i&e magazine winter 2011

Innovators & Entrepreneurs

O K L A H O M A’ S A D V A N C E D T E C H N O L O G Y M A G A Z I N E W I N T E R 2 0 1 1

NEW SPACES and NEW FACES

OKC increases services and resources for local high growth entrepreneurs

INSIDE

i&E ProfilesDermaMedics 4

Failsafe Hazmat Compliance 6Expert TA 8

WeGoLook.com 10

12 Cover StoryTake a virtual stroll through the

remodeled Oklahoma City offices of i2E to gain insight into its expanded

services for entrepreneurs.

18 i2E BlogIn its new blog, i2E’s team members and guest bloggers have an ongoing conversation on the challenges and

rewards of building a successful high growth business.

22 The Power of 2The Greater Oklahoma City

Chamber and i2E have united their efforts to help entrepreneurs in a new Office of Entrepreneurial

Development.

24 Partners

innovators & Entrepreneurs is produced by i2E, Inc., manager of the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center. For more information on any content contained herein, please contact i2E at 800-337-6822. © Copyright 2011 i2E, Inc. All rights reserved.

405-297-8900 | www.greateroklahomacity.com

OKLAHOMA CITY:Fortune Small Business Magazine’s

“Best Place to Launch” a Business

Our value for startups and

entrepreneurs extends far beyond our

low cost of doing business. A stable

& diverse economy, business-friendly

partnerships and low cost of living are

just a few of the benefi ts to working

and living in Oklahoma City. As our list

of accolades keeps growing, so does

your potential success in Oklahoma

City. Give us a call and fi nd out how

OKC can help launch your success.

INSIDE

i&E ProfilesDermaMedics 4

Failsafe Hazmat Compliance 6Expert TA 8

WeGoLook.com 10

12 Cover StoryTake a virtual stroll through the

remodeled Oklahoma City offices of i2E to gain insight into its expanded

services for entrepreneurs.

18 i2E BlogIn its new blog, i2E’s team members and guest bloggers have an ongoing conversation on the challenges and

rewards of building a successful high growth business.

22 The Power of 2The Greater Oklahoma City

Chamber and i2E have united their efforts to help entrepreneurs in a new Office of Entrepreneurial

Development.

24 Partners

innovators & Entrepreneurs is produced by i2E, Inc., manager of the Oklahoma Technology Commercialization Center. For more information on any content contained herein, please contact i2E at 800-337-6822. © Copyright 2011 i2E, Inc. All rights reserved.

405-297-8900 | www.greateroklahomacity.com

OKLAHOMA CITY:Fortune Small Business Magazine’s

“Best Place to Launch” a Business

Our value for startups and

entrepreneurs extends far beyond our

low cost of doing business. A stable

& diverse economy, business-friendly

partnerships and low cost of living are

just a few of the benefi ts to working

and living in Oklahoma City. As our list

of accolades keeps growing, so does

your potential success in Oklahoma

City. Give us a call and fi nd out how

OKC can help launch your success.

Fall 2010 i&E 3

ABOUT i2E A Letter From the Presidenti2E TEAM

The i2E management and staff is com-posed of professionals with extensive experience in technology commercial-ization, business development, venture investing, fi nance, organizational.

Tom Walker President and CEO

David Thomison Vice President, Investments

Rex Smitherman Vice President, Operations

Wayne Embree Vice President, Entrepreneur Services

Sarah Seagraves Vice President, Marketing

Tom Francis Director, Investment Funds

David Daviee Director, Finance

Richard Gajan Senior Executive Advisor

Richard Rainey Executive Advisor

Casey Harness Business Analyst

Kenneth Knoll Manager, Concept Funds

Scott Thomas IT Manager

Grady Epperly Marketing Manager

Michael Kindrat-Pratt Coordinator, SeedStep Angels

Jim Stafford Communications Specialist

Cindy Williams Investment Assistant

Jennifer Buettner Executive Assistant

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Roy Williams Chairman, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

Michael LaBrie Secretary, McAfee & Taft

Howard Barnett, Jr. Oklahoma State University - Tulsa

Leslie Batchelor The Center for Economic Development Law

James Bode Bank of Oklahoma, N.A.

Mike Carolina OCAST

Bob Craine TSF Capital, LLC

Steve Cropper

Phil Eller Eller Detrich, P.C.

Suzette Hatfi eld Crawley Ventures

David Hogan Hogan Taylor, LLP

Phil Kurtz Benefi t Informatics

Hershel Lamirand, III Oklahoma Health Center Foundation

Merl Lindstrom ConocoPhilips, Inc.

Dan Luton OCAST

Scott Meacham Crowe & Dunlevy

Fred Morgan The State Chamber

Mike Neal Tulsa Metro Chamber

David Pitts Stillwater National Bank

Mark Poole Summit Bank

Stephen Prescott OMRF

Darryl Schmidt BancFirst

Sheri Stickley OKBio

Wes Stucky Ardmore Industrial Development Authority

Dick Williamson TD Williamson, Inc.

Duane Wilson LDW Services, LLC

Don Wood Norman Economic Development Coalition

For more than four months, the daily hum of business in i2E’s Oklahoma City offi ces was accompanied by the sounds of walls being demolished, drills, sanders and the occasional outbreak of hammering. It was music to my ears. i2E’s Oklahoma City offi ce has undergone a remarkable transformation that was completed in mid February. It has left us better equipped than ever to deliver our venture based advisory services, access to capital and entrepreneurial development programs. Th e expanded and remodeled space in the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park was accomplished in the wake of the $1 million grant i2E was awarded by the federal Economic Development Administration. Together with matching funds from fi ve Oklahoma City area partners – Greater OKC Chamber, City of OKC, Oklahoma Business Roundtable, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and the Presbyterian Health Foundation – we have expanded our capabilities and services to Oklahoma entrepreneurs. In this issue of i&E magazine, you will take a virtual walk-through of our offi ce space and see how it is being used by our team of business advisory professionals, investment team and start-up companies. Part of the expansion of our services to entrepreneurs includes a joint initiative with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber to open an Offi ce of Entrepreneurial Development that will provide more resources and assistance for entrepreneurs in high growth sectors.

Elsewhere in this issue, we profi le four up-and-coming high growth companies. Two of those, Failsafe Hazmat Compliance and Expert TA are based in Tulsa and take unique approaches to solve two very diff erent problems. Failsafe has developed an easily accessible online database for shippers of hazardous materials and the shipping regulations that governmen them. Expert TA has created perhaps the fi rst software that is capable of providing human-like, partial credit grading of complex math and science problems. From Oklahoma City, we profi le DermaMedics and WeGoLook.com, companies that also tackle varied consumer problems. DermaMedics is commercializing topical treatments for prevention of burns and other skin issues. WeGoLook.com has developed an online application that off ers consumers an inexpensive way to verify property, items sold online and even online dates. Finally, we off er a sampling of blog posts from our new i2E blog that discuss challenges facing emerging growth companies and provides pertinent advice on resources to help entrepreneurs work smarter, not harder. I know that you will enjoy the varied viewpoints of our team and guest bloggers. After you’ve read this edition of i&E magazine, you are welcome to make plans to come to our Oklahoma City offi ces any time and take your own walk through of our innovative new space.

i2E’s award winning suite of business and advi-sory services, access to capital and entrepre-neurial development programs are all designed to help us accomplish our mission: home grown economic development by nurturing the growth of advanced technology companies in Oklahoma. In the past year we have enhanced the ser-vices we provide by adding new employees to carry out our mission and tapping new sources of funding that will allow us to deepen our positive impact upon Oklahoma’s economy. With a $1 million grant from the Federal Eco-nomic Development Administration and matching funds from fi ve local partners – the Greater Okla-homa City Chamber, the city of Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable, and Presbyteri-an Health Foundation – i2E is creating a “Quick Launch” program that will provide additional ser-vices at key stages of companies’ development. i2E continues to maintain a large role in pro-viding access to capital for Oklahoma’s tech-nology-based entrepreneurs. The impact of our investment programs is demonstrated by the fact that over the past decade i2E clients received 90% of all venture capital invested in Oklahoma technology companies. We manage two state-appropriated funds and a private angel investment group that was organized in the spring of 2009. Together, i2E funding sources – the Tech-nology Business Finance Program, the Oklaho-ma Seed Capital Fund and the SeedStep Angels group – provide critical proof of concept fund-ing, seed and start-up equity fi nancing and pri-vate equity funding for Oklahoma’s high growth companies. i2E’s role in developing new entrepreneurial talent for Oklahoma also is evolving. We are pre-paring to manage the seventh annual Donald W. Reynolds’ Governor’s Cup business plan competi-tion, while expanding the number of i2E Fellows we will name in 2011. Our efforts to build Oklahoma’s innovation economy have won national and international acclaim. In the past two years, we have been rec-ognized with awards from both the Internation-al Economic Development Council and the State Science and Technology Institute. We continue to turn Innovation to Enterprise for Oklahoma – i2E.

www.i2E.org facebook.com/OKGOVCUPtwitter.com/i2E_Inc

Fall 2010 i&E 3

ABOUT i2E A Letter From the Presidenti2E TEAM

The i2E management and staff is com-posed of professionals with extensive experience in technology commercial-ization, business development, venture investing, fi nance, organizational.

Tom Walker President and CEO

David Thomison Vice President, Investments

Rex Smitherman Vice President, Operations

Wayne Embree Vice President, Entrepreneur Services

Sarah Seagraves Vice President, Marketing

Tom Francis Director, Investment Funds

David Daviee Director, Finance

Richard Gajan Senior Executive Advisor

Richard Rainey Executive Advisor

Casey Harness Business Analyst

Kenneth Knoll Manager, Concept Funds

Scott Thomas IT Manager

Grady Epperly Marketing Manager

Michael Kindrat-Pratt Coordinator, SeedStep Angels

Jim Stafford Communications Specialist

Cindy Williams Investment Assistant

Jennifer Buettner Executive Assistant

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Roy Williams Chairman, Greater Oklahoma City Chamber

Michael LaBrie Secretary, McAfee & Taft

Howard Barnett, Jr. Oklahoma State University - Tulsa

Leslie Batchelor The Center for Economic Development Law

James Bode Bank of Oklahoma, N.A.

Mike Carolina OCAST

Bob Craine TSF Capital, LLC

Steve Cropper

Phil Eller Eller Detrich, P.C.

Suzette Hatfi eld Crawley Ventures

David Hogan Hogan Taylor, LLP

Phil Kurtz Benefi t Informatics

Hershel Lamirand, III Oklahoma Health Center Foundation

Merl Lindstrom ConocoPhilips, Inc.

Dan Luton OCAST

Scott Meacham Crowe & Dunlevy

Fred Morgan The State Chamber

Mike Neal Tulsa Metro Chamber

David Pitts Stillwater National Bank

Mark Poole Summit Bank

Stephen Prescott OMRF

Darryl Schmidt BancFirst

Sheri Stickley OKBio

Wes Stucky Ardmore Industrial Development Authority

Dick Williamson TD Williamson, Inc.

Duane Wilson LDW Services, LLC

Don Wood Norman Economic Development Coalition

For more than four months, the daily hum of business in i2E’s Oklahoma City offi ces was accompanied by the sounds of walls being demolished, drills, sanders and the occasional outbreak of hammering. It was music to my ears. i2E’s Oklahoma City offi ce has undergone a remarkable transformation that was completed in mid February. It has left us better equipped than ever to deliver our venture based advisory services, access to capital and entrepreneurial development programs. Th e expanded and remodeled space in the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park was accomplished in the wake of the $1 million grant i2E was awarded by the federal Economic Development Administration. Together with matching funds from fi ve Oklahoma City area partners – Greater OKC Chamber, City of OKC, Oklahoma Business Roundtable, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, and the Presbyterian Health Foundation – we have expanded our capabilities and services to Oklahoma entrepreneurs. In this issue of i&E magazine, you will take a virtual walk-through of our offi ce space and see how it is being used by our team of business advisory professionals, investment team and start-up companies. Part of the expansion of our services to entrepreneurs includes a joint initiative with the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber to open an Offi ce of Entrepreneurial Development that will provide more resources and assistance for entrepreneurs in high growth sectors.

Elsewhere in this issue, we profi le four up-and-coming high growth companies. Two of those, Failsafe Hazmat Compliance and Expert TA are based in Tulsa and take unique approaches to solve two very diff erent problems. Failsafe has developed an easily accessible online database for shippers of hazardous materials and the shipping regulations that governmen them. Expert TA has created perhaps the fi rst software that is capable of providing human-like, partial credit grading of complex math and science problems. From Oklahoma City, we profi le DermaMedics and WeGoLook.com, companies that also tackle varied consumer problems. DermaMedics is commercializing topical treatments for prevention of burns and other skin issues. WeGoLook.com has developed an online application that off ers consumers an inexpensive way to verify property, items sold online and even online dates. Finally, we off er a sampling of blog posts from our new i2E blog that discuss challenges facing emerging growth companies and provides pertinent advice on resources to help entrepreneurs work smarter, not harder. I know that you will enjoy the varied viewpoints of our team and guest bloggers. After you’ve read this edition of i&E magazine, you are welcome to make plans to come to our Oklahoma City offi ces any time and take your own walk through of our innovative new space.

i2E’s award winning suite of business and advi-sory services, access to capital and entrepre-neurial development programs are all designed to help us accomplish our mission: home grown economic development by nurturing the growth of advanced technology companies in Oklahoma. In the past year we have enhanced the ser-vices we provide by adding new employees to carry out our mission and tapping new sources of funding that will allow us to deepen our positive impact upon Oklahoma’s economy. With a $1 million grant from the Federal Eco-nomic Development Administration and matching funds from fi ve local partners – the Greater Okla-homa City Chamber, the city of Oklahoma City, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable, and Presbyteri-an Health Foundation – i2E is creating a “Quick Launch” program that will provide additional ser-vices at key stages of companies’ development. i2E continues to maintain a large role in pro-viding access to capital for Oklahoma’s tech-nology-based entrepreneurs. The impact of our investment programs is demonstrated by the fact that over the past decade i2E clients received 90% of all venture capital invested in Oklahoma technology companies. We manage two state-appropriated funds and a private angel investment group that was organized in the spring of 2009. Together, i2E funding sources – the Tech-nology Business Finance Program, the Oklaho-ma Seed Capital Fund and the SeedStep Angels group – provide critical proof of concept fund-ing, seed and start-up equity fi nancing and pri-vate equity funding for Oklahoma’s high growth companies. i2E’s role in developing new entrepreneurial talent for Oklahoma also is evolving. We are pre-paring to manage the seventh annual Donald W. Reynolds’ Governor’s Cup business plan competi-tion, while expanding the number of i2E Fellows we will name in 2011. Our efforts to build Oklahoma’s innovation economy have won national and international acclaim. In the past two years, we have been rec-ognized with awards from both the Internation-al Economic Development Council and the State Science and Technology Institute. We continue to turn Innovation to Enterprise for Oklahoma – i2E.

www.i2E.org facebook.com/OKGOVCUPtwitter.com/i2E_Inc

4 i&E Winter 2011 Winter 2011 i&E 5

FROM A KILLER DISEASE

Profiles DermaMedics

Lifesaving use of medical radiation to kill cancer cells has an unwanted side effect

that can be devastating: Radiation burns away the skin as it attacks cancer cells, re-sulting in virtually 100 percent of patients undergoing treatment to suffer painful, dis-figuring burns. The result is that treatment is often slowed or even suspended. “Some of these burns are so severe that the radiation treatment has to be halted until the patient recovers sufficiently,” said Dr. Bryan Fuller, founder and Chief Execu-tive Officer of Oklahoma City-based Der-maMedics. “They just can’t finish, they are in so much pain.” DermaMedics produces a patent-protected line of topical therapeutics that helps patients recover more quickly from the burning that re-sults from radiation treatments and laser proce-dures, and has myriad other beneficial uses. “We sell our product to a variety of cancer centers around the state,” Dr. Fuller said. “I’ve been told by radiation oncologists that for ev-

ery week you have to delay completion of the procedure, the life expectancy of that patient drops 10 percent.” The company markets its topical therapeu-tics exclusively to medical professionals and medical spas, who resell the products to their patients as over-the-counter cosmetics that improve the appearance of the skin. Clinical studies have shown that Derma-Medics’ products are effective in providing anti-inflammatory relief for a variety of con-ditions, including psoriasis, rosacea and acne, as well as anti-aging benefits. A professor in the Department of Bio-chemistry and Molecular Biology at the Uni-versity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for more than two decades, Dr. Fuller discov-ered compounds in his OU Health Sciences Center laboratory that reduced inflammation of the skin. He trademarked the technology as Therosol. Already a serial entrepreneur with previous companies MelanX and Cutanix, Dr. Fuller

retired as a full-time professor at OUHSC in 2006. He subsequently founded a company called Therametics to produce and market Thero-sol formulations that became the basis for DermaMedics. Theramet-ics sells lower-strength Therosol products directly to the public. “We’ve done clinical studies for cancer, we’ve done clinical stud-ies for psoriasis,” he said. “Our psoriasis compound will improve the psoriasis score by 50 percent in three weeks, which is better than pre-scription drugs.” DermaMedics products are sold as over-the-counter cosmetics products because the FDA does not require a long clinical trials pro-cess for products that make claims only to improve appearance. The company markets 14 products under the DermaMedics brand and 22 under the Therametics brand. Merely by word-of-mouth marketing, physicians, clinics and medi-cal spas in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas are selling DermaMedics products to their patients. One medical spa in the Tulsa area began by ordering $500 worth of product and is now ordering $10,000 monthly. “There is a tremendous demand,” he said. “Plastic surgeons, for ex-ample. They do a lot of laser work and the end result of that is burning. If you can prevent burns from X-rays, you can prevent burns from any procedure.” Still largely self-funded by its founder, the company is working to raise roughly $200,000 to build a sales force. Dr. Fuller came to i2E seeking help in attracting investors. “i2E is very proactive,” he said. “They are clearly and sincerely inter-ested in helping you.” The need for products such as DermaMedics is critical to cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment and other burn victims, Dr. Fuller said. DermaMedics fills that need.

Product or Technology: Topical anti-inflam-

matory products to prevent burns in cancer

patients and in patients undergoing cosmetic

procedures, and products to treat a variety of

common skin diseases such as psoriasis, acne,

eczema and rosacea, and skin aging.

Market: Products are designed for the bil-

lion dollar dermatology and skin care market.

Products are sold exclusively to physicians,

medical spas and cancer centers.

Future plans: DermaMedics currently has 14

products on the market and will expand its topi-

cal over-the-counter products for wound heal-

ing, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and fungal

infections over the next year.

Funding: The company has been self funded

by its founder with outside investors recently

taking advantage of a limited private place-

ment offering.

Successes: DermaMedics products have been

clinically proven to prevent radiation burns in

cancer patient, to effectively treat psoriasis

and rosacea. Its products now have been suc-

cessfully introduced to the market place with

accounts established with a number of medi-

cal spas, plastic surgeons and dermatologists

in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

www.dermamedics.com

Bryan Fuller, Ph.D.

Founder and CEO

Year started: 2010

Location: Oklahoma City

Employees: 4

SOOTHES THE SKINDERMAMEDICS

Our technology can actually prevent skin burning, whether it is a sunburn,

an X-ray or a laser procedure. – Bryan Fuller Ph.D.

Dr. Fuller with a Franz cell apparatus. A Franz cell measures the precise amount of any bioactive compound that can penetrate into the skin from a topically applied formulation.

FROM A KILLER DISEASE

Profiles DermaMedics

Lifesaving use of medical radiation to kill cancer cells has an unwanted side effect

that can be devastating: Radiation burns away the skin as it attacks cancer cells, re-sulting in virtually 100 percent of patients undergoing treatment to suffer painful, dis-figuring burns. The result is that treatment is often slowed or even suspended. “Some of these burns are so severe that the radiation treatment has to be halted until the patient recovers sufficiently,” said Dr. Bryan Fuller, founder and Chief Execu-tive Officer of Oklahoma City-based Der-maMedics. “They just can’t finish, they are in so much pain.” DermaMedics produces a patent-protected line of topical therapeutics that helps patients recover more quickly from the burning that re-sults from radiation treatments and laser proce-dures, and has myriad other beneficial uses. “We sell our product to a variety of cancer centers around the state,” Dr. Fuller said. “I’ve been told by radiation oncologists that for ev-

ery week you have to delay completion of the procedure, the life expectancy of that patient drops 10 percent.” The company markets its topical therapeu-tics exclusively to medical professionals and medical spas, who resell the products to their patients as over-the-counter cosmetics that improve the appearance of the skin. Clinical studies have shown that Derma-Medics’ products are effective in providing anti-inflammatory relief for a variety of con-ditions, including psoriasis, rosacea and acne, as well as anti-aging benefits. A professor in the Department of Bio-chemistry and Molecular Biology at the Uni-versity of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center for more than two decades, Dr. Fuller discov-ered compounds in his OU Health Sciences Center laboratory that reduced inflammation of the skin. He trademarked the technology as Therosol. Already a serial entrepreneur with previous companies MelanX and Cutanix, Dr. Fuller

retired as a full-time professor at OUHSC in 2006. He subsequently founded a company called Therametics to produce and market Thero-sol formulations that became the basis for DermaMedics. Theramet-ics sells lower-strength Therosol products directly to the public. “We’ve done clinical studies for cancer, we’ve done clinical stud-ies for psoriasis,” he said. “Our psoriasis compound will improve the psoriasis score by 50 percent in three weeks, which is better than pre-scription drugs.” DermaMedics products are sold as over-the-counter cosmetics products because the FDA does not require a long clinical trials pro-cess for products that make claims only to improve appearance. The company markets 14 products under the DermaMedics brand and 22 under the Therametics brand. Merely by word-of-mouth marketing, physicians, clinics and medi-cal spas in Oklahoma, Texas and Arkansas are selling DermaMedics products to their patients. One medical spa in the Tulsa area began by ordering $500 worth of product and is now ordering $10,000 monthly. “There is a tremendous demand,” he said. “Plastic surgeons, for ex-ample. They do a lot of laser work and the end result of that is burning. If you can prevent burns from X-rays, you can prevent burns from any procedure.” Still largely self-funded by its founder, the company is working to raise roughly $200,000 to build a sales force. Dr. Fuller came to i2E seeking help in attracting investors. “i2E is very proactive,” he said. “They are clearly and sincerely inter-ested in helping you.” The need for products such as DermaMedics is critical to cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment and other burn victims, Dr. Fuller said. DermaMedics fills that need.

Product or Technology: Topical anti-inflam-

matory products to prevent burns in cancer

patients and in patients undergoing cosmetic

procedures, and products to treat a variety of

common skin diseases such as psoriasis, acne,

eczema and rosacea, and skin aging.

Market: Products are designed for the bil-

lion dollar dermatology and skin care market.

Products are sold exclusively to physicians,

medical spas and cancer centers.

Future plans: DermaMedics currently has 14

products on the market and will expand its topi-

cal over-the-counter products for wound heal-

ing, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis and fungal

infections over the next year.

Funding: The company has been self funded

by its founder with outside investors recently

taking advantage of a limited private place-

ment offering.

Successes: DermaMedics products have been

clinically proven to prevent radiation burns in

cancer patient, to effectively treat psoriasis

and rosacea. Its products now have been suc-

cessfully introduced to the market place with

accounts established with a number of medi-

cal spas, plastic surgeons and dermatologists

in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.

www.dermamedics.com

Bryan Fuller, Ph.D.

Founder and CEO

Year started: 2010

Location: Oklahoma City

Employees: 4

SOOTHES THE SKINDERMAMEDICS

Our technology can actually prevent skin burning, whether it is a sunburn,

an X-ray or a laser procedure. – Bryan Fuller Ph.D.

Dr. Fuller with a Franz cell apparatus. A Franz cell measures the precise amount of any bioactive compound that can penetrate into the skin from a topically applied formulation.

Profiles Failsafe Hazmat Compliance

The 1996 crash of ValueJet Flight 592 claimed 110 lives in a tragedy that might have been prevented if regulations for the

shipping of hazardous materials had been followed properly. The flight was brought down when oxygen canisters improperly load-ed into a cargo hold caught fire shortly after takeoff. Tulsa-based Failsafe Hazmat Compliance is creating a suite of online databases of regulated materials that are designed to ensure that another disaster similar to the ValueJet crash doesn’t happen. Failsafe Hazmat’s digital solution replaces the error-prone manual process of matching hazardous materials to shipping regulations still in use today for the more than 1 million hazmat shipments daily. “With that manual process, mistakes happen like what hap-pened with ValueJet,” said Brad Rosenthal, founder and Presi-dent of Failsafe Hazmat Compliance. “Someone just made a mistake; they didn’t mark it right; they didn’t pack it right. It shouldn’t have been on the airplane.” A shipping agent scanning the barcode of a hazardous ma-terial into a digital database would eliminate the type of error that allowed volatile oxygen canisters to be placed in the cargo hold of ValueJet Flight 592. “If a shipping clerk attempts to ship a hazardous material on a mode of transportation that is ineligible, the software will stop him,” Rosenthal said. “If he tries to ship an amount that is too much for a particular mode, it will stop him. If he tries to ship two hazmat materials that are incompatible, it will stop him.”

Rosenthal brings his own software development expertise to Failsafe Hazmat, creating software applications that match the needs of the hazardous materials shipping industry. Software applications created by Failsafe Hazmat include:

49Online: Allows shippers to easily search the 49 Code of Federal Regulations database for all pertinent infor-mation related to a selected hazmat item.

Failsafe Aire: A database in which an administrator will set up new hazmat materials and matching shipping reg-ulations, which then can be accessed by users prepar-ing a shipment, for whom it will return correct shipping documents and instructions needed to ship the item via airfreight.

The Placarding Calculator: Designed for freight truck-ers and law enforcement, this tool takes into consider-ation all the various hazardous materials that are being shipped on a truck and then returns the needed hazmat placards that must be displayed.

Failsafe’s software replaces large, unwieldy books of regulations that shippers must manually search. It will address four regulatory sets and four modes of transportation, rail, air, truck and water vessel. “With Failsafe Hazmat, you aren’t making a dock worker dig through these behemoth rule sets,” Rosenthal said. “Our software does all the work for him.” Referred to i2E by another client, Rosenthal said the relationship has benefitted Failsafe Hazmat in numerous areas, from helping the company edit its business plan, to polishing its investment pitch and introducing it to industry experts and potential investors. Rosenthal even maintains an office in i2E’s incubator space in Tulsa. “i2E is the best investment as a technology company that I have made,” Rosenthal said. “Richard Gajan and David Thomison are rock stars, and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Product or technology: Failsafe has three

created software products – the Placarding

Calculator, Failsafe Aire and 49Online – to help

companies that ship hazardous materials comply

with various shipping regulations.

Market: The company is entering a $2 billion

worldwide market for shippers of hazardous

materials in the chemical, pharmaceutical,

energy, medical and retail industries, as well as

transportation companies.

Future plans: Failsafe anticipates its staff will

grow at a quick, but structured pace as it offers

more software solutions and sees its customer

base grow.

Funding: Failsafe has received approximately

$50,000 in funding and is currently seeking addi-

tional $125,000 from angel investors to complete

initial software development and marketing.

Successes: The company has completed two of

the four regulatory databases which could help

attract initial customers for its software. It has

significant interest from a number of companies

with its Failsafe Aire product and is working

quickly to complete it in the first quarter of 2011.

www.failsafehazmat.com

Brad RosenthalCo-founder and PresidentYear started: 2010Location: TulsaEmployees: 2

C/O: SAFETYSoftware Alerts Hazardous Shipping

i2E is the best investment as a technology company that I have made, Rosenthal said.

Richard Gajan and David Thomison are rock stars, and I couldn’t have done it without them.

– Brad Rosenthal

Profiles Failsafe Hazmat Compliance

The 1996 crash of ValueJet Flight 592 claimed 110 lives in a tragedy that might have been prevented if regulations for the

shipping of hazardous materials had been followed properly. The flight was brought down when oxygen canisters improperly load-ed into a cargo hold caught fire shortly after takeoff. Tulsa-based Failsafe Hazmat Compliance is creating a suite of online databases of regulated materials that are designed to ensure that another disaster similar to the ValueJet crash doesn’t happen. Failsafe Hazmat’s digital solution replaces the error-prone manual process of matching hazardous materials to shipping regulations still in use today for the more than 1 million hazmat shipments daily. “With that manual process, mistakes happen like what hap-pened with ValueJet,” said Brad Rosenthal, founder and Presi-dent of Failsafe Hazmat Compliance. “Someone just made a mistake; they didn’t mark it right; they didn’t pack it right. It shouldn’t have been on the airplane.” A shipping agent scanning the barcode of a hazardous ma-terial into a digital database would eliminate the type of error that allowed volatile oxygen canisters to be placed in the cargo hold of ValueJet Flight 592. “If a shipping clerk attempts to ship a hazardous material on a mode of transportation that is ineligible, the software will stop him,” Rosenthal said. “If he tries to ship an amount that is too much for a particular mode, it will stop him. If he tries to ship two hazmat materials that are incompatible, it will stop him.”

Rosenthal brings his own software development expertise to Failsafe Hazmat, creating software applications that match the needs of the hazardous materials shipping industry. Software applications created by Failsafe Hazmat include:

49Online: Allows shippers to easily search the 49 Code of Federal Regulations database for all pertinent infor-mation related to a selected hazmat item.

Failsafe Aire: A database in which an administrator will set up new hazmat materials and matching shipping reg-ulations, which then can be accessed by users prepar-ing a shipment, for whom it will return correct shipping documents and instructions needed to ship the item via airfreight.

The Placarding Calculator: Designed for freight truck-ers and law enforcement, this tool takes into consider-ation all the various hazardous materials that are being shipped on a truck and then returns the needed hazmat placards that must be displayed.

Failsafe’s software replaces large, unwieldy books of regulations that shippers must manually search. It will address four regulatory sets and four modes of transportation, rail, air, truck and water vessel. “With Failsafe Hazmat, you aren’t making a dock worker dig through these behemoth rule sets,” Rosenthal said. “Our software does all the work for him.” Referred to i2E by another client, Rosenthal said the relationship has benefitted Failsafe Hazmat in numerous areas, from helping the company edit its business plan, to polishing its investment pitch and introducing it to industry experts and potential investors. Rosenthal even maintains an office in i2E’s incubator space in Tulsa. “i2E is the best investment as a technology company that I have made,” Rosenthal said. “Richard Gajan and David Thomison are rock stars, and I couldn’t have done it without them.”

Product or technology: Failsafe has three

created software products – the Placarding

Calculator, Failsafe Aire and 49Online – to help

companies that ship hazardous materials comply

with various shipping regulations.

Market: The company is entering a $2 billion

worldwide market for shippers of hazardous

materials in the chemical, pharmaceutical,

energy, medical and retail industries, as well as

transportation companies.

Future plans: Failsafe anticipates its staff will

grow at a quick, but structured pace as it offers

more software solutions and sees its customer

base grow.

Funding: Failsafe has received approximately

$50,000 in funding and is currently seeking addi-

tional $125,000 from angel investors to complete

initial software development and marketing.

Successes: The company has completed two of

the four regulatory databases which could help

attract initial customers for its software. It has

significant interest from a number of companies

with its Failsafe Aire product and is working

quickly to complete it in the first quarter of 2011.

www.failsafehazmat.com

Brad RosenthalCo-founder and PresidentYear started: 2010Location: TulsaEmployees: 2

C/O: SAFETYSoftware Alerts Hazardous Shipping

i2E is the best investment as a technology company that I have made, Rosenthal said.

Richard Gajan and David Thomison are rock stars, and I couldn’t have done it without them.

– Brad Rosenthal

Product or technology: The company will pro-vide a Web-based homework assessment applica-tion. Expert TA’s software is capable of human-like grading of complex equations like those found in engineering, physics and math courses.

Market: Expert TA can sell directly to college stu-dents and departments at universities, and also plans to form partnerships with publishers of en-gineering, physics and mathematics textbooks.

Future plans: Expert TA currently is primarily de-signed to handle automated grading of complex work. Instructors log into the Web-based applica-tion and are able to create assignments and do tasks like view and manage grades, etc. Students can log in and complete their assignments and can also do similar tasks like viewing their grades. In the future, the company will add features to make it a more robust classroom portal where an instructor can post lecture notes, syllabi and other course related material for their students.

Funding: As of the end of 2010, the company had raised just more than $250,000. The first money raised was a $100,000 proof-of-concept financing from i2E. The $100,000-plus in matching funds came from a single investor, a member of the Oklahoma Venture Forum after Dr. Morton pre-sented to the group in the fall of 2009. Another $50,000 was raised from investment by members of the SeedStep Angels group.

Successes: Oklahoma State University, Northeast-ern State University and the University of Arkansas will serve as beta test sites for the Expert TA soft-ware in the Spring 2011 semester, and Dr. Morton is in discussions with others, including Oklahoma State University, the University of Tulsa, Rennse-lear Polytechnic Institute and Washington Univer-sity in St. Louis.

www.theexpertta.com

Once upon a time, Dr. Jeremy Morton was a graduate teaching assistant in the College of Engineering at

North Carolina State University, responsible for grading thousands of undergraduate homework assignments. Instead of working one-on-one as a mentor to help students tackle the complex math and engineering problems thrown at them, Morton’s time was consumed with tedious grading duties. He had less-than-ideal time for actual mentoring of students. “Universities would love for graduate students to hold office hours and interact with the undergraduate students,” Morton said. “But, quite frankly, often there is so much grading being thrown in their direction they don’t have

time to do anything else.” Today, Morton is an assistant professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department of Oklahoma State University and founder of Tulsa-based Expert TA, which has created a software solution to the academic gridlock that challenges universities and their teaching assistants. While still a Ph.D. candidate at NC State, Morton created a software-based grading alternative to human grading by graduate assistants, which is the basis for Expert TA. The software can provide human-like, partial credit grading complex equations vs. the current technology that is limited to right vs. wrong answers.

“It’s a convenient, Web-based application that has been specifically designed so that it is capable of human-like partial credit grading of complex questions like those found in engineering,” Morton said. When Morton accepted the teaching position at OSU, he brought the still-in-development software to Oklahoma. With five years of work behind it, the Expert TA software is in the final stages of development, and the company has identified potential customers from among some of the nation’s largest universities, which are participating in the beta launch of the product. Demand is strong from major college programs eager to put Expert TA’s technology to work, Morton said. “We have received confirmation that our software will serve a need not currently being met by other providers of educational software,” he said. Morton established a relationship with i2E soon after founding Expert TA, and has drawn on the expertise of Executive Advisor Richard Gajan and Vice President for Investments David Thomison for assistance in developing his business model and obtaining critical financing. Expert TA received $100,000 in proof-of-concept financing through i2E, as well as matching funds from an angel investor after Dr. Morton spoke to the Oklahoma Venture Forum in the fall of 2009. The company subsequently received additional investment from members of the SeedStep Angels group, which was founded and is managed by i2E. When the Expert TA software is fully developed, it will be sold to universities as a “software as a subscription” product at a cost of roughly one-fifth that of using multiple graduate assistants. “Potential clients have indicated that our product could facilitate much more interaction between graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate students,” Dr. Morton said. “The bottom line is this solution is just a better management of resources.” Dr. Morton describes Expert TA’s relationship with i2E as a tremendous value for his company. “Ever since I became a client, they’ve done everything they said they were going to do,” he said. “They said they had a plan. They facilitated that fast track. It’s just been a phenomenal experience.” Executive Advisor Richard Gajan helped Dr. Morton refine his business plan, arranged speaking engagements, positioned the company for proof-of-concept funding and networking opportunities that resulted in investment of matching funds by an angel investor. “It’s hard to believe what you get for $1,000,” Dr. Morton said.

Jeremy Morton, Ph.D.President and CEOYear started: 2009Location: TulsaEmployees: 2 fulltime plus 8 contract employees

Profiles Expert TA

We have received confirmation that our software will serve a need not currently being met by

other providers of educational software.– Jeremy Morton

GRADE-A SOFTWARE SOLUTION

Product or technology: The company will pro-vide a Web-based homework assessment applica-tion. Expert TA’s software is capable of human-like grading of complex equations like those found in engineering, physics and math courses.

Market: Expert TA can sell directly to college stu-dents and departments at universities, and also plans to form partnerships with publishers of en-gineering, physics and mathematics textbooks.

Future plans: Expert TA currently is primarily de-signed to handle automated grading of complex work. Instructors log into the Web-based applica-tion and are able to create assignments and do tasks like view and manage grades, etc. Students can log in and complete their assignments and can also do similar tasks like viewing their grades. In the future, the company will add features to make it a more robust classroom portal where an instructor can post lecture notes, syllabi and other course related material for their students.

Funding: As of the end of 2010, the company had raised just more than $250,000. The first money raised was a $100,000 proof-of-concept financing from i2E. The $100,000-plus in matching funds came from a single investor, a member of the Oklahoma Venture Forum after Dr. Morton pre-sented to the group in the fall of 2009. Another $50,000 was raised from investment by members of the SeedStep Angels group.

Successes: Oklahoma State University, Northeast-ern State University and the University of Arkansas will serve as beta test sites for the Expert TA soft-ware in the Spring 2011 semester, and Dr. Morton is in discussions with others, including Oklahoma State University, the University of Tulsa, Rennse-lear Polytechnic Institute and Washington Univer-sity in St. Louis.

www.theexpertta.com

Once upon a time, Dr. Jeremy Morton was a graduate teaching assistant in the College of Engineering at

North Carolina State University, responsible for grading thousands of undergraduate homework assignments. Instead of working one-on-one as a mentor to help students tackle the complex math and engineering problems thrown at them, Morton’s time was consumed with tedious grading duties. He had less-than-ideal time for actual mentoring of students. “Universities would love for graduate students to hold office hours and interact with the undergraduate students,” Morton said. “But, quite frankly, often there is so much grading being thrown in their direction they don’t have

time to do anything else.” Today, Morton is an assistant professor in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department of Oklahoma State University and founder of Tulsa-based Expert TA, which has created a software solution to the academic gridlock that challenges universities and their teaching assistants. While still a Ph.D. candidate at NC State, Morton created a software-based grading alternative to human grading by graduate assistants, which is the basis for Expert TA. The software can provide human-like, partial credit grading complex equations vs. the current technology that is limited to right vs. wrong answers.

“It’s a convenient, Web-based application that has been specifically designed so that it is capable of human-like partial credit grading of complex questions like those found in engineering,” Morton said. When Morton accepted the teaching position at OSU, he brought the still-in-development software to Oklahoma. With five years of work behind it, the Expert TA software is in the final stages of development, and the company has identified potential customers from among some of the nation’s largest universities, which are participating in the beta launch of the product. Demand is strong from major college programs eager to put Expert TA’s technology to work, Morton said. “We have received confirmation that our software will serve a need not currently being met by other providers of educational software,” he said. Morton established a relationship with i2E soon after founding Expert TA, and has drawn on the expertise of Executive Advisor Richard Gajan and Vice President for Investments David Thomison for assistance in developing his business model and obtaining critical financing. Expert TA received $100,000 in proof-of-concept financing through i2E, as well as matching funds from an angel investor after Dr. Morton spoke to the Oklahoma Venture Forum in the fall of 2009. The company subsequently received additional investment from members of the SeedStep Angels group, which was founded and is managed by i2E. When the Expert TA software is fully developed, it will be sold to universities as a “software as a subscription” product at a cost of roughly one-fifth that of using multiple graduate assistants. “Potential clients have indicated that our product could facilitate much more interaction between graduate teaching assistants and undergraduate students,” Dr. Morton said. “The bottom line is this solution is just a better management of resources.” Dr. Morton describes Expert TA’s relationship with i2E as a tremendous value for his company. “Ever since I became a client, they’ve done everything they said they were going to do,” he said. “They said they had a plan. They facilitated that fast track. It’s just been a phenomenal experience.” Executive Advisor Richard Gajan helped Dr. Morton refine his business plan, arranged speaking engagements, positioned the company for proof-of-concept funding and networking opportunities that resulted in investment of matching funds by an angel investor. “It’s hard to believe what you get for $1,000,” Dr. Morton said.

Jeremy Morton, Ph.D.President and CEOYear started: 2009Location: TulsaEmployees: 2 fulltime plus 8 contract employees

Profiles Expert TA

We have received confirmation that our software will serve a need not currently being met by

other providers of educational software.– Jeremy Morton

GRADE-A SOFTWARE SOLUTION

I want people to know about this service, not only because it would make us successful, but

because it would help a lot of people.– Robin Smith

When a telecommunications management company from the Midwest considered leasing a California cell phone tower last

year, it needed to know if the cell tower met restrictive zoning codes for operation and the condition of the surrounding fencing. Rather than fl y a representative to the West Coast to check out the cell tower, the company invested less than $50 in a “Looker” from Oklahoma City-based WeGoLook.com to fi rst visit the site and create a report. Within two days, it had the answer it needed to avoid a costly mistake. “For $49, WeGoLook dispatched a local Looker to the cell tower site. Th e Looker took several photos and the customer was able to tell by the photos that out of 10 zoning requirements, the tower was only compliant with two,” said WeGoLook co-founder Robin Smith. “Th ere’s no telling how much money we saved them in fi nes, and this information prompted them to perform additional due diligence.” Founded by a group of Oklahomans who recognized the uncertainty faced by consumers of online sites such as eBay and Craigslist, WeGoLook began full operation in June 2010. Co-founder Mark Caywood conceived the idea of an online verifi cation company after the unsettling experience of buying an expensive – and unseen – movie projector in an eBay auction. “We sat down and started talking about it, started brainstorming, what could people do with this resource, this community of Lookers,” Smith said. “Th e idea began expanding to property owners with rental/vacation property in other states who need to verify storm or tenant dam-age, business-to-business tasks, big-ticket items like automobiles, boats…even verifi cation of online dates! Th e entire concept began lending itself to many items and situations where on-site verifi cation was valuable.”

Th e three co-founders – Mark Caywood, Robin Smith and Mat Smith – began building a sophisticated software application that al-lows clients to go online and order a detailed report on any almost item, property or person within the United States/Puerto Rico. Th e company has contracted with more than 7,400 “Lookers” na-tionwide (background check verifi ed persons) who provide confi dence to long-distance buyers, sellers and online dating partners by gather-ing on-site information along with photos/videos/measurements/etc. then upload the completed report to WeGoLook.com. “Automobiles are our No. 1 requested report,” Smith said. “Th ere are 2 million unique auto listings every single month online and we are constantly evolving to provide the best customer experience pos-sible. Within the next few weeks, WeGoLook will be off ering full in-spections along with our verifi cation reports as we integrate technol-ogy with our newest auto partner.” WeGoLook has steadily built its presence by off ering its platform to other sites, most recently with OLA.com (OnlineAuction.com) and world’s largest live online auction company, proxibid.com. Both part-ners feature buyers and sellers of heavy equipment, farm implements, livestock, real estate, autos, cycles, marine and more. Th e nationally known automotive site, cars.com, began beta testing with WeGoLook in early February. WeGoLook will also be presenting the platform to eBay Motors in San Jose soon. After it was founded in late 2009, WeGoLook quickly reached out to i2E. Th e relationship through Executive Advisor Rick Rainey has benefi ted the company by providing business development structure, access to capital and even important networking contacts. “From the very beginning, we have absolutely loved working with i2E,” Smith said “I can honestly tell you that being involved with i2E has been a great learning experience and helped us focus on the fun-damentals of what we need to do.” Of course, WeGoLook still faces big challenges in its quest to grow, including that of making the verifi cation service nationally known to consumers. “I want people to know about this service, not only because it would make us successful, but because it would help a lot of people,” Smith said. “How many people are getting scammed all the time and heartbroken by misrepresented online dates? Customers can avoid costly surprises, save travel costs and avoid becoming a victim of fraud or misrepresentation.” For the global online consumer, property buyer and the lovelorn alike, WeGoLook has the answer. Send a “Looker” before you leap.

Product or technology: Technology that elec-

tronically accepts online orders from customers

for verifi cation of property, big-ticket items, peo-

ple, etc. then directly pushes to more than 7,400

“Lookers,” who complete visual inspection and

upload the report that is sent to customer.

Market: Global consumers and business cus-

tomers of unseen items, property or online

dates; the largest market to date is online au-

tomobile sales and auctions.

Future plans: The company plans to provide

its verifi cation platform to target partners such

as proxibid.com and Cars.com; eventually, We-

GoLook plans to expand its service to interna-

tional markets such as Canada, Australia and

Europe.

Funding: WeGoLook is self-funded, but recent-

ly was awarded $100,000 in proof-of-concept

fi nancing from i2E. WeGoLook is interested in

opportunities with Angels experienced in tak-

ing online companies “to the next level”.

Successes: Major milestones include the

launch of its service in mid-2010, creating the

online technology and website, recruiting more

than 7,000 “Lookers” and establishing working

partnerships with several major online sales

and auction companies.

www.wegolook.com

or SOUR?

Profi les WeGoLook.com

Robin SmithCo-FounderYear Started: 2010Location: Oklahoma CityEmployees: 5

I want people to know about this service, not only because it would make us successful, but

because it would help a lot of people.– Robin Smith

When a telecommunications management company from the Midwest considered leasing a California cell phone tower last

year, it needed to know if the cell tower met restrictive zoning codes for operation and the condition of the surrounding fencing. Rather than fl y a representative to the West Coast to check out the cell tower, the company invested less than $50 in a “Looker” from Oklahoma City-based WeGoLook.com to fi rst visit the site and create a report. Within two days, it had the answer it needed to avoid a costly mistake. “For $49, WeGoLook dispatched a local Looker to the cell tower site. Th e Looker took several photos and the customer was able to tell by the photos that out of 10 zoning requirements, the tower was only compliant with two,” said WeGoLook co-founder Robin Smith. “Th ere’s no telling how much money we saved them in fi nes, and this information prompted them to perform additional due diligence.” Founded by a group of Oklahomans who recognized the uncertainty faced by consumers of online sites such as eBay and Craigslist, WeGoLook began full operation in June 2010. Co-founder Mark Caywood conceived the idea of an online verifi cation company after the unsettling experience of buying an expensive – and unseen – movie projector in an eBay auction. “We sat down and started talking about it, started brainstorming, what could people do with this resource, this community of Lookers,” Smith said. “Th e idea began expanding to property owners with rental/vacation property in other states who need to verify storm or tenant dam-age, business-to-business tasks, big-ticket items like automobiles, boats…even verifi cation of online dates! Th e entire concept began lending itself to many items and situations where on-site verifi cation was valuable.”

Th e three co-founders – Mark Caywood, Robin Smith and Mat Smith – began building a sophisticated software application that al-lows clients to go online and order a detailed report on any almost item, property or person within the United States/Puerto Rico. Th e company has contracted with more than 7,400 “Lookers” na-tionwide (background check verifi ed persons) who provide confi dence to long-distance buyers, sellers and online dating partners by gather-ing on-site information along with photos/videos/measurements/etc. then upload the completed report to WeGoLook.com. “Automobiles are our No. 1 requested report,” Smith said. “Th ere are 2 million unique auto listings every single month online and we are constantly evolving to provide the best customer experience pos-sible. Within the next few weeks, WeGoLook will be off ering full in-spections along with our verifi cation reports as we integrate technol-ogy with our newest auto partner.” WeGoLook has steadily built its presence by off ering its platform to other sites, most recently with OLA.com (OnlineAuction.com) and world’s largest live online auction company, proxibid.com. Both part-ners feature buyers and sellers of heavy equipment, farm implements, livestock, real estate, autos, cycles, marine and more. Th e nationally known automotive site, cars.com, began beta testing with WeGoLook in early February. WeGoLook will also be presenting the platform to eBay Motors in San Jose soon. After it was founded in late 2009, WeGoLook quickly reached out to i2E. Th e relationship through Executive Advisor Rick Rainey has benefi ted the company by providing business development structure, access to capital and even important networking contacts. “From the very beginning, we have absolutely loved working with i2E,” Smith said “I can honestly tell you that being involved with i2E has been a great learning experience and helped us focus on the fun-damentals of what we need to do.” Of course, WeGoLook still faces big challenges in its quest to grow, including that of making the verifi cation service nationally known to consumers. “I want people to know about this service, not only because it would make us successful, but because it would help a lot of people,” Smith said. “How many people are getting scammed all the time and heartbroken by misrepresented online dates? Customers can avoid costly surprises, save travel costs and avoid becoming a victim of fraud or misrepresentation.” For the global online consumer, property buyer and the lovelorn alike, WeGoLook has the answer. Send a “Looker” before you leap.

Product or technology: Technology that elec-

tronically accepts online orders from customers

for verifi cation of property, big-ticket items, peo-

ple, etc. then directly pushes to more than 7,400

“Lookers,” who complete visual inspection and

upload the report that is sent to customer.

Market: Global consumers and business cus-

tomers of unseen items, property or online

dates; the largest market to date is online au-

tomobile sales and auctions.

Future plans: The company plans to provide

its verifi cation platform to target partners such

as proxibid.com and Cars.com; eventually, We-

GoLook plans to expand its service to interna-

tional markets such as Canada, Australia and

Europe.

Funding: WeGoLook is self-funded, but recent-

ly was awarded $100,000 in proof-of-concept

fi nancing from i2E. WeGoLook is interested in

opportunities with Angels experienced in tak-

ing online companies “to the next level”.

Successes: Major milestones include the

launch of its service in mid-2010, creating the

online technology and website, recruiting more

than 7,000 “Lookers” and establishing working

partnerships with several major online sales

and auction companies.

www.wegolook.com

or SOUR?

Profi les WeGoLook.com

Robin SmithCo-FounderYear Started: 2010Location: Oklahoma CityEmployees: 5

The U.S. Economic Development Admin-istration is playing a crucial role in the de-velopment of a new suite of services by i2E that are designed to help Oklahoma City area entrepreneurs grow their busi-nesses faster and enjoy more success.

The EDA awarded i2E a $1 million grant in June 2010 to develop the new growth services for entrepreneurs. The grant was matched with funds from five local partners – the City of Oklahoma City, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, the Oklahoma Business Roundtable, the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation and the Presbyterian Health Foundation.

The EDA was established in 1965 with a mission to lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting in-novation and competitiveness, prepar-ing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. The EDA works in partnership with state and local governments, regional economic development districts, public and private nonprofit organizations and Indian tribes.

“The funding has allowed us to expand our angel investment network, increase our targeted and tactical support of en-trepreneurs and continue to build Okla-homa’s entrepreneurial infrastructure from the inside out through the training and hiring of future entrepreneurs and in-vestment professionals” said Tom Walk-er, i2E President and CEO.

Imagine a place where innovative entrepreneurs gather to exchange ideas and receive expert ad-

vice to grow their ideas into thriving businesses. Here’s what you might encounter as you exit the second floor elevator of Building 840 at the Presby-terian Health Foundation Research Park and enter a striking glass-enclosed Welcome Center: On your left is the state of the art Enterprise con-ference room where more than a dozen people are engaged in a meeting. In fact, they are entrepreneurs here to receive feedback on the viability of their inven-tion. The presentation is being networked via video conference to our Tulsa office, where half a dozen other entrepreneurs and investors are visible to the Oklahoma City participants on a large LCD screen. You pause outside the glass-enclosed walls of the Enterprise room for a few seconds to watch the passion evident in the entrepreneurs as they discuss their innovations. Now your walk takes you through a doorway, where you see an open area with multiple worksta-

tions that house two docked computers and ports for four additional personal laptops. Several entrepreneurs seated there are involved in a conversation on market analysis while another entrepreneur works quietly refining his business model on his laptop. An MBA student, serving as an i2E business fellow, is researching historical data on venture capital investments. Beyond the shared work space, three new offices line the south wall. In one of the offices, a Chief Fi-nancial Officer-in-Residence is consulting with yet another entrepreneur on the fine points of creating proper financial documents for a new business. Next door, a Sales Executive-in-Residence is meeting with a company who is seeking the sales and marketing savvy that will lead to new custom-ers for their innovative technology. As you round the corner, you enter the relaxed atmosphere of the Coffee Bar, which is equipped with a comfortable lounge area and several café tables. The focal point is a big screen TV tuned to

CNBC’s Squawk Box. Look to your left and you see the Capital Room where an entrepreneur is having a one-on-one meeting with a poten-tial angel investor. Next you walk through the office work center and down another hall where you glimpse into “the fishbowl” team space where you see the marketing team planning an upcoming seminar. You turn to your right and hear a meeting taking place in the Patent room, which displays plaques commemorating the inventions from past Oklahoma entrepreneurs. The room is being used by a committee that is assessing the latest applicants for proof of concept financing. Look up, and you find your stroll has led you back to the Wel-come Center. This is just a typical day at i2E after the opening of its remodeled Oklahoma City office that expanded its presence in the Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park to accommodate new services, new team members and more entrepreneurs. Welcome to i2E in 2011 and its newly renovated entrepreneurial launch space, known as the Innovation Room, where entrepreneurs will have full access to the knowhow to propel their ideas from concept to market quicker, more efficiently and with a greater chance of success. “The idea is to enhance our current services to include more ex-pertise that will push entrepreneurs to break through the glass ceiling that often seem unbreakable to new businesses,” said Rex Smither-man, i2E’s Vice President for Operations.

WELCOME