a Better Bubble™
I was extremely lucky to (VIDEO) chat about platform co-ops with Nathan Schneider, Assistant Professor at University of Colorado Boulder.
Nathan is the Author of Everything for Everyone: The Radical Tradition that Is Shaping the Next Economy and Co-editor of Ours to Hack and to Own: The Rise of Platform Cooperativism, a New Vision for the Future of Work and a Fairer Internet.
The interview was conducted on the 25th October 2021 and was originally intended to be just recorded for notes of our conversation "on background" while I was researching a student (Mizzou) journalism assignment into Broadband Co-ops.
That original story got abandoned but this conversation was so interesting, Nathan kindly gave me permission to convert our call into an audio episode and publish on EQ.
The interview has been edited for clarity.
We discuss lots of interesting stuff, from topics such as new legislation passed in 2021 that improves crowdfunding options for startups and what it's like to run a platform co-op, to how blockchain innovation overlaps with the cooperative mission to create stakeholder led companies.
According to this list from GiftAMeal, businesses such as the Tower Grove Creamery, Reconstruction Coffee, Pappy’s Smokehouse and La Nouveau Macaron of St. Louis are all shipping nationally, so you can literally gift a meal while GiftAMeal-ing.
Age is no barrier for 88 year old entrepreneur Ray Barrett.
Two years after a golf ball he designed hit store shelves through a deal with Callaway Golf Co, Barrett is taking another swing with a new golf ball technology.
His new patented “Pin Point” golf ball design, meant to help golfers improve putting accuracy, is the result of a 2019 rule change that allows golfers to leave the flagstick in the hole while they putt.
St. Louis based Research Scientist and Entrepreneur Nadia Shakoor, CEO and Founder of Agrela Ecosystems develops a crop sensing and monitoring platform PheNode.
PheNode automates phenotyping, which is the process of understanding health traits of the plants such as height, size and health under various conditions.
This technology will help farmers and cultivators to monitor and analyze their plant health.
Akeem Shannon’s St. Louis Startup ”Flipstik” goes from TV show “Shark Tank” to make $100,000 a week.
Flipstik - a mobile phone accessory serving as many tools has grown and expanded operations.
Flipstik has been fortunate enough to win an Arch Grant and UMSL DEI of $50,000, which they believe that St. Louis has favoured its growth and success thus far.
The founder of Clockwork was awarded $50,000 from Arch Grants, which also comes with a condition to relocate operations to St. Louis for at least a year.
However, plans changed and his vision at St. Louis was short-lived due to the racial discrimination.
When technology startup TCARE won an Arch Grant in 2019, it was headquartered in Wisconsin and had four full-time employees.
Two years later, it is based in St. Louis and counts 78 full-time staffers.
The $50,000 Arch Grant was a boost to the startup that produces evidence-based analytics program for social workers, care managers and care coordinators.
Backed by a 1.4 Million federal grant by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the National Science Foundation, this will be integrated with PheNode that automatically captures crop data.
Check out the full story by Nicholas Phillips on St. Louis Magazine.
Wellston Station, a historic remnant of a buzzling streetcar network built in St. Louis by United Railways Co. in 1909 is one of the few remaining buildings from the network.
The station is identified as a symbol of identity in the Wellston Loop and a significant reminder of the old streetcar infrastructure. The Wellston area was known to be the “shopping mecca of the region in the mid-20th century and, at the end of the line where anyone would get off the streetcar network, Wellston Station captured the hearts of the townsfolk.
The St. Louis Land Re-utilization Authority had owned the building since 2006 until a buyer was found. Recently, the nonprofit Audubon Associates and Friendly Temple Church invested in the Wellston Station with a plan to preserve the building’s historic features whilst modernizing the building with a ground floor restaurant and conference rooms in the upper floor.
A vintage car retrofitted for dining is planned to be added for a different experience. Additionally a playground and green space are planned for the neighboring lot.
Check out the full story by Jacob Barker on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
St. Louis-based PierianDx has been able to raise $30 million in financing. Launched in 2014, PierianDx was spun out of Washington University.
PierianDx's software and services provide clinical genomic analysis for treatment of complex diseases.
New York-based health care investment firm OrbiMed, Health Catalyst Capital, Research Triangle Institute, Inova Health System, ATW Partners and SJF Ventures have invested in PierianDx.
Lauren Risley, Real Estate Agent of St. Louis, goes the extra mile for her clients to give them the dream homes in “Call the Closer” the hybrid show for HGTV.
Risley, who buys the houses and renovates them to fit the description of a “dream home” once, has been a finance professional.
From buying her first house at the age of 19, Risley now works with a team that could deliver the surprise of the dream homes, and takes pride in showing off St. Louis.
Check out the full story by Daniel Nenan on the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
However, difficulty hiring tech talent, stunted Eateria’s growth. But, it led to the launch of a new business venture, Louis-based for-profit software development boot camp Claim Academy.
Since 2015, the boot camp has trained about 700 graduates, with Claim saying 90% have been hired for roles with an average starting salary of $72,000.
More than eight years after winning his Arch Grant, Ayeni said his connections from the program continue to help him. It was through Arch Grants that he was connected with the real estate broker that found Claim’s new Central West End headquarters.
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