Springdale business woman makes top 10 in national InnovateHER competition

Springdale’s Anna Daily, with Ascendant DX, has been named a top 10 finalist in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s 2016 InnovateHER Business Challenge for her work to use proteins in tears to detect cancer.

Daily and Ascendant DX will compete with the other finalists for the top three awards and prizes totaling $70,000 provided by Microsoft. The 10 finalists will attend the National InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Business Challenge in Washington D.C. in March – during Women’s History Month. At the event they will pitch their ideas to a panel of judges. Winners will be announced March 17.

“SBA has turned the spotlight on an Arkansas entrepreneur who is helping transform society and impact women’s health,” SBA South Central Region Administrator Yolanda Garcia Olivarez said in a statement. “Finding and rewarding these visionaries is the message of InnovateHER.  Entrepreneurship makes anything possible.”

Olivarez oversees the delivery of contracting, SBA capital, exporting and counseling services in the region which includes Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas Oklahoma, and Arkansas.

Launched in August, the 2016 InnovateHER: Innovating for Women Business Challenge held more than 200 competitions including Northwest Arkansas hosted by Startup Junkie and central Arkansas hosted by The Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub.

“This type of test is revolutionary in improvements to quality of life for all women and their families,” said Arkansas SBA District Director Linda Nelson. “This is the spirit of entrepreneurship – the ability to solve problems in ways we could never imagine.”

Following are the 10 finalists.

Anna Daily from Ascendant DX LLC (Melody), Springdale, Ark.
Melody is a simple and highly effective diagnostic to detect early stage breast cancer by identifying specific proteins present in tears.

Jennifer Shipp from Brilliant Inventors LLC (Knife Glider), Mission, Texas
The Knife Glider is a cutting shield that has been statistically proven to reduce the probability of being injured or cut when preparing food with a knife by more than 90 percent.

Dr. Agnes Scoville from Scoville & Company (Pacidose), St. Louis, Mo.
Pacidose allows mothers and caregivers to accurately dose and deliver medicine to babies through a soft pacifier nipple.

Sascha Mayer from Mamava, Inc., Burlington, Vt.
Mamava makes freestanding lactation suites and other design solutions for nursing mothers on the go.

Marissa Siebel-Siero from IntelliWheels, Inc. (Tinker), Champaign, Ill.
Tinker is the first ever 3D product configurator in the wheelchair marketplace that gives customers feedback and control.

Susan Leary Shoemaker from Undercare, Inc., Bronxsville, N.Y.
Undercare offers innovative undergarments that accommodate persons who have difficulty dressing.

Cassandra Curtis from Once Upon a Farm, San Diego, Calif.
Once Upon a Farm creates quality, eco-friendly and nutritious baby food products for children.

Dr. Pu Wang from Vibronix, Inc. (MarginPAT), West Lafayette, Ind.
MarginPAT is an intraoperative assessment of breast tumor margin using photo acoustic/ultrasound imaging system.

Dawn Dickson from Flat Out of Heels, Miami Beach, Fla.
Flat Out of Heels are a convenient way for women to relieve stiletto sore feet on the go.

Elizabeth Caven from UpCraft Club, Des Moines, Iowa
UpCraft Club is changing the way digital goods are found and sold using a patent-pending process allowing brick and mortar retailers to receive revenue from the sale of a digital good.