JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – New businesses hoping for a big break are getting the chance and guidance in making those dreams a reality.
More than 500 people are in the Capital City for Innovate Mississippi’s networking event. It matches startups with investors, generating more than $181 million in the state.
“We originally came up with the idea when I was a specialist in the U.S. Army, and I had a training accident, ” said Paul Leake.
That injury led him and his wife to find another option after graduating from the Texas Medical Center’s Accelerated Program. The Possum Corner, Mississippi native and wife, Sharon, chose to develop VerteCore, a compression device to alleviate pain.
“The doctors gave me two choices: an invasive spinal surgery that may or may not work, or just mask the pain with opioid,” said Paul Leake. “So we did the next best thing and invested our own solution.”
The Leakes were meeting with investors at Innovate Mississippi’s 22nd annual Accelerate conference.
There new startups can learn how to develop, build and grow their companies.
“My wife and I fired off with a company and we started with $5,500 in the late 70′s, and grew it into a pretty decent company,” said Dave Dennis.
He is president of Specialty Contractors and Associates in Gulfport and is giving back to entrepreneurs. For more than 15 years he has been mentoring and financing new businesses.
“Companies, they get out, they make a living,” said Dennis. “They make a profit and then they invest it back into the community, and ultimately, hopefully, that’s what most companies try to do is share it.”
Innovate Mississippi’s event offers various workshops conducted by business owners and industry experts on developing and maintaining a company.
Twenty-five new startup companies participated this year.
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