West Virginia Executive Summer 2024 | Page 103

planning and legal compliance , the program helps create a solid foundation upon which businesses can build and grow . The inclusion of educational programs provides business owners with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the difficulties of running a successful enterprise .
“ This is a critical piece to helping launch a business ,” Nathan Polk , investment manager at WVJIT says . “ These funds can be used to help develop business plans , financial projections and accounting systems and create legal documents like articles of incorporation , licenses , corporate agreements and other necessary documents to properly register and organize a business entity .”
The impact of the WV CAP TA program is expected to be significant , with an anticipated 140 businesses benefiting from its services over the four-year period . •
“ WVJIT was instrumental in Endolumik ’ s ability to launch our product . As a medical device manufacturer , the capital needed to engineer and produce FDA regulated products is quite significant . With the capital and credibility WVJIT provided , we were able to fill our investment round completely and rapidly get our device to market .”
- Mara McFadden Chief Executive Officer , Endolumik
“ Business creation and growth require capital as well as proper structuring of the company and investments . WVJIT has been instrumental in working with the founders and other investors of our company to establish and grow the business , contributing value after the investment by serving on our board , introducing us to other investors and collaborators and helping to navigate challenges in business plan execution .”
- Greg Henthorn Chief Business Officer , AmeriCarbon Products , LLC
“ WVJIT is an asset for West Virginia and its economic growth . We are an AI technology company , facilitating the discovery of safer and better drugs . We could not have found a better place to establish our research and development lab than in West Virginia . Zulauf and the entire team were able to quickly understand our business model and how it could positively affect employment , economic growth and health for West Virginia and the surrounding region . Working with WVJIT cut through any red tape to present our
company and plan to the decision makers who could quickly assess the benefit to West Virginia . I believe WVJIT , the top-notch research universities and welcoming people will continue to bring innovative companies into the state .”
- V . Tyrone Lam Chief Operations Officer , GATC Health
“ At West Virginia University 35 years ago , my colleagues and I developed a groundbreaking method for large-scale behavior change in organizations akin to Atomic Habits for companies . In 1993 , we co-founded CLG , a leading behavior-based strategy execution consulting firm . Our methodologies led to decades of success with top global companies . With the rise of mobile technologies , I saw the potential to integrate our behavior change approach into an enterprise application , making it simple and cost-effective to help large numbers of employees do the right things consistently without expensive consultants . The WVJIT was one of our earliest supporters , helping us secure matching funding and believing in us during the risky startup phase . They have been a true partner every step of the way .”
- Julie M . Smith , Ph . D . Chief Executive Officer , Performance Ally
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West Virginia Executive | Profiles | 2024
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