Fast 15: Bryce Paden

Bryce Paden left a comfortable position at Walmart to start a business he hopes will bridge the gap between technology startups and large corporations.

He co-founded i2i Labs in September 2017, the same month he left a business development position with technology incubator Store No. 8, and he was part of a small team working to create the future of retail. He was in similar positions with Lab 415-C and Walmart Labs before his team was rolled into Store No. 8. His job was to find technology companies with which Walmart could partner to create new services. Similarly, at i2i Labs, he’s seeking small- to medium-sized technology companies to work with large corporations.

In 2014, the Joplin, Mo., native graduated from the University of Arkansas with a bachelor’s degree in supply chain management. That year, he started as replenishment manager at Walmart. In 2016, he became senior research specialist for Lab 415-C before joining Walmart Labs. He joined Store No. 8 in 2017, before leaving to start i2i Labs.

The company works to match the nearly 100 technology companies in its portfolio with corporations to help them meet their technology needs. The technology companies are ranked based on the best partnership Paden had with a company when he worked at Walmart. He looks for things like the company’s ability to quickly respond to an email or if its leader has been an expert in the field.

The company has 10 large corporations as clients, in the Fortune 20 to Fortune 500 range. The names of the technology companies and corporations were not released as they are working under nondisclosure agreements, but they are U.S. and international companies. i2i Labs clients purchase subscriptions to receive services, and prices range between $10,000 and $175,000 annually.

Paden attributes his success to being curious, not being one-dimensional, staying uncomfortable, and operating quickly in the micro while being patient in the macro. He’s a member of the Dean’s Roundtable of Entrepreneurs and Market-makers for Matt Waller, dean of the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the UA, and on the steering committee for the Northwest Arkansas Technology Summit. He enjoys reading technology blogs and magazines, making electronic dance music, playing golf and watching Razorback games.