397: Startup Crawl 2024

Summary In this special episode of Startup Junkies, we’re recording live from Startup Crawl 2024 where we sat down with a variety of guest entrepreneurs and their innovative ventures. Louis Lee, CMO of Wonderful Platform, discussed its pioneering work in senior care technology. Wonderful Platform’s companion robot, Avadin, addresses elderly loneliness and depression through personalized AI-driven interactions. Jangwon J Lee’s company, DeepSales, tackles the unique sales challenges in Asia. By building a comprehensive business database and employing AI, it streamlines lead generation and pre-qualification for SMEs. Sarah No, a champion for early childhood education, shared insights on Playtag. This game-changing platform leverages AI and computer vision to analyze child behavior, enhancing teacher-parent communication and improving learning outcomes. With a ninety percent satisfaction rate in Korea, Sarah aims to refine Playtag's offerings for the U.S. market through valuable customer feedback. Kris Adams enlightened us on Startup Junkie’s robust event calendar, boasting over two hundred free events to support local entrepreneurs. He introduced the ARse program focusing on tech and tech-enabled startups in Arkansas. In a short time, ARise has already connected one hundred and nine startups with thirty subject matter experts, offering free coaching, access to capital, and valuable industry connections. Stephen Park of DOWHAT, a hospitality venture, enhances operational efficiency in hotels via mobile app integrations, already serving fifty-five hotels in Korea. Stephen's positive experience in Northwest Arkansas and ambitious goals for market expansion encapsulate the collaborative spirit of the region. Overall, this episode reflects on the warm, family-like community among entrepreneurs, epitomized by the growing success of the Startup Crawl event, making it clear that the commitment to collaboration and consistent effort forms the backbone of NWA’s thriving startup ecosystem.   Show Notes (0:00) Introduction (0:54) Louis Lee’s Origin Story (2:23) The Solution Wonderful Platform is Offering (4:12) Closing Question (5:04) Introduction to Jangwon J Lee (5:20) Jangwon’s Background (6:50) DeepSales’ Ideal Customer (7:45) DeepSales’ Pre Qualification Process (8:38) Customers’ Responses to DeepSales (9:24) DeepSales’ Sourcing Solutions (10:32) Jangwon’s Origin Story (12:04) Jangwon’s Impression of Northwest Arkansas (12:32) Closing Question (13:11) Introduction to Sarah No (13:28) About Playtag (15:00) Sarah’s Background (15:54) Sarah’s Goal with the Accelerator (16:48) Closing Question (17:37) Introduction to Kris Adams (17:47) About the ARise Program (20:03) ARise’s 2024 Milestones (24:49) ARise’s Outreach Initiatives in Arkansas (26:09) About Kate Loughridge’s Role as Marketing Manager of ARise (27:57) About Steven Park (29:59) About DOWHAT (31:28) Steven’s Anticipation of Joining the Accelerator (33:55) Introduction from Calvin Smith (34:14) About Startup Crawl 2024 (36:13) The Growth of Startup Crawl (38:41) Caleb Talley’s Experience with Startup Crawl and its Ecosystem (40:51) What’s Next for Startup Junkie   Links Jeff Amerine Caleb Talley Startup Junkie Startup Junkie YouTube Louis Lee Wonderful Platform Jangwon J Lee DeepSales Sara No Playtag Kris Adams ARise Steven Park DOWHAT Calvin Smith