In the Spotlight: Andrea Garrity & Jameson Morgan

Morning everyone! Logan here. Unique episode coming at you this morning - we’re highlighting goTenna - a mobile mesh networking provider helping first responders and defense teams stay connected during critical missions.

This interview came to us from Jameson Morgan - a UK grad currently serving as their Director of Partnerships. In addition to getting to learn from a more mature technology company, we’re also pumped to partner with goTenna to help them get the word out about some of their collaboration efforts in KY’s defense tech space. As you’ll hear in the episode, they’ve worked with KY-based companies to partner on SBIR funding opportunities and are looking to form more partnerships here in the state.

Our discussion with Andrea (Chief Growth Officer) and Jameson (Director of Partnerships) takes a deep dive into the world of critical communications technology. Founded in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, goTenna has established themselves as a leader in mesh networking technology, particularly in the defense and emergency preparedness sectors. Despite being NYC-based, goTenna maintains strong ties to Kentucky, supporting the local startup ecosystem through partnerships around SBIR funding opportunities.

We also explore goTenna's strategic pivot from consumer-focused products to addressing the needs of government agencies and first responders. This shift came with a variety of opportunities and challenges - but their learnings from it provides food for thought for any founders building a product that could be leveraged outside of traditional consumer applications.

Key Takeaways

1. Government Engagement Opportunities - A core theme of this conversation revolves around the potential for Kentucky startups to engage with government entities. Programs like SBIR and STTR offer significant opportunities for funding and partnership. Jameson had some good thoughts on navigating those programs.

2. The Value of Adaptability - goTenna's journey from consumer-focused products to government-centric solutions is a good lesson on the necessity of adaptability and resilience. I hope it can also get some founders thinking of additional use cases for their product within the government ecosystem - they are quite a large potential customer, after all.

3. Engage in Strategic Collaborations - Andrea and Jameson speak a lot about the partnerships goTenna has invested in, which is critical to developing a healthy startup ecosystem. Collaborating can not only enhance your product offerings but also open doors to new markets.

For more information about goTenna, you can visit their website at goTenna.com

What Else We’re Listening To

• Revolutionizing AI Data Management with Jerry Liu, CEO of LlamaIndex - recommendation brought to you by Evan. Easy to understand look at architecture of LLMs.

• Elon sues OpenAI, Apple's decline, TikTok ban, Bitcoin $100K?, Science corner: Microplastics - recommendation brought to you by Logan. I should probably stop recommending All-In episodes every time, but they just do a great job. Lotta good topics in this one, as always.

This edition of the Spotlight Series Newsletter is brought to you by goTenna. We’re partnering to help foster collaboration opportunities with Kentucky companies. Please reach out if you’d like to learn more by emailing [email protected].

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