These Lawrence-based software companies all strive to produce the best product for their clients while maintaining their businesses right here in the heart of the Midwest.
| 2017 Q2 | story by Tara Trenary, photos by Steven Hertzog
If you think big metropolitan cities are the way to go when starting a new business, think again. These days, entrepreneurs are choosing to launch their companies somewhere in the middle.According to a 2016 article in Entrepreneur magazine, “Medium-sized cities throughout the Midwest are becoming go-to spots for young entrepreneurs looking to start businesses. Great ideas stand out more, and startup costs are typically lower in nearly every aspect, making the area a better bet for entrepreneurial success.”
Dubbed the “Silicon Prairie” by some, the Midwest is an ideal location for startups such as software and technology companies for a number of reasons: lower cost of living, more affordable labor, office and retail space, more manageable shipping costs, which translates to more competitive pricing, and an overall family- and cost-friendly lifestyle.
“Another critical advantage belongs to college towns, which, by their very nature, usually offer more by way of arts, restaurants and entertainment than other places,” explains a 2016 Forbes magazine article. “This means, for the time being at least, the strongest smaller cities will be those which attract people and companies from bigger places by offering better amenities, cheaper housing, better schools, growing populations and, in many cases, college campuses—all offering a better quality of life but in a smaller, usually more affordable place.”
Data Protection
Richard Spurlock, CEO and founder of Cobalt Iron, agrees. “We are a global software company building industry-changing technology that happens to be based in Lawrence, Kansas, the heartland of the United States. This was a conscious decision,” he explains. “I love the Midwest work ethic, absolutely love the passion that people bring to their work here. Yet, the pace and quality of life in the Lawrence area is special.”
And being based near the University of Kansas (KU) was also a conscious decision for Spurlock. A graduate of the university with a degree in electrical and computer engineering, Spurlock says more than 50 percent of Cobalt Iron’s employees are KU graduates. “There’s good talent here; there’s great people. It’s a great ecosystem to build a business and support the families that drive this business to success.”
Cobalt Iron, based here in Lawrence, is a software technology company founded in 2013 by Spurlock that provides software to companies small and large that eliminates the complexity of backup, restore and recovery of data for businesses using a simple “pay as you grow” approach. In a more than $10-billion market, the company targets Fortune 2000 companies, large enterprises that are struggling with data protection, but also services smaller businesses. In a space where 99 percent of businesses use IT (information technology), Spurlock says systems will inevitably fail. However, Cobalt Iron’s Adaptive Data Protection software relieves the stress its clients feel about this universal problem.
After 25 years of having run multiple software companies and watching customers take an IT solution and not deploy, operate or life-cycle it effectively or efficiently, Spurlock decided something needed to change. “When you build a house with wood instead of steel, it has a different life span. It’s not bad or good, it’s just different,” he says. “Data protection is really important because this stuff’s gonna fail, and humans make mistakes. Some percentage are system failures, but an interesting percentage are human failures.”
One of the things that makes data protection important is the concept of the Cloud and the rate that people are going to it. And legacy solutions (buying a product from a large company and building your own solution) does not allow customers to simply manage, migrate and move data to and from the Cloud, as Cobalt Iron’s software does, explains Mark Ward, Cobalt Iron COO.
Ward explains that strategic partner IBM gives Cobalt Iron strength and breadth by allowing the company to reach beyond what its people can do. As a relatively young and growing company without physical employees around the world, IBM partners with Cobalt Iron to service its clients and deliver to them anywhere IBM has a presence. The software is currently in use in 44 countries around the world.
Cobalt Iron CEO Spurlock says the transformation of Cloud is aggressive and fast-paced, and the problem is it’s just a server. Somehow, he says, you still have to protect the information that’s held on that server.
“Our dependence on these IT systems is incredible,” he explains. “Everyone in this space builds a tool that goes into a customer toolbox. These tools break, wear out, get replaced over time. We are the analytics and intelligence engine that sits above and controls those. Instead of delivering another tool to go do something, we’re actually transforming that complexity and delivering it with very simple elegance to the customer.”
And Cobalt Iron is delivering this essential tool all over the world from right here in Lawrence. “We put more money back into our technology than we do into our real estate. That, at the end of the day, is what smart businesses do,” Ward says.
Research and Medicine
Another software technology company based right here in Lawrence, Pinnacle Technology Inc., sells laboratory research equipment primarily for biomedical and pharmaceutical researchers at universities, research hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, government laboratories and contract research organizations. Founded by Donna Johnson, president and CEO, in 1995, Pinnacle Tech provides turn-key tools including hardware, software and all other items researchers need to study the brain more effectively.
“The tools that we have designed are being used anywhere from developing new drugs for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, depression, epilepsy, etc., to studying how the brain responds to sleep, anesthesia, chemical-warfare gases, opiates and more,” Johnson says. “What our customers do with our products never ceases to amaze us.”
“When we first opened, we were primarily working on renewable energy (wind and chemicals from biomass) and did contract engineering,” she explains. “We gradually dropped the renewable energy side of the company and began to do all the engineering and software for our own products, not for clients.”
Pinnacle Tech has 25 employees, including electrical and software engineers, chemists, neuroscientists, a sales team with Ph.D.s in analytical chemistry and neuroscience, as well as electronics and sensor technicians. Johnson’s brother, David Johnson, with a doctorate in electrical engineering and semiconductor industry experience, also joined as a co-owner in 1996. He is in charge of research and product development. Many of Pinnacle Tech’s employees are graduates of KU.
Though the company has no local clients in Lawrence, at the time it opened, it did a lot of business with groups in Topeka and the surrounding area. So, Lawrence was a good central location for the company’s home base. “Now, we have a great relationship with KU, both in terms of research collaborations and hiring graduating KU students,” Johnson says.
Today, the company sells its products in 38 countries all over the globe, including in the United Sates. Working in other countries, Johnson says, brings its own set of challenges.
“There’s a big difference between national and international customers. In the U.S., we are comfortable with the culture and customs. When you sell overseas, besides all the laws that you need to be aware of, there is the knowledge that you must have of local business customs. In some cases, it is imperative you work with distributors,” she explains.
But Pinnacle Tech still contributes locally. “We are a small business located in Lawrence that has a national/international reputation. Most people in Lawrence don’t know the company exists,” Johnson says. But research funding from small business programs and the federal government “brings federal dollars to the state and local economies.”
Sports
When you think about software technology, data and research might pop into your head immediately. But what about sports? Just Play Solutions bridges the technological gap between high school, college and professional athletes, and their coaches.
Founded by former college athletes Austin Barone (KU football) and Andy Wachter (Wichita State University and Pittsburg State University basketball) in 2014, Just Play Solutions is a software platform of digital coaching tools combined with player learning applications including playbooks, game plans, scouting reports and quizzes that creates a more dynamic learning experience for both coaches and players.
“Coaches are facing one of the largest technological divides to date between themselves and players, and we are passionate about helping them better teach and better coach this age of digital learners,” Barone explains. “College athletes between the ages of 18 and 22 were born between 1995 and 1999. They grew up on technology, and it’s a huge part of how they communicate.”
Barone played football at KU for three years and says this is where he began to see what coaches and players needed to better connect and understand each other. Players lugged bulky playbooks around like pieces of equipment. He knew there had to be a way to streamline this process.
With an accounting degree in hand and several entrepreneurial awards in tow (Pipeline Innovator of the Year “Student Spotlight,” KU Innovation and Collaboration Student Pitch Competition, Tortoise Capital Young Entrepreneurs Scholarship, the Morris New Venture Business Plan Competition), he set out to build a platform that could access all of this information digitally.
Just Play Solutions has not only 200-plus high school and college football and basketball teams as clients (KU, UCLA and Duke basketball; Villanova and Columbia football), it also boasts WNBA teams including Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Connecticut Sun, Dallas Wings, Los Angeles Sparks, Seattle Storm and Washington Mystics. The company also serves several international clients.
Barone says his company is immersed in the Lawrence community, but he considers Just Play a “larger company with small-town roots. There’s a healthy mix of small-town and city attitudes within our office, which I see as a huge benefit,” he says.
“We are extremely tied into the University, as I would attribute much of our success to the guidance and support I am continually given by KU’s faculty and staff,” he says. The KU School of Business has helped the company grow in a protected environment, and Just Play has also had the opportunity to participate in The Catalyst, KU’s startup incubator, which provides resources essential to launching a new business successfully.
Barone believes technology changes the way we interact with the world, and it never stops evolving. “Coaches tell players all the time to relax and ‘just play.’ That ability to relax and to play confidently is directly attributed to being prepared.”
Barone describes Just Play Solutions as a “one-stop shop for coaches to create content and teach a generation of athletes that learns fundamentally different than they did when they were playing.” He hopes his company will help coaches and athletes become better prepared than previous generations through technology.
“With a better understanding of how technology can help students learn, and as technology becomes easier to implement, there is endless potential that technology can have in the world of sports,” Barone says.
131 Comments
That is a great tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Simple but very accurate information… Many thanks for sharing this one. A must read article!
http://pinup2025.com/# пин ап казино зеркало
Really enjoyed this article.Really thank you! Great.
az parayla cok kazandiran slot oyunlar?: slot siteleri – slot tr online
It’s not my first time to visit this web page, i am browsing this web page dailly and get nice facts from here everyday.|
Pretty! This has been an incredibly wonderful post. Thank you for supplying this info.
I need to to thank you for this good read!! I certainly loved every little bit of it. I have you book-marked to check out new stuff you post…|
Major thankies for the blog.Much thanks again. Really Great.
пинап казино: пин ап казино – пин ап вход
en cok kazand?ran slot oyunlar? [url=http://slottr.top/#]slot tr online[/url] en cok kazand?ran slot oyunlar?
These are really great ideas in about blogging. You have touched some pleasant things here. Any way keep up wrinting.|
pinup 2025: pinup 2025 – пин ап казино зеркало
I’m very happy to find this great site. I need to to thank you for ones time just for this wonderful read!! I definitely appreciated every part of it and I have you book-marked to look at new things on your web site.|
http://slottr.top/# en kazancl? slot oyunlar?
Major thanks for the article.Much thanks again. Really Great.
I do not even know how I stopped up here, however I assumed this publish was great. I do not realize who you are but certainly you’re going to a well-known blogger should you aren’t already. Cheers!|
пин ап казино официальный сайт [url=https://pinup2025.com/#]пин ап казино[/url] пин ап казино зеркало
Enjoyed every bit of your blog article. Want more.
Great post. I used to be checking constantly this blog and I am impressed! Very helpful information specially the ultimate section 🙂 I take care of such info a lot. I used to be looking for this particular info for a very lengthy time. Thank you and good luck.
internet kumar oyunu: en gГјvenilir site – tГјrkiye yasal bahis siteleri
https://pinup2025.com/# pinup 2025
slot tr online [url=https://slottr.top/#]slot oyunlar? puf noktalar?[/url] slot siteleri
online casino turkey: kumar siteleri – kaГ§ak bahis siteleri bonus veren
I couldn’t resist commenting. Very well written!
pharmacy website india [url=http://indiapharmi.com/#]Pharmacies in India that ship to USA[/url] Online medicine order
https://canadianpharmi.com/# treat ed
I’m gone to say to my little brother, that he should also visit this web site on regular basis to get updated from most up-to-date news.|
It’s very simple to find out any matter on web as
compared to books, as I found this piece of writing at this
site. https://Thezal.kr/bbs/board.php?bo_table=free&wr_id=137742
Good post. I definitely appreciate this site. Thanks!
There is definately a great deal to learn about this topic. I love all the points you have made.|
https://canadianpharmi.com/# cure for ed
medicine in mexico pharmacies [url=http://mexicanpharmi.com/#]Best online Mexican pharmacy[/url] buying prescription drugs in mexico online
Appreciate the recommendation. Will try it out.|
online ed drugs: Best Canadian online pharmacy – drug pharmacy
I know this if off topic but I’m looking into starting my own weblog and was wondering what all is required to get setup? I’m assuming having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny? I’m not very internet savvy so I’m not 100 positive. Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
best india pharmacy: Best Indian pharmacy – best online pharmacy india
http://indiapharmi.com/# indianpharmacy com
Hi there! I simply want to offer you a huge thumbs up for your great information you’ve got right here on this post. I am coming back to your website for more soon.
buying prescription drugs in mexico online [url=https://mexicanpharmi.com/#]Online pharmacy[/url] mexican mail order pharmacies
A big thank you for your blog article.Thanks Again. Cool.
bdk covers
world pharmacy india: india pharmi – indian pharmacy paypal
ed treatment pills: Best Canadian pharmacy – viagra without a doctor prescription
https://canadianpharmi.com/# canadian drug prices
herbal ed treatment [url=http://canadianpharmi.com/#]Cheapest drug prices Canada[/url] vacuum pump for ed
Great info. Lucky me I ran across your site by chance (stumbleupon). I have saved as a favorite for later!
Wow! Finally I got a webpage from where I be able to really get helpful facts concerning my study and knowledge.|
For newest information you have to go to see web and on world-wide-web I found this web page as a finest web site for newest updates.|
mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs: Cheapest online pharmacy – buying prescription drugs in mexico
A big thank you for your article post.Thanks Again. Awesome.
http://indiapharmi.com/# Online medicine order
There’s noticeably a bundle to know about this. I assume you made certain good factors in features also.
pharmacy website india [url=https://indiapharmi.com/#]India pharmacy international[/url] cheapest online pharmacy india
buying prescription drugs in mexico: mexican pharmi – mexican online pharmacies prescription drugs
Online medicine home delivery: India pharmacy delivery – top online pharmacy india
Hi there to every single one, it’s genuinely a nice for me to pay a quick visit this web site, it contains priceless Information.|
erectile dysfunction natural remedies [url=http://canadianpharmi.com/#]Canada pharmacy online[/url] cheap pills online
Thank you for your blog article.Really thank you! Will read on…
You’ve made some decent points there. I looked on the net for more information about the issue and found most individuals will go along with your views on this site.
medication from mexico pharmacy: Online pharmacy – medication from mexico pharmacy
http://indiapharmi.com/# top online pharmacy india
This is really interesting, You are an overly professional blogger. I’ve joined your feed and sit up for in the hunt for extra of your excellent post. Also, I have shared your website in my social networks|
mexican mail order pharmacies [url=http://mexicanpharmi.com/#]Mexican pharmacies that ship to the United States[/url] mexico drug stores pharmacies
Can I just say what a relief to discover somebody who actually understands what they’re talking about over the internet. You actually know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people have to read this and understand this side of the story. It’s surprising you aren’t more popular since you surely possess the gift.
Good site you have here.. It’s hard to find high quality writing like yours nowadays. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
http://indiapharmi.com/# indian pharmacy
indian pharmacy paypal: Best Indian pharmacy – online pharmacy india
amoxicillin no prescription [url=https://amoxstar.com/#]buy amoxicillin 500mg[/url] amoxicillin tablet 500mg
After I initially commented I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on whenever a comment is added I recieve 4 emails with the same comment. There has to be a means you can remove me from that service? Kudos.
clomid pill: can i order clomid without prescription – can i order generic clomid online
I’m extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you modify it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it is rare to see a nice blog like this one these days..
hi!,I like your writing very a lot! share we communicate more about your post on AOL? I need an expert in this house to unravel my problem. Maybe that is you! Taking a look ahead to see you. |
This post offers clear idea for the new viewers of blogging, that truly how to do running a blog.|
how to purchase prednisone online [url=https://prednibest.com/#]Predni Best[/url] prednisone for sale
buy cipro: buy cipro cheap – buy cipro no rx
A great post without any doubt.
I will immediately grasp your rss as I can’t in finding your e-mail subscription link or newsletter service. Do you’ve any? Kindly permit me know so that I could subscribe. Thanks.|
I want to to thank you for this wonderful read!! I definitely enjoyed every little bit of it. I have got you book marked to look at new stuff you post…|
Im grateful for the blog post.Really thank you! Will read on…
Your style is really unique in comparison to other folks I’ve read stuff from. Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I will just book mark this blog.
http://cipharmdelivery.com/# buy ciprofloxacin over the counter
Wow, this article is nice, my younger sister is analyzing these things, so I am going to tell her.|
ciprofloxacin over the counter [url=https://cipharmdelivery.com/#]ci pharm delivery[/url] buy ciprofloxacin over the counter
This is a topic that’s close to my heart… Best wishes! Exactly where are your contact details though?|
average cost of prednisone: Predni Best – prednisone 15 mg daily
Thank you ever so for you post.Thanks Again. Really Cool.
apo prednisone [url=https://prednibest.com/#]Predni Best[/url] order prednisone from canada
Greetings! Very useful advice in this particular post! It’s the little changes that produce the most significant changes. Thanks for sharing!
amoxicillin 500mg price: Amox Star – how much is amoxicillin prescription
these women would likely have chosen something else.Corroborating data are available in two 2012 studies of U.ラブドール オナホ
https://amoxstar.com/# amoxicillin 500 mg tablet
I think this is a real great article post. Cool.
Having read this I thought it was really informative. I appreciate you taking the time and energy to put this informative article together. I once again find myself personally spending way too much time both reading and commenting. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
amoxicillin online no prescription [url=http://amoxstar.com/#]AmoxStar[/url] order amoxicillin online uk
mail order prednisone: PredniBest – can you buy prednisone in canada
where can i buy clomid no prescription: can you get clomid pills – cost of clomid
Great, thanks for sharing this article.Really thank you! Awesome.
https://prednibest.com/# prednisone over the counter australia
Very good post.Really looking forward to read more. Cool.
There is certainly a great deal to learn about this topic. I really like all the points you made.
amoxicillin 500mg over the counter: Amox Star – cost of amoxicillin prescription
This website online is mostly a walk-via for all the data you needed about this and didn?t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and also you?ll definitely discover it.
amoxicillin 500 mg price: AmoxStar – amoxicillin generic brand
Im thankful for the article post.Really looking forward to read more. Awesome.
Having read this I thought it was rather informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this informative article together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and leaving comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!
http://amoxstar.com/# amoxicillin online purchase
1 mg prednisone daily [url=http://prednibest.com/#]Predni Best[/url] prednisone without prescription medication
prednisone 20mg online: prednisone 5093 – prednisone 20mg cheap
Excellent site you’ve got here.. It’s hard to find high-quality writing like yours nowadays. I seriously appreciate individuals like you! Take care!!
This is a great tip especially to those fresh to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise info… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read article.
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
cipro pharmacy: antibiotics cipro – buy cipro online without prescription
price for 15 prednisone [url=https://prednibest.com/#]Predni Best[/url] 1 mg prednisone daily
Very good information. Lucky me I recently found your blog by accident (stumbleupon). I have book-marked it for later!
buying cheap clomid without insurance: clomidonpharm – where to buy clomid without prescription
https://cipharmdelivery.com/# antibiotics cipro
Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writing this article plus the rest of the website is also really good.
amoxicillin 500 mg brand name [url=http://amoxstar.com/#]Amox Star[/url] amoxicillin pills 500 mg
After I initially commented I seem to have clicked the -Notify me when new comments are added- checkbox and from now on every time a comment is added I get 4 emails with the same comment. Is there a means you can remove me from that service? Thanks.
1250 mg prednisone: Predni Best – prednisone tabs 20 mg
can i buy cheap clomid without prescription: cheap clomid without dr prescription – can you get generic clomid without rx
Hi, I do think this is a great blog. I stumbledupon it 😉 I will revisit yet again since I book marked it. Money and freedom is the greatest way to change, may you be rich and continue to guide others.
The information shared is of top quality which has to get appreciated at all levels. Well done…
Every weekend i used tto viisit thjis web site, ffor the
reason that i wish foor enjoyment, sihce this this web ite conatiins actually good funn stuff too.
You actually make it seem so easy with your presentation but I find this topic to be really something that I think I would never understand. It seems too complicated and very broad for me. I am looking forward for your next post, I will try to get the hang of it!
buying amoxicillin online [url=http://amoxstar.com/#]where can i buy amoxicillin without prec[/url] amoxicillin 500 mg purchase without prescription
amoxil pharmacy: Amox Star – amoxicillin script
http://cipharmdelivery.com/# where can i buy cipro online
This is the perfect web site for anybody who really wants to understand this topic. You realize a whole lot its almost tough to argue with you (not that I actually will need to…HaHa). You definitely put a new spin on a topic which has been discussed for ages. Excellent stuff, just excellent.
amoxicillin 500mg capsules uk: AmoxStar – amoxicillin medicine over the counter
cipro online no prescription in the usa [url=http://cipharmdelivery.com/#]where to buy cipro online[/url] ciprofloxacin mail online