Our Portfolio – Leveragent

Leveragent Volunteer Activities

Our work in entrepreneurial development began in 2004 with a desire to contribute to the growth of aspiring entrepreneurs. This commitment to giving back has been a has driven Leveragent in multiple pro-bono initiatives to support organizations promoting entrepreneurship. These efforts include:

Delivering Leveragent workshops to student and faculty groups.
Providing mentorship for presentations and entrepreneurial ventures.
Serving as a judge for entrepreneurial competitions.
Contributing as guest lecturer in relevant academic programs.
Leading programs that encourage engineering education.
Contributing to initiatives that foster student, faculty, minority and women’s entrepreneurship.

Startup Slovensko Awards 2024

Leveragent provided presentation coaching to the 25 semifinalists of the Startup Slovensko Awards 2024, Slovakia’s premier entrepreneurial event and pitch competition. Funded by the U.S. Embassy in Bratislava, the competition culminated in a sold-out event broadcast on Slovak national television.

The overall winner, Ekolive, secured a €250,000 investment from Seed Starter of Slovenská sporiteľňa. Category winners will embark on a Silicon Valley visit in 2025, where Leveragent will provide pitch coaching to help them successfully present to U.S. venture capital investors.

The Startup Slovensko Awards 2024 were designed and implemented by Civitta and its Innovation League EDO

APEX Program

APEX is a first-of-its-kind program that aims to enhance partnerships between the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and academia nationwide in support of the United States Air Force Science & Technology 2030 Strategy. APEX is a Department of the Air Force partnership intermediary agreement. The organization provides free resources to U.S. academic researchers and innovators who are interested in participating in or applying for funding from the Air Force SBIR/ STTR programs. APEX’s goal is to make a major leap forward in Department of the Air Force defense technology innovation and development.

Leveragent has worked with APEX since its inception in 2019. We provide entrepreneurial support for proposers with a specialty in primary communication vehicles like slide decks and whitepapers. A modified version of Leveragent’s PerfectPitchtm has been used in this work. Additionally, Leveragent has provided services in program design, training and university relations, with a focus on Appalachia and HBCUs. APEX’s most recent new program, STTReamlinetm, which prepares universities for DAF STTR partnerships, is a Leveragent program design.
It’s been an honor and privilege to work with entrepreneurs and universities to optimize proposal quality to the to the DAF SBIR/STTR programs and solve real problems for the DAF and our country.

University of North Carolina Wilmington Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (UNCW CIE)

In 2017, UNCW CIE engaged Leveragent to create and present the Show Me the Funding!tm half-day workshop on understanding funding options and opportunities. Presented to a sold-out crowd, it was highly acclaimed as valuable, helpful and entertaining. Since then, the workshop has been presented to a live UNCW CIE audience yearly (remotely during the pandemic).

Leveragent provides EIR services to UNCW CIE with a focus on presenting to investors and NC investment mechanisms. Throughout the year, top UNCW CIE entrepreneurs are selected for PerfectPitchtm implementations. These implementations are typically a mix of in-person and virtual sessions helping the entrepreneurs prepare to communicate their message to potential investors, partners and customers. UNCW sets the budget for EIR services to match their resources and needs.

The Wilmington entrepreneurial ecosystem has flourished during Leveragent’s engagement. It’s been a pleasure and a privilege to work within one of the best smaller metro area entrepreneurial ecosystems in the U.S.

North Carolina Biotechnology Venture Challenge

In 2020, Leveragent presented a modified version of its It’s About the Story^tm workshop to finalists in North Carolina Biotechnology Center’s Venture Challenge.
In 2022, Leveragent provided pitch coaching to all finalists for the NC Biotechnology Venture Challenge.
Leveragent is currently providing pitch coaching services for regional and statewide finalists the 2024 event.

Ohio Federal Resource Network (OFRN)

Leveragent performed pitch-coaching engagements for OFRN in 2019 and 2021. This process evaluated finalists for significant OFRN State of Ohio funding for projects with federal laboratories in Ohio. Leveragent coached all finalists in both engagements, and OFRN management commented on the increased quality of all finalist presentations.

Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority

Under a grant from the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, Leveragent worked with VIEDA to develop their entrepreneurial ecosystem by providing entrepreneurial support to a variety of early-stage companies, including a large scale alternative energy provider, enterprise software company, recording studio, resort property, aquaculture, food products companies and others.

Additionally, Leveragent provided input on developing an entrepreneurial ecosystem and addressing the significant economic issues the island faces.
And… yes …regularly visiting one of the most beautiful places on earth was great! Working with St. Croix’s entrepreneurial community was even better!

TradeWinds Forum and Trade Mission

TradeWinds Forum and Trade Mission took place in Sofia, Bulgaria and Bucharest, Romania in October 2017. The event was, at the time, the largest U.S. trade mission in history to each of the two countries. The mission and associated events aimed to foster networking opportunities between U.S. exporters and service providers and Southeaast European companies.

In addition to building important relationships in Bulgaria, Leveragent was able to connect with representatives of 28 of the 32 U.S. Commercial Service offices in Europe.

Leveragent augmented the trip with a visit to Portugal to meet with U.S. Commercial Service officials and members of the Lisbon entrepreneurial ecosystem.

BRITE Energy Innovators JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network

Leveragent teamed with another consulting company to provide executive leadership to this energy accelerator funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, the State of Ohio and a host of local funders. The partner company focused on getting a new building constructed, while
Leveragent built a highly successful entrepreneurial support program for energy, natural resources, materials and electronics companies in concert with the JumpStart Entrepreneurial Network. Supported companies have had tremendous success in achieving funding from Northeast Ohio capital mechanisms.

Great Lakes Energy Institute Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH

Leveragent worked with GLEI on a Department of Energy grant to evaluate the feasibility and industry interest in a Grid Level Energy Storage Validation Center which would perform tests on grid-level storage systems and act as an objective evaluator of grid-level storage system performance.

SMART Commercialization Center for Microsystems Lorain County Community College, Elyria, OH

Leveragent took on a co-executive role in marketing and outside partnerships for this groundbreaking shared resource technology center focused on packaging for MEMS chips and microsystems. Outside partnership work resulted in relationships with Ohio State University, Purdue University, the University of Michigan, and a host of industry partners.

Innovation Fund America Lorain County Community College, Elyria, OH

Leveragent worked with LCCC to begin replication of their highly successful Innovation Fund model, which funds very early-stage companies to build entrepreneurial ecosystems. Leveragent was heavily involved in writing the initial proposal that resulted in a grant from the Kaufmann Foundation.

Ohio Aerospace Institute Cleveland, OH

Leveragent worked with OAI to investigate the feasibility of a Knowledge Management System to facilitate better training of aerospace personnel, more effective connections between academia and the industry and to maintain developed industry knowledge.

Center for Creative Economy, Winston-Salem, NC

Leveragent provided feedback to groups of entrepreneurs in the CCE Creative Startups Accelerator and coached contestants in the accelerator’s Demo/Pitch night.

Ion Optics, Inc, Waltham, MA
Ardesta, Ann Arbor, MI

Mr. Mather worked with Ion Optics, a maker of groundbreaking infrared MEMS technology whose primary funder was Ardesta, to raise follow-on venture funding . Mr. Mather was asked by the company and investors to become full-time CEO. and raised $6.8 million in venture financing. The company was eventually sold to FLiR Systems .

FITOS, Inc., Kent, OH

Leveragent performed marketing studies, presentation coaching and other management consulting services FITOS to move the company significantly closer to revenue bearing commercialization of its groundbreaking I.T.O. surface technology.

The Idea Village, New Orleans, LA

Leveragent presented the It’s About the Storytm workshop and acted as a judge for a one-minute pitch event.

Logisync, Avon, OH

Logisync is a leading manufacturer of embedded systems, control systems and IOT devices and systems. Leveragent implemented PerfectPitchtm for the company’s business plan presentation.

InNow, Wadsworth, OH

InNow used a unique commercialization model to provide early-stage, yet market-ready companies and technologies the opportunity to introduce and gain traction in India and other countries.

Leveragent helped the company get started by providing primary business plan support and writing. Additionally, Leveragent helped InNow identify and develop market segments, technologies and partners.

Com-Net Software, Miamisburg, OH
Parkland Group, Cleveland, OH

On behalf of the Parkland Group, Mr Mather took on a temporary CEO role as Com-Net absorbed Signature Signs. Com-Net is a leading manufacturer of Flight Information Display Systems, and is now owned by SITA.