Ozarks Startup Weekend

From staring behind the counter at ServiceWorld in 2004, Co-Owner and General Manager Kevin Waterland has held nearly every position at Pitt Technology Group. Starting in support staff he moved to assistant engineer, then General Manager after founding three of the companies that comprise the Pitt Technology Group with Co-Owner Doug Pitt. Kevin is also dedicated to serving nonprofits in the region, serving on several boards and committees, and working to bring cost effective tech solutions to nonprofits in Southwest Missouri.

Chris has 15+ years experience as a tech entrepreneur and has managed international startup competitions. He works with startups going through customer development and technical discovery processes to onboard into the technology team for solution design. He is also the founder of a nationally recognized software developer training program and manages collaborations with business development/startup pipeline and workforce development/talent pipeline stakeholders to bridge connections.

Simoriah is an ITIL-certified, dedicated IT Leader with 17 years of experience in enterprise technology services for a Fortune 500 financial technology company. Simoriah is a national woman in technology, community leader, and professional, having pioneered the Women at Jack Henry initiative, transforming challenges into opportunities for women in technology. Growing up in a cycle of poverty and addiction, Sim now shares compelling narratives that serve as a reminder to everyone about the significant impact they can have on others through their mindsets and actions.

Inspired by multiple family members' spinal surgery complications, Alyssa sketched a design in 2009 that would evolve to become the A8 Integr8™ Porous Pedicle Screw System, leading to the development and growth of ALLUMIN8. With over two decades of experience consulting for MedTech firms, Alyssa's expertise spans sales, product development, marketing, and strategy implementation across Medical Devices, Biologics, and Robotics. As a dedicated leader and team builder, Alyssa's personal connection to healthcare challenges drives her continued focus. She strives to foster collaboration in the medical ecosystem to advance innovative solutions, improve patient outcomes, and push boundaries in the field of medicine.

James is a nationally-recognized tech startup coach and regional entrepreneurship ecosystem developer who has led organizations to create programs that have supported the creation of hundreds of startups and small businesses. He is co-founder of Codefi, the Southern Missouri Innovation Network, and Innovate SOMO investment funds. He has extensive experience as a founder and investor, and is a Level 3 certified LeanStack startup coach and problem discovery expert who annually coaches dozens of founders from idea to problem/solution, and product/market fit.

Jason has extensive experience in leading large organizations with multiple business units. He has a strong background in real estate investment, management and development and a breadth of knowledge in finance and metric management. In 2023, he Co-Founded LeadWell Advisory Partners, an executive-level advisory services firm headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, serving growth-stage companies and their founders and executives, and serves as an active advisor to a sizable number of early-stage companies.

Torrey was the Co-Founder / CEO of TrustHCS, a medical technology company with PE driven exits in 2015 and 2020. He was Founding Director and current board member of the North Texas Angel Network. He is an active investor/owner in technology, tech-enabled services, oil & gas, renewable energy, finance, consumer goods and entertainment companies. In 2023, he Co-Founded LeadWell Advisory Partners, an executive-level advisory services firm headquartered in Springfield, Missouri, serving growth-stage companies and their founders and executives, and serves as an active advisor to a sizable number of early-stage companies.

A software developer with a keen eye for seamless user experiences and robust back-end systems, German approaches software development with adaptability and an innovative mindset. With experience across the full spectrum of web technologies and a role in shaping the future as a board member at Springfield Devs, German brings a blend of technical know-how and community spirit to the table.

Cody is an architect and has a passion for designing great buildings and sustainable community development. He is also one of the directors of The Hatch Foundation, which was founded in 2019 and is located in Springfield, Missouri. Its mission is to nurture a sense of community through innovative solutions to enrich the quality of life for the people of the Springfield region. Hatch is also a founding investor of the Innovate SOMO Venture Funds.

Crystal brings nearly a decade of experience nurturing entrepreneurs and tech ecosystems to her role as mentor at Ozarks Startup Weekend. Her multifaceted background spans startups, community management, marketing, sales, healing arts, and theatre. This unique blend of business acumen and creativity allows Crystal to bring innovative, holistic solutions to startup challenges. As a self-described "multi-hyphenate person," she excels at fostering human connections and out-of-the-box thinking. Crystal's passion for deep conversations and making the tech space more human drives her mission to empower entrepreneurs and fuel ecosystem growth.

Chad Boschert is the founder of Apt Crowd, LLC, an AI-supported advertising and online community company that he started in 2017 after being selected for and completing the eFactory startup accelerator program. With expertise in software development and marketing, Chad has a well-rounded skill set, honed through his experience as a solopreneur where he wears many hats. He also brings hands-on experience in startup competitions, having placed third in a previous Springfield startup weekend.

Michael serves as the Founder in Residence at Codefi, where he leverages his experiences to foster innovation and act as a team member to startups in our ecosystem. Immersed in business ventures from a young age and selling his first company while still in college, Michael launched Swipesum in 2018, spearheading the development of advanced payment solutions tailored to modern business needs. Gaining significant recognition since its launch, Swipesum has been named to the Inc. 5000 list in both 2023 and 2024, and has been voted the top solution provider for franchises by Entrepreneur Magazine. Swipesum operates out of St. Louis and Cape Girardeau and collaborates closely with major partners including MasterCard, Visa, FIS, Jack Henry, Elavon, and many others to deliver comprehensive end solutions.

Myke Bates is co-founder and CEO of Hearo Technologies, an assistive technology company in Springfield, Missouri. Hearo was founded in 2018, with the core belief that well-designed technology has the power to increase independence and improve the lives of those that it serves. Building community and sharing knowledge are central to Myke’s journey. He founded Springfield Devs, a grassroots networking group for tech professionals in Southwest Missouri that’s met monthly since 2014.With a naturally curious mind and a tech background that spans IT support, e-commerce, engineering, and marketing, Myke’s professional trajectory is a bit of a long story—like any epic tale there are twists and turns, leading to this moment when he’s ready to use his skills to make the world a better place.

Sandra Smart has over 21 years of business experience as a small business owner working with small businesses and large corporations. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with an emphasis in Production/Operations Management from Southeast Missouri State University and an MBA with an emphasis in management from Missouri State University.

She holds certifications as an Economic Development Finance Professional (EDFP), GrowthWheel Business Advisor, Blue Mesa Transformational Coach, and Entrepreneurial Mindset Facilitator.

Sho Rust is the driving force behind PubGen.AI and Sho.AI, merging his roots in rural Cape Girardeau's local newspaper scene with cutting-edge AI to empower publishers. With a passion for preserving quality journalism, Sho created PubGen.AI to revolutionize digital news, combat news deserts, and bring new life to local journalism. Partnering with longtime friends and industry experts, he's dedicated to ensuring that the power of AI is harnessed to support and sustain the heart of community news.

Scott Blevins is a seasoned developer, engineer, and team leader with extensive experience in launching enterprise-grade software applications. As Co-Founder of Carefully Crafted, Scott has led large-scale teams in building cutting-edge cloud-based platforms and developing custom web applications tailored to clients’ needs.

Scott is the Co-Founder of Taffy Tree, an AI-powered SaaS platform designed to equip small to medium-sized businesses with tools like CRM, project management, proposal generation, and time tracking. His expertise in over a dozen programming languages and technical leadership ensure Taffy Tree delivers exceptional functionality, helping businesses streamline operations and integrate AI into their daily processes.

Brad Jones is a professional designer, marketer, and project manager with over 15 years of experience creating award-winning branding and marketing projects. Throughout his career, Brad has developed more than 300 websites, executed countless design projects, and led successful advertising campaigns for businesses across various industries.

As the Co-Founder of Taffy Tree, an AI-powered SaaS platform designed for small to medium-sized businesses, Brad brings his creative expertise to help businesses streamline their operations with AI-driven tools like proposal generation, CRM, and project management. His focus on blending creativity with technology has consistently driven the success of his ventures.

Kevin is a master software developer with over 20 years of experience in Python, C, TypeScript, and a wide range of other programming languages. His expertise spans multiple domains, including software architecture and electrical engineering. Currently, Kevin is focused on an exciting project, developing an AI-powered communications wearable. With a deep understanding of both hardware and software, he brings a unique perspective to the intersection of technology and innovation, pushing the boundaries of modern communication solutions.

With 17 years of experience as an Industrial Designer and Product Developer, Logan excels in creating smart, efficient, and empathetic designs. Logan's products have won the James Dyson award, CES Innovation award, and Techcrunch Hardware Battlefield among many others. He believes in “infinite leverage,” where each design decision impacts the entire business lifecycle and user experience. Logan has a broad and deep skill set, from debugging PCBs and conducting QA sessions in Asia to managing design teams and maintaining product lifecycles. Passionate about helping people, he ensures products are functional, reliable, and profitable. Logan is committed to optimizing user experience.

Clayton Rothschild is a software founder who bootstrapped his startup, CloudPano, to 7 figures in revenue. Cloudpano is a SaaS platform that enables people to create virtual tours of their spaces. Boasting integrations with major partners such as Zillow and Realtor.com, CloudPano has over 250 thousand projects on the platform and 80 thousand users and is proud to call the Ozarks home. Spaces captured on CloudPano extend beyond residential real estate, with clients such as University of Alabama, FOX Studios, and Taco Deli using the platform.

Clayton and his cofounder, Zach Calhoon, continue to build CloudPano while also building other micro-SaaS products such as photo delivery platform, Pictastic.ai , and property documentation software, PropertyLink.