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[ironyardventures]

Meet  Todd Heidenreich, Developer in Residence

We are proud to introduce you to Todd Heidenreich, Developer in Residence for the 2015 Digital Health Accelerator Program.  Todd has been a huge help to all nine companies in the accelerator program and he continues to help the teams keep pushing forward.  His hard work is inspiring and his sense of humor is admirable.  We asked Todd to take a little time and tell you a little more about himself.  So without further ado, meet Todd Heidenreich!

Hello.  I am Todd Heidenreich and you are not. Currently, I am the Developer in Residence for the 2015 Iron Yard Ventures Digital Health Accelerator.

My road to The Iron Yard Ventures Digital Health Accelerator was less than direct. Previously I had careers in food and parks and rec while living in Ohio, North Carolina, and Florida.  A couple of years ago I decided to do something new and challenging that led me to the Iron Yard Academy Front End Engineering program.  After completing the program I worked in Laurens for Piedmont Rural Telephone Cooperative and then a Michelin funded Start-Up.   My wife, two kids and I live in Moore, South Carolina.  My oldest son attends Clemson University and my youngest son attends Byrnes High School.  We enjoy hiking all over the Upstate and surfing on the coast!  My family and I also like to participate in some family disc golf competitions.   My role at the Accelerator is to provide development help to the 9 companies. This could be anything from creating a new marketing website to setting up the data structure of an application.  The varied work and the dedicated founders make the Developer in Residence position an absolute pleasure.  I look forward to the success that all the Accelerator companies will have.  

[ironyardventures]

Meet Lance Putnam, Designer in Residence

We are excited to have our Lance Putnam onboard as the Designer-in-Residence for the 2015 Digital Health Accelerator. His crisp clean designs, hustle and friendly attitude make him a great fit for the role.  We encourage you to meet him, but in the meantime we’ll let him tell you his story..

Its been a little over a year since I started a whole new journey at The Iron Yard Academy– a journey that awakened me and led me down a new route with a fervor for user interface design and development. I love The Iron Yard and everything this community of leaders, teachers, developers, and entrepreneurs stand for - so much so that I had to figure out a way to become involved with The Iron Yard again. Now, a year after completing my Iron Yard Academy degree in Front-End Engineering, I am working at Iron Yard Ventures as the designer-in-residence.

The entrepreneurial mentality has always been instilled in me - so just two weeks after graduating from Presbyterian College with a degree in the Visual Arts, I took the leap and started classes in the first cohort of Clemson's MBA in Entrepreneurship program. Going from the arts to business was a bit of a shakeup for me, but the abstract thinking and experiential approaches that are taught in the arts served me well in the entrepreneurially focused business program. The classes all revolved around owning and operating our own businesses; it was journey of greater self-discovery for me, and one where my passion for startups and innovation was sparked even more so.

I became a full-time employee before graduating from Clemson, but soon learned that I wanted an even greater hand in building and designing something to solve problems. So I decided to take part in The Iron Yard Academy to hone in on a skill that I have long admired and one that would aid me in my entrepreneurial endeavors in the future. The Iron Yard was unlike anything I had ever done before - it was fast-paced, intense, and there were many sleepless nights, but it validated me and I knew that I was exactly where I was supposed to be doing exactly what I was supposed to be doing.  Within weeks of finishing the academy, I was employed as a User Interface and Experience Designer with a national brand.

My desire to become involved with The Iron Yard and this talented and entrepreneurial  group again was weighing heavy on me though. So when the opportunity arose to work with the Digital Health Accelerator, I jumped at the chance. I thrive on the energy and passion that is present everyday among these startups and will do whatever it takes to see each of them succeed in achieving their dreams. While I do not have my own startup just yet, I can see it on the horizon. Being at Iron Yard Ventures has allowed me to take part in mentor and brainstorming sessions and to live somewhat vicariously through these startups right now.

What The Iron Yard has created is extraordinary. I am the eternal proponent for this company and in all the lives and companies that they have made an impact on. It is an honor to work for this team and I am excited to see where this journey leads for myself, The Iron Yard, and the nine startups changing the playing field in the health and wellness industry.

[ironyardventures]

Floating Founders powered by SoftLayer - Making a huge impact!

We are 8 weeks through the 2015 Digital Health Accelerator and the companies are making incredible progress! With 5 weeks to go the companies are heads down preparing for Demo Day.  This year’s cohort has been able to move faster, more efficiently and steam roll roadblocks due to the 4 Floating Founders.

Iron Yard Ventures’ companies benefit from incredible relationships with organizations that are committed to helping founders build, grow and scale their companies. This year’s class is benefiting from amazing partnerships and sponsors with some of the leaders in digital health. One partnership is with SoftLayer. SoftLayer has sponsored our Floating Founder program for the second year in a row. This year’s team consist of a full-time Developer in Residence, Executive in Residence and 2 Designers in Residence.

The 2014 Digital Health Accelerator was our first attempt at having the Floating Founder program and the impact was amazing. So much so we felt we had to take it to the next level doubling the size of the team. Thanks to SoftLayer we were able to bring on an additional Designer and create a new Executive in Residence position. Also, the incredible growth of The Iron Yard Academy made the search for talented and passionate people much easier.

The Developer in Residence, Todd Heidenreich and Designer in Residence, Lance Putnam are both graduates of the Greenville, SC Front End course. The other Designer in Residence, Sarah Garber is a USC Upstate Graphic Design graduate. The Executive in Residence, Joe Gibson, has a wide range of experience in running and growing businesses. He is also a long time Upstate resident.

(P.S. The fact that all of the Floating Founders are from the Upstate speaks volumes about the talent surrounding us.)

The team is tasked with assisting all 9 companies in many different ways. Helping put together websites, ecommerce platforms, building brand guidelines, designing/redesigning logos, assisting with the team growth process, business model, sales and all around hustle – to name a few. Starting a company is easy, building a successful company is hard – there isn’t enough time in a day to accomplish everything that needs to get done. Especially when it’s a team of 2-5 people and you have many milestones to hit on the way to Demo Day. We help companies lay a solid foundation for their startup by providing as much mentorship and as many resources as possible. The Floating Founders have proven to be one of the most key resources we have to offer.

If you’re interested in seeing the impact of the Floating Founders there is no better way than joining us August 13th for Demo Day.

Stay tuned and keep an eye on our blog for a deep dive with each of them individually! Also, if you are interested in applying for a Floating Founder position for the EdTech Program which kicks off on September 14th, reach out to us at [email protected]

[ironyardventures]

Meet Sarah Garber, Design and Marketing Intern

We are thrilled to introduce you to Sarah Garber, Design and Marketing Intern for the 2015 Digital Health Accelerator. She is an incredible asset to this year’s companies! We asked her to take a moment to tell you a little about herself. Take it away Sarah...

Hello, my name is Sarah Garber and I am the marketing and graphic design intern at The Iron Yard. I graduated from USC Upstate last month with a Bachelor of the Arts degree in graphic design and a minor in art history. I was born and raised in Greer, but relocated to Spartanburg at the beginning of the year.

I enjoy creating designs that are simple yet effective. My style is influenced by my interest in typography and my southern surroundings. I enjoy creating solutions that incorporate fun and thoughtful visuals. I am a jack of all trades at The Iron Yard and help create a variety of things including: logo designs, business cards, perform marketing research, or even brainstorm social media marketing plans.

When I am not working on projects, I enjoying hanging out with my family and friends by the pool, going on a trip, making artwork, or attending a concert. I have a happy family of four pets and my partner Zach, who is a worthy opponent at Mario Kart. I also love food and am always looking for a new place to try. If you have any recommendations, or just wanna chat, stop by The Iron Yard or email me at [email protected]!