Arkansas State University Innovation Center hires a director

Shawnie Carrier had a unique problem.

The director of the Arkansas State University Delta Center for Economic Development needed to hire a person with a divergent skill set to run the A-State Innovation System. The system envisioned would aid inventors and entrepreneurs in the region who need help developing products, and creating comprehensive business plans that lead to successful businesses.

She needed a person with intimate engineering knowledge, but that person would also need to have business and public relations experience.

Ty Keller fit the bill. He has a degree mechanical engineering and is pursuing a master’s degree in business administration. The 34-year-old has been hired to run the system, which is slated to open in January, Carrier told Talk Business & Politics.

“Growing up in Northeast Arkansas, I am aware of our long line of successful entrepreneurs … from ideas to business implementation, A-State Innovate will bring together education, non-profit, public, and private sector support and resources to assist startup ventures,” Keller said.

The Delta Center received a $500,000, I-6 Challenge grant from the U.S. Economic Development Administration to seed the program, Director of Public Affairs and Special Projects Andrea Allen told Talk Business & Politics. The organization was able to leverage the grant with other partners, such Nucor Corporation, to acquire another $928,000 in monetary, equipment, and in-kind labor commitments, Carrier said.

The goal is simple. If someone has an idea for a product they can bring it to A-State Innovate and the organization will use its resources to develop the product into a viable business, she said.

A-State Innovate has three facilities – the Garage, the Lab, and the Shop – to aid entrepreneurs, Keller told Talk Business & Politics. The Garage is located in downtown Jonesboro inside a leased building. It has 3-D printers, maker spaces, screen printers, wood working tools, and other technology implements.

The Lab is located in the biological sciences building on the ASU campus. It’s basically a science lab, offering entrepreneurs a broad range of tools to work with. For example, if a person wanted to make broccoli that tastes like it already has cheese on it, the lab would be the place to experiment on that. It has wet labs, incubation spaces, and other implements.

The Shop is located in the Jonesboro Industrial Park. Large equipment used in industry will be placed in the shop. All types of tools used in manufacturing including welders will be located in the Shop, Keller said.

Different industries in the area have to hire outside companies to build prototypes, and other industry specific “widgets” to meet production needs, Keller said. He’s hopeful many of those companies will buy a membership with A-State Innovate and have those products made in Jonesboro.

It might also lure industrial developers from out of the area, he said. It might be more cost-effective to pay a small fee and develop a product there as opposed to buying the equipment and producing the product in-house, he said.

A-State Innovate has three years to find enough funding to become financially independent. The idea is to model it after the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub in North Little Rock. ARIH charged membership fees for individuals and for corporations, Keller said. Those memberships can be daily, weekly, monthly, or annually, he said. How much A-State Innovation will charge is still in the formulation stage, he said.

The organization has already reached out to inventors clubs, and others to spur interest, Allen said. Industrial partners and colleges are also being recruited.

ASU will receive benefits from the program, as well. Engineering students and others could serve as interns in the hubs and get valuable real world experience. Members will get the benefit of their education and expertise when developing a new product.

“It would be a win-win for everyone involved,” said Allen.

Product development isn’t the end of the process. Secondary partners, including the Small Business Administration, the Arkansas Small Business and Technology Development Center, and others will help an entrepreneur develop business plans, do market research, aid in acquiring loans, and help in other aspects of the business building process.

Keeping and attracting small business owners with marketable ideas will spur the local and regional economy in the coming years, Allen said. At this point, Keller is the only employee. A lot of burden to start the program will be placed on him, but he’s up to the challenge, Allen said.

“We are thrilled to bring in someone of Ty’s caliber, who possesses both the technical expertise and public relations skills, needed to lead the A-State Innovation System,” Carrier said.