History tells us that nine different cities have played host to the U.S. government since 1774, including Philadelphia, New York, Annapolis and Baltimore, prior to the establishment of its permanent home here in Washington, D.C.in 1800. But thanks to CES, you can now add Las Vegas, Nevada, to that esteemed list.
Well … sort of, anyway.
A quick stroll around the Eureka Park Startup Pavilion in the Venetian Expo Center this week would appear to support that claim.
Thanks to the work of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), 11 different federal agencies have set up shop here at CES, showcasing a dozen different burgeoning startups while also providing a broad range of services, information and support to the 1,400+ emerging companies who call Eureka Park at CES their temporary home.
“We come back to Eureka Park year after year because we want to meet with the startups, the independent inventors and the small businesses and let them know what their government can do for them,” said USPTO press secretary Paul Fucito.
“We want to make sure that we are here providing all of the help and assistance that we can as your federal government to let you know about intellectual property protection, funding opportunities and all the other ways that the federal government can help you get your small business up and running and help you thrive.”
While the Patent Office is the clear driving force behind the program, 10 other agencies including the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Commercial Service, the U.S. Copyright Service and the U.S. Department of Science and Technology all have a major presence on-site.
“At our booth, 11 different federal agencies are here to help people find information on the innovative ecosystem that flourishes within the government, whether it be funding information, an understanding of how to protect IP or ways to get a contract with certain government agencies,” said USPTO innovation outreach spokesman Sean Wilkerson.
But the proof of the pudding comes from the dozen small business’ success stories, each of whom shared exhibit space with the various agencies.
“We got invited to this amazing pavilion due to our multiple patents, as well as a couple of grants that we’ve been very fortunate to win with the National Science Foundation,” said Javier Evelyn, founder and CEO of Detroit-based food allergy tech company, Alerje.
“We build emergency medicine and digital health solutions for more than 220 million people. … We’ve redesigned an epinephrine auto-injector to fit on the back of a phone case for greater portability. When used during emergency uses, it will alert the right folks so they know where you’re at, what you’re allergic to, and how to save your life in real time,” he added. “This participation provides us with amazing connections and added resources that can help our distribution in the future. Without a doubt, it’s been a 10 out of 10 experience.”
Zikomo Fields, CEO of Insight Autonomy from Minneapolis, created an Android-based app that provides the same warnings systems to older vehicles that most newer models now integrate as standard equipment.
“We wanted to be able to deliver this technology to give that extra layer of safety to anybody, using only their cellphone,” he said. “This is especially useful for people who can’t necessarily afford a very expensive vehicle.”
While Alerje, Insight Autonomy and the 10 other companies participating in the USPTO’s showcase already understand the value the government brings to CES, hundreds of tech-focused hopefuls are taking full advantage of the benefits offered through the pavilion.
Diverseego TV is the world’s first travel streaming TV network “for Blacks and Latinos by Blacks and Latinos,” designed to encourage individuals of color to travel across the country. Company founder and CEO Shamroc Peterson met for several minutes with Noe Gonzalez of the U.S. Minority Business Development Agency during his recent visit.
“The opportunity to work with the Minority Business Development Agency is crucial for primarily Black and Latino companies because they help provide the resources that generate access to startup capital or investment capital to help grow our businesses,” Peterson said. “We learned a lot through our short visit to their booth.”
Without a doubt, the U.S. Government Pavilion here at CES is a shining, positive example of our tax dollars at work. And given the ongoing stalemates here in our nation’s capital these days, perhaps the concept of moving the U.S. government out west to the Nevada desert isn’t such a bad idea after all.
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