researchers who want to study how the diseased neurons sense and use oxygen.

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FUELING THE FUTURE

What is fueling Flyover Country innovation? In this weekly feature, we share a variety of announcements covering funding, acquisitions, exits, grants, and everything in between. Got something to celebrate? Click here to share your story.

  • AltoIRA, a Nashville-based fintech startup that allows investors to use their individual retirement accounts to invest in startups, real estate, digital currencies and private companies has raised a $2.89 million round of funding.

  • Petrochemical company Braskem has invested $10 million to expand its U.S. Innovation and Technology (I&T) Center located in Pittsburgh. The expansion will add eight research and development laboratories to foster technologies that support catalysis, recycling, and 3D printing.

  • Iowa City-based company Pear Deck, which helps teachers plan and build interactive lessons directly from Google Drive that promote active learning in the classroom, has been acquired by GoGuardian, an education technology company based in Los Angeles, California. Pear Deck was co-founded in 2015 by Riley Eynon-Lynch and Michal Eynon-Lynch.

  • The Ford Motor Company has unveiled design plans for Michigan Central, a neighborhood-anchoring 30-acre redevelopment in Detroit that will be transformed into the mixed-use centerpiece of the new district. The walkable community is part of Ford’s plan to reshape the future of global mobility.

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NAME THAT FLYOVER CITY!

It's time for our favorite trivia game!

 

Here are this week's questions:

  1. VH1 called this happening the “Least Metal Moment” of 2004. What was it and in what city did it occur?
  2. In what could well be the saddest movie ever, Brian's Song told the story of Gale Sayers' friendship with Chicago Bears' teammate Brian Piccolo. In what city was Gale Sayers born and raised?
  3. Where can you find the last remaining antebellum hospital in the U.S.?

Click here for today's answers.

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Past Newsletters

  • Tech behind better food | Organ regeneration | Augmented reality
  • From steel to space robotics | 2021 Midwest Venture Showcase | A move to Nashville
  • Preventing medical errors | Innovating for Space | HealthTech
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