Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

From the University of Georgia:

The University System of Georgia (UGA) Board of Regents approved UGA’s Hitesh Handa and Ron Orlando as Regents’ Entrepreneurs at its most recent meeting. Handa is an Associate Professor and Distinguished Faculty Fellow in the College of Engineering and Director of the Biointerface Translation and Engineering Center, while Orlando holds joint appointments in the Complex Carbohydrate Research Center and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The honor acknowledges faculty members who have successfully transformed research into commercial applications. Initially granted for three years with the possibility of extension, the designation includes a one-time $10,000 cash award. Handa’s and Orlando’s appointments bring the total number of UGA Regents’ Entrepreneurs to five.

“This recognition highlights the profound impact that UGA researchers have in translating scientific discovery into real-world solutions,” said Chris King, Interim Vice President for Research. “Drs. Handa and Orlando exemplify the spirit of innovation, not only advancing their respective fields but also driving economic growth in the state and improving lives of everyday Georgians through their entrepreneurial ventures.”

1. Handa has co-founded two start-ups including his current venture, Nytricx Inc., and has eight issued patents with 25 more pending. In the past two years, he successfully secured more than $5.5 million in federal commercialization grants from agencies including the Department of Defense, Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, and the National Institutes of Health.
2. Over the years, Orlando has co-founded three companies — BioInquire, GlycoScientific, and PhotoChem/GenNext — that bring cutting-edge research tools and technologies to market. His ventures have secured $17.6 million in commercialization grant funding, generated over $4.5 million in sales and contracts, created nearly 60 jobs and resulted in more than 100 new products.

From the University of Arkansas:

The Greenhouse Outdoor Recreation Program (GORP) has launched the seventh cohort of its business incubation program with eight participating companies.

Operated by the University of Arkansas’ Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, the newest cohort includes an eclectic mix of startups focused on water recreation and cycling repair to apparel brands and niche manufacturers and guides. The cohort also includes three founders based outside of Northwes Arkansas who are commuting and — in one instance — relocating for the program.

“Our cohort incubator is attractive to founders based in Northwest Arkansas (NWA), across the state and in adjacent Heartland geographies,” said Zoe Maddox, Director of Business Incubation in the University’s Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. “Founders are viewing NWA as the ideal community to build a business in the outdoor recreation space.”

GORP is the flagship business incubation program supporting outdoor start-ups with workshop training, team mentoring, and dedicated product/service development to help them scale globally. The 12-week program began in January and runs through April 8.

GORP provides up to $15,000 in non-dilutive seed funding per company — funding that doesn’t require the owner to give up equity in the company — to be used on any business needs, including marketing, legal fees, branding support, and equipment.

New programming was implemented for the fall 2024 and spring 2025 cohorts, Maddox said. This included an eCommerce bootcamp and a session on using artificial intelligence tools to optimize business operations.

GORP launched with four start-ups in spring 2022. In the last three years, nearly 40 start-ups have expanded their businesses through GORP’s semiannual cohort program.

From the University of Chicago:

The Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago and The University of Illinois’ Grainger College of Engineering are pleased to announce the six finalists selected to compete in the College New Venture Challenge (CNVC) finals.

On Friday, the finalists will present their business plans to a panel of judges and investors for a piece of an investment pool expected to top $200,000. Launched in 2012, the CNVC is one of five tracks of the University of Chicago Booth School of Business’ New Venture Challenge, a pioneering and top-ranked start-up accelerator that has nurtured more than 370 still-active companies that have raised more than $1.2 billion in investment and achieved some $8.5 million in mergers and exits.

From Stephen F. Austin State University:

For the second year in a row, Stephen F. Austin State University’s entrepreneurship academic program and Arnold Center for Entrepreneurship (ACE) in the Rusche College of Business were collectively named one of the top three emerging entrepreneurship programs in the nation by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

This award recognizes colleges and universities for their efforts in developing nascent entrepreneurship programs that demonstrate outstanding progress toward becoming comprehensive, bold, and innovative educational programs with early records of student impact.

“We introduced the entrepreneurship major in fall 2020 and opened the center in 2023, and it is amazing to see what ACE has accomplished in just a short amount of time and the impact that it is having not only for SFA students but also for the community,” said Matthew Smilor, ACE Director. “This award validates a lot of work Rusche College of Business faculty, staff and students, as well as local community members, have done to build this hub for entrepreneurs in East Texas.”

The Center for Leading the Integration of Faith and Entrepreneurship at Miami University in Oxford, OH, and The University of Tulsa’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Oklahoma were the other two finalists in the category.

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