For Entrepreneurs gBETA Is A Place to Grow
Summary
They had such a sterling reputation with a large investor pool and a plethora of knowledge within the entire national organization that could be helpful to folks that go through our program.Though sponsored by the Studer Institute, the Pensacola gBETA program is run by Jonathan Kretz. Shipshape Urban Farms squeezes 3.4 acres of hydroponic crops into a shipping container for a safer, fresher, more cost-effective food source.The initial round for selection is simple.First push is keep it local, Kretz said. The goal is to develop Northwest Florida into a hub of innovation, technology and entrepreneurship, so they narrowed the search to Pensacola and the surrounding region.The second part of the vetting process considers the scalability and growth potential for businesses.Kretz admits that choosing the final five is a challenge. The program finds that repeated applications show the resilience of a founder, failing forward, and getting back up and trying again.Among businesses in the 202 cohort, RCI Health Metrics has created an automated system used by nurses to more closely monitor patients pain levels based on a distress index. Users employ the app to negotiate price and timing.Over a seven-week period, these companies will learn techniques in scalability, but the focus of the program, Kretz said, is to show the key aspects of what an investor will want to see in each of these businesses.