by LG NOVA, the North America Innovation Center for global tech leader LG Electronics, which is promoting economic development and nurturing the growth of an innovation hub in West Virginia.
“ West Virginia’ s tech ecosystem is a dynamic hub where innovation takes root and thrives,” says Melanie Taylor, GWV career development program director.“ Fueled by a strong network of organizations, institutions, industry leaders and tech-focused accelerators, this ecosystem is vital in driving economic growth and creating lasting value for generations to come.”
Ariana Shives, executive director of TechConnect, says this partnership aims to create meaningful connections between growing companies and the talented West Virginians ready to make their mark.
“ Thriving industries don’ t just appear. They’ re built one opportunity and success story at a time,” she says.“ We’ re excited to see the impact this job board will have across the state and thrilled to partner with such fantastic organizations to make it happen.”
Marshall University iCenter Launches Inaugural gBETA Accelerator Cohort
The Marshall University Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship( iCenter) is proud to announce the launch of its first gBETA Accelerator cohort, in partnership with nationally recognized venture capital firm gener8tor. Five dynamic startups were chosen for the inaugural cohort: FarmerzTool Technology, get2there, Monarch Learning Labs, Quest R & D and Stitch AI. The group has been selected to participate in the program, representing agriculture, digital infrastructure, medical technology, advanced manufacturing and AI.
Hosted at Marshall’ s iCenter, the gBETA Accelerator is a no-cost, sevenweek program designed to help earlystage startups refine their business models, gain customer traction and prepare for future investment. Participants benefit from one-on-one coaching and direct access to gener8tor’ s national network of experienced mentors, investors and corporate partners.
“ At Marshall, we believe in the power of people with big ideas, and we’ re proud to be a launchpad for entrepreneurs who are shaping the future of our state’ s economy,” says Tricia Ball, executive director of the iCenter.
Selected from a competitive applicant pool across West Virginia, the cohort reflects the growing strength of local innovation and its potential to scale nationally.
“ Our mission at gener8tor is to be the best partner for a community to invest in its best and brightest,” says Eddie Olson, senior managing director at gener8tor.“ Through this partnership with Marshall, we’ re doing just that— supporting founders whose ingenuity, drive and entrepreneurial spirit shine in West Virginia and other overlooked regions across the country.”
This future-focused program is made possible by the generous support of Huntington National Bank, a steadfast supporter of small businesses and regional growth.
“ We’ re proud to support this program because it aligns with our purpose: making people’ s lives better, helping businesses thrive and strengthening the communities we serve,” says Chad
Prather, regional president for Huntington National Bank in West Virginia.
Founded by Tafara Ushendibaba, FarmerzTool streamlines livestock management for small- and medium-sized farms through a comprehensive web and mobile application. Its software transforms outdated, fragmented manual record-keeping into an automated, AIbacked digital tool that tracks each animal’ s complete lifecycle data, performs consumption analysis, provides recommendations and calculates ROI per animal.
CEO Terran Quinlan created get- 2there, which transforms how people navigate campuses, venues and complexes with its smart, mobile-first interactive mapping. Visitors, guests and staff intuitively find their way with a quick scan or tap, while the facility benefits from a simple, no-code solution that just works.
Monarch Learning Labs was created by CEO Jeremy Kimmel to help medical device companies train users on complex technologies through an interactive, simulation-based digital learning platform. Organizations use Monarch to cut training costs, shorten time to proficiency and
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