Innovation Portal Creates a Rising Tide of New Ideas in Mobile, AL
Mobile’s entrepreneurial spirit is amplified by Innovation Portal, a nonprofit incubator and business hub that provides crucial resources like workspace, technical guidance, mentorship and a collaborative environment for local startups.
To date, Innovation Portal, which was founded in 2016 by the Mobile Chamber, has worked with more than 300 entrepreneurs in Southwest Alabama, helping them shape their ideas and scale their businesses.
“Innovation Portal is a significant asset to Mobile as it fosters a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship,” says Dr. Todd Greer, executive director of Innovation Portal. “By supporting local startups, we contribute to economic growth and position Mobile as a vibrant hub for innovation. We also work to support the growth of education and engagement throughout our community by serving as a resource to nonprofits and community organizations.”
One particular program, Portal Fund: RISE, is an early-stage program that takes founders in Southwest Alabama through a 10-week curriculum and offers up to $5,000 in technical assistance funding to help with the growth of their businesses.
The tangible impact of Innovation Portal’s support can be seen in the journey of local startups like Auditocity and Generational Systems, for example.
Auditocity
Gia Wiggins founded Auditocity in 2022 after years of seeing businesses, especially small to mid-sized ones, struggle with assessing the effectiveness of their HR programs. She constantly ran into organizations that didn’t know where their gaps were until it was too late.
“Auditocity is a tech-driven solution to that problem. It’s a digital HR auditing and diagnostic platform that helps organizations proactively monitor, assess and improve their HR processes – before compliance issues become liabilities,” says Wiggins, who holds a doctoral degree in business from the University of South Alabama.
Hailing from Mobile and engaged in its entrepreneurial ecosystem, Wiggins was no stranger to Innovation Portal.
“I was drawn to it not just because of the resources but because of the community it was building.
When I was growing Auditocity, I knew I wanted to be a part of an active ecosystem and help to expand it as I was working through some of the issues that I was sure other companies face as they were building,” Wiggins says. “Innovation Portal was addressing those issues for our community with an eye on what was happening nationally.”
Wiggins is currently on Innovation Portal’s board of directors, contributing through program participation, piloting new resources and support, and assisting with HR functionality. (She also holds the SPHR and SHRM-SCP human resources certifications.)
“It’s been awesome to watch Innovation Portal solve real problems for companies and startups in real time,” Wiggins says. “By discussing the issues we are facing, we are able to synergistically address and mitigate issues that are helpful for us, but also for other companies that may face similar challenges in the future.”
Generational Systems
Michael Knotts, COO and founder of Generational Systems, first learned of Innovation Portal as a participant in gBETA Gulf Coast, an equity-free pre-accelerator for early-stage venture-backable companies.
For his master’s thesis, Knotts developed the company’s metal 3D printing technology.
“We sought to create an accessible and affordable option for metal 3D printing. Our business was initially founded in 2018, to begin licensing the technology developed as my thesis, and the company began in earnest with our first investment in 2022,” Knotts says. “From here, we developed additional patents and our commercial prototype to the point where we have begun our pilot sales program.”
As a member of the gBETA cohort, Knotts and his team attended several meetings at the Innovation Portal as well as a finale event that involved pitching his company to investors and members of the Mobile community. They also worked alongside Greer and other members at Innovation Portal to create business development solutions and explore how the company’s technology could be used in the community.
“Innovation Portal has been invaluable in helping us navigate our growth and learn how to make responsible decisions to progress,” Knotts says.
With a proven track record of nurturing promising ventures, Innovation Portal continues to solidify Mobile’s reputation as a burgeoning hub for forward-thinking businesses. As Innovation Portal expands its reach and resources, it’s clear that the future of entrepreneurship in Mobile is not just bright – it’s limitless.
