1 October 2019 – Seattle University Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center awards two SU Alumni Business each $10,000 in 2019-2020 Jones Progress Awards (JPA), made possible by the Herbert B. Jones Foundation.
Now in its sixth year, the JPA supports graduating Seattle University students and recent alumni entrepreneurs by providing a solid infrastructure of mentoring, grant funds, and connections to local networks. SU Student or Alumni Entrepreneurs who are accepted into the program work with a team of expert coaches to set large “milestone” goals for their business, and then work towards those goals over six months under the advisement of their coaches. If teams are able to fully realize all their milestones, each business receives a $10,000 prize.
The 2019-2020 JPA winners include:
- ALMI Apparel, led by Jonas Harris, BA ’13, is a brand creating technical apparel for active professionals. Currently, we are focused on our line of +One Dress socks, the perfect balance between dress and athletic, packed with performance features it's designed to be worn all day, from the office to the gym. We've sold a few hundred, but have been slow to scale and are looking to ramp up sales.
- Encora, led by Ted Wallis, MPA ’15, is an app based commercial reusable container program that brings enterprise performance to waste reduction efforts on college and business campuses. We offer two solutions for any campus depending on whether the campus can handle the washing. Our comprehensive solution saves money on packaging, waste removal costs, labor plus creates a more sustainable option that lowers GHG, Carbon emissions and saves energy and water.
Past Jones Progress Award Winners include Actuate Media, Ro Health, React Mobile, and The Madrone School. Jeff Widmyer, CEO and Founder of Ro Health, credits the JPA with some of his company’s success: “The Jones Progress experience provided me access to mentors that helped me look at problems in a different light, and that perspective gave me the courage to make decisions and take action.”
As an added benefit, both companies are receiving a free year’s membership to the WTIA Startup Club! Washington Technology Industry Association (WTIA) is the unifying voice for the technology community in Washington, consolidating the power of member companies to solve business problems they can’t solve on their own. For startups, WTIA provides a variety of stage appropriate resources including: resources like investors, service providers, and relevant product discounts, HR benefits, discounts, and exclusive event invites.