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WOMEN TO WATCH IN TECH

Michelle Caffery, Reporter Philadelphia Business Journal

This list of women to watch in the Philadelphia tech industry is by no means exhaustive or comprehensive. Many more women in the regional scene are working on impactful, compelling initiatives. The 15 people listed here are just a small sample of the ambitious entrepreneurs, executives and leaders in the Greater Philadelphia tech industry to keep an eye on — and who just happen to be women...

...Felicite Moorman, CEO and Co-founder, StratIS The emerging world of the Internet of Things, or IoT, which refers to the connectivity of everyday products wirelessly linked to the internet, brings about a host of new concerns as well as opportunities.

Moorman, an attorney, leads two companies operating in the growing field — BuLogics, which creates IoT devices and StratIS, which creates the software platforms for IoT installations for multifamily communities.

Given her field, and her ambition to lead, Moorman’s primed to take on the opportunities ahead for IoT... l (Above) ...Felicite Moorman, CEO and Co-founder, StratIS

Read the Full Article At Philadelphia Business Journal: http://bit.ly/2gTHJ3I

Philadelphia Is Beyond Ready For Smart Cities

By James Calder I am proud of my adopted home City of Philadelphia for many reasons, but that pride grew a little greater when I heard the news that Philadelphia was named one of five U.S. cities to win a Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grant.

According to a city press release, Philadelphia will receive a tailored Readiness Workshop during 2017, to develop a roadmap for applying smart technologies to further innovation, inclusion, and investment within the City. The City will also receive ongoing feedback and guidance from the Council, as well as supporting products and services from Council member companies and advisors.

Last year, I wrote about the race for smart cities and why Philadelphia should not be overlooked. The rest of the world is finally realizing the potential of our great city and the hard work of our Internet of Things and technology innovators.

“Smart cities are cities where everyone works together toward a common vision, and we were especially impressed with the collaborative environment that Philadelphia is building,” said Smart Cities Council Chairman Jesse Berst. “We and our partners look forward to helping the city build upon this great head start to make a meaningful difference in the lives of the city’s residents.”

Just last week, I had a chance to interview Philadelphia’s Mayor Jim Kenney about this very topic. For those that don’t know the Mayor, he has been an advocate for Philly’s tech scene and for growing and supporting all of the innovative companies in this region of the country. The Mayor has made it clear that he views technology and startups an important part of Philadelphia’s present and future.

“Philadelphia’s tech and startup scene is robust, diverse in every sense, and inclusive,” Kenney said. “We are at the forefront of development of new technologies in key industries like healthcare and advanced manufacturing.”

According to the Mayor, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce recently released a report ranking 25 cities on their readiness to capitalize on the ongoing shift to a digital economy. Philadelphia ranked 8th – ahead of New York and DC. “That shows our potential,” Mayor Kenney said. “Tech and startups are not just an important part of the future of our city, they are important to the future of this entire nation. For us to remain competitive we must continue to learn and figure out how to integrate technology into our more traditional institutions.”

Philadelphia technology CEO, Felicite Moorman leads two Internet of Things (IoT) companies located in the East Falls section of the city. BuLogics has been a crucial part of the IoT since 2003, and StratIS is the Smart Start for Smart Cities. Full disclosure, Moorman is also my boss, but more importantly my respected leader.

StratIS is currently approaching 150,000 multifamily units installed across the U.S. That is smart city technology embedded in every major city.

“Mayor Kenney undoubtedly is an advocate for the technology community but more importantly, I think he will further the philosophy of the City of brotherly love and sisterly affection,” Moorman said. “In today’s state of political divide I think his stance on what it means to be a community is more important than ever, and I couldn’t be more impressed or grateful.”

Continued....

Philadelphia Is Beyond Ready For Smart Cities......................................................................... Continued It is important for smart cities to have smart mayors and we certainly have that in Philadelphia.

“Tech startups have a multiplier effect of almost 5x, meaning for every one job created, you have the potential of creating five more,” Kenney said. “That’s not just five more tech jobs either – it’s five jobs, period. In any industry. For Philadelphia this is a crucial measure. We have the highest poverty rate of all the big cities in the United States. More tech companies translates to more jobs, and ultimately more tax revenue for the City.”

Our teams at StratIS and BuLogics are prime examples of that. We are growing at a rapid rate and recruiting talented software engineers and other key positions, from around the corner and across the globe.

Moorman advises that the Mayor needs the right team and point people to head smart cities initiatives: “The project and possibilities are endless.

The focus has to be consistent and holistic in order to really take advantage of all of the opportunities that smart cities provide,” she said. “I think Philadelphia is an excellent place to pilot programs, and be an example to the world, not just the United States. This person should be somebody with a technology background, so they can sift through the hype, but also have an understanding of how to work bureaucracy and public private partnership’s effectively and efficiently.”

Moorman knows firsthand that a lot of the technologies in smart cities pilots are not yet commercially viable. “This means that they are not producing a return on investment for the private individuals who would invest in the technologies and rely almost solely on public funding,” she said. “While these technologies are novel and sometimes innovative, the lack of viability from a financial standpoint will create longer adoption timelines than necessary.”

The Mayor believes that Philadelphia is already on its way to becoming a smart city. “For example, we are leading the way nationally on the release of open data from many of our City departments,” he said. “But there’s much more we can do, and we have been building a coalition of City, community, business and educational institutions who are all enthused and ready to jump in and help with a Smart City project.”

The Mayor and his team believe Philadelphia is ideal for Smart Cities initiatives because it has the infrastructure in place to support any Smart City application.

“We have commercial fiber throughout the City which can be tapped into as we need it,” he said. “A Smart City needs to be able to collect massive amounts of data and, through our businesses and City owned infrastructure, we are exceptionally suited to build and support Smart City applications. We own light poles and City buildings which can accommodate sensors and wireless access points and these are spread throughout the City. We have also recently signed an agreement with Comcast to replace our aging communications infrastructure which connects over 225 City buildings with high speed fiber which will increase our network capacity significantly. When one thinks of a Smart City, the first thought goes toward the application, but the far more important piece is the backend network which supports it.”

I couldn’t agree more with the mayor that having the infrastructure for smart and affordable technology is the keystone. At StratIS we are very proud that we have been able to connect and manage access, energy and automation for 150,000 multifamily properties across the country in 18 months time.

City officials have been busy gathering information and planning. In 2016, Philly issued an RFI (Request for Information) regarding how the City should approach the Smart City opportunity.

“We received 106 responses from companies operating worldwide,” Kenney said. “Based on the information gleaned from these responses, we are issuing an RFP for a vendor to help us develop a roadmap for Smart Cities projects. Our intent is to further build and strengthen that coalition of City, community, business and educational institutions so we can receive input into our plan.”

The team at StratIS is part of a coalition of Philadelphia tech companies gathered by Amplify Philly to attend the South By SouthWest conference this spring with the Mayor. Moorman said she looks forward to the opportunity to meet the mayor at the event and discussing the many possibilities of pilot programs and other ways that our team can help Philadelphia make its mark in the smart cities movements.

“I have a suspicion that our Mayor already knows all of our companies at least by name, if not what we’re doing,” she said. “But I look forward to the opportunity to meet him and share with him some of the things that we’re doing in smart cities. We’ve installed our software in 150,000 commercial residential units in less than two years. That is proof of financial viability, from a private standpoint, and it would be worthwhile for the mayor to know more. We share a common goal, to make our home City the smartest city in the world.” l

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BUSINESS

The list identifies small businesses with “all their parts growing in harmony.” Here’s who made the cut.

By Roberto Torres | Reporter Technically Philly

Entrepreneur rounded up 360 companies across the country making major strides in four areas: impact, innovation, growth and leadership.

“We want to identify 360 small businesses each year that (…) keep all their parts growing in harmony,” Entrepreneur writes. “The result is our Entrepreneur 360 list.”

As we perused the lineup we found eight tech companies from the Philly area that made the list this year. That number feels kinda small, tbh. It may be, as Technical.ly DC reporter Tajha Chappellet-Lanier pointed out, the list’s somewhat faulty methodology: Foremost of those problems is the fact that any company that appears on the list needed to apply ahead of time to be considered. This makes sense because it would be hard for Entrepreneur to gather a complete list of all small businesses in America, but it also means that companies need to know about the list in order to appear there.

Anyway, here are the Philly-based companies deemed worthy of a shoutout.

...See The Full List At TECHNICALLY PHILLY:

http://bit.ly/2mYmSRf

eMagazine Articles, Entertainment / AV, Featured Articles, High-Volume, Home Automation

2016: The Year of the TecHome Posted By Greg Vellante | Staff Writer

Over the next five years, the TecHome will grow substantially. Over the next ten, it very well could be commonplace to own a connected home. But what will happen this year alone to change the industry?

The answer, it seems, is quite a lot. We spoke with industry experts to see what will be the biggest trends emerging this year to further boost the TecHome as the true home of the future.

Tech Will Expand to New Markets According to Felicite Moorman, CEO of BULogics, Inc. and StratIS EMS, Llc., 2016 will see decades of efforts begin to produce reasonable returns on investment for more businesses embracing and investing in home automation Internet of Things (IoT) than ever before.

“This will lead to adoption by new channels like multifamily and student housing,� says Moorman.

The expansion to multifamily and also the midmarket means a wider range of possibilities for people looking to own a connected home. It will also allow developers and high-volume builders to include more tech in their projects.

The Pros and Cons of Home Automation Moorman also notes that 2016 will see a huge spike in the rise of connected devices focused on home automation. There will be new protocols and standards for home automation, yet there will also be an increase in unique devices hitting the market.

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2016: The Year Of THE TeCHOME.................................................................................................................... 2 of 2 This could possibly cause a collapse due to consumer misunderstanding. “[This rise] will unfortunately continue to create confusion as to interoperability and functionality, likely leading to inaction in both enterprise and consumer,” says Moorman.

However, these confusions could benefit the industry. In response to consumer inaction, 2016 will see more meaningful strategic partnerships in home automation, as manufacturers, service providers and platform providers lean into closed ecosystems as the answer.

“The increase of consumer confusion will lead to an increase in opportunity for trusted advisors and experts offering guidance to enterprise and consumers alike,” says Moorman.

Other Trends Aside from home automation, what other trends will emerge in 2016?

Dan Moniz, technology specialist for CRG Companies, sees energy efficient tech and power management systems growing as they become more available to the masses and the mid-market.

“At the basic level, consumers are now familiar with products like the Nest Learning Thermostat. They’re seeking additional products that are intuitive and allow for increased control via scheduling functions and remote access that they can program and control themselves,” says Moniz.

Additionally, Moniz sees a growing relationship that will begin to form between technology and design.

“We anticipate seeing more TVs that appear at the touch of a button from the wall or within a cabinet; speakers installed in the wall or ceiling that are covered by the finished surface; and wireless charging stations in counters and furniture,” says Moniz. “Equipment will be hidden away and accessed through a touchscreen or smart phone from any point in the house.”

New Openings for Builders It’s clear that the TecHome market is gearing up for growth in the coming year. While a flood of products may be overwhelming at first, it will eventually help to settle and shape the industry.

Production builders will benefit greatly from this shift, especially as tech partnerships evolve and the mindset of DIY dwindles. Consumers and clients will begin to really understand that in order to have a fully-functioning, efficient and integrated home, experts are needed.

Thus, the future is promising for builders, integrators, manufacturers and consumers alike.

In other words, the entire TecHome ecosystem is growing greener every single day.

Greg Vellante, Staff Writer

Greg Vellante is a staff writer and multimedia specialist at TecHome Builder, as well as a content coordinator for AE Ventures events. He has over a decade of experience writing for various publications on topics that range from cinema to editorials to home technology. His favorite technologies fall into the A/V and home entertainment realm, and he’s keeping a close eye on the rising trends in robotics and virtual/augmented reality. Greg resides in Boston, holds a degree in Media Studies from Emerson College and pursues screenwriting/ filmmaking in his free time.

MULTIFAMILY HOUSING

Access And energy control App clicks With student housing deVelopers And mAnAgers JOHN CAULFIELD | SENIOR EDITOR

Felicite Moorman remembers receiving a call from

a multifamily property manager whose building was struggling with its thermostat system. “For one thing, the system wasn’t designed for multifamily; for another thing, the system had very little property management control capability,” she recalls.

The year was 2013, and Moorman was CEO of BuLogics, which specializes in providing wireless solutions for the Internet of Things. Her company had just launched StratIS, a wireless access, energy, and automation control, whose app gives property owners and managers the ability to create setbacks on thermostats and heating systems.

In short order, StratIS has made an imprint on the market. In 2014, it established a partnership with Jonathan Rose Companies, a green real estate policy, development, project management and investment firm, through which StratIS installed its pilot systems. Last year, StratIS struck a partnership with the door hardware manufacturer Schlage, which had introduced its Schlage Control Smart Locks that are designed for multifamily property owners, and whose ENGAGE technology enables lock control from the cloud via mobile applications that are compatible with StratIS’s access platform.

By late November 2015, StratIS had at least one of its products in 72,000 multifamily and hotel units in between 250 and 300 buildings. Moorman tells BD+C that between 14,000 and 20,000 of those units are student housing built by American Campus Communities. StratIS’s products also found their way into student housing developed and managed

by Campus Apartments.

StratIS markets its software through distributors, integrators, and installers. “We give them something extra to sell,” says Moorman. She adds that StratIS’s products are relatively easy to install in new builds or renovations, with minimal resident disruption. “We precommission everything, which cuts down on the [complexity] of installation. I also test everything on my seven-year-old, and if she can’t use it, we try to figure out what happened.”

Property managers have the option of allowing renters to download StratIS’s thermostat-control app as part of their lease agreement.

Moorman says the next horizon for StratIS could be key cards, although she concedes there is far greater potential liability using this kind of technology for access into multifamily homes than in hotels. Longer term, Moorman sees opportunities for StratIS developing access- and HVAC-control products for the single-family housing market, which she acknowledges will be more competitive.

Find this article at: http://bit.ly/2lAmknG

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Read the Full Article: http://bit.ly/2m2PmIy

IoT Podcast – Internet of Things With Stacey Higginbotham

Episode 97:

Enterprises will spend big bucks ($269 BILLION) on IoT Hosts: Stacey Higginbotham and Kevin Tofel Guest: Felicite Moorman, the CEO of StratiIS Sponsor: Ayla Networks

There’s a lot of money in the internet of things. No, not just in your smart home gadgets. The Boston Consulting Group estimates that by 2020 enterprises will be spending €250 billion on the internet of things. We discuss the survey, news of the week, an update on my OpenHab project and answer the question of how one gets started with a smart home. Two cases caught our eye on the privacy and security front, with one dealing with self-incrimination and a pacemaker and the other being the hotel in Austria that dealt with a ransomware attack on its smart lock system.

And for everyone who wants to know about how to get into the smart home as a renter, I brought on Felicite Moorman, the CEO of StratIS to discuss things renters can buy to connect their (temporary) homes. She also laid out the future of smart apartments and explained what tech renters are likely to see from their landlords. There’s something for everyone this week.

Listen to thie Episode and and Subscribe to the Podcast at http://bit.ly/2n1fBTm

Stacey Higginbotham

(Above) A chart from the recent BCG report on the internet of things.

I am a journalist who has covered technology for over a decade at publications such as Fortune, PCMag, Gigaom, The Deal and BusinessWeek. View all posts by Stacey Higginbotham at http://iotpodcast.com

BUSINESS

Philly Companies in the Consumer Electronics Space Report Back From Las Vegas' Popular Trade Show.

By Roberto Torres | Reporter Technically Philly Every year like clockwork, the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas hijacks the tech world’s attention for a couple of days. And yes, it also means we at Technical.ly get to check in with some of our community members stunting from Sin City without actually having to get over there (just like we did last year).

Here are some of the reports we’ve gotten back thus far from the benchmark trade show...

STRATIS / BULOGICS Founder Felicite Moorman and CTO Ryan Buchert are Philly staples at CES. This year, Moorman took to Twitter to chronicle her day-to-day using the tag #WTFelicite. Follow along to watch her chronicle the long registration lines, back-to-back meetings with clients and her current shoe-change count:

...Read the Full Article At TECHNICALLY PHILLY:

http://bit.ly/2mO3Pwb

Kicking OfF An Internet of Things World DominAtion Tour, GiVing MultiFAmily More Control

By James Calder | Marketing Director, STRATIS

A

coworker recently joked that our StratIS CEO Felicite Moorman and CTO Ryan Buchert kicked off a world domination tour this September.

While funny, it borders on truth. Our team is running at full speed these days, from engineering and integrating existing product lines into our Smart City commercial residential IoT platform, to exploring partnerships, conferences, marketing, business development, support and innumerable other opportunities with unprecedented strategic focus. We have had an amazing quarter, and it is one to share.

Records Set and Reset

We are setting records as quickly as we are surpassing them, in a market that we made. We created StratIS for one simple reason, to give people more control; control that starts with access and energy control for property owners and managers and carries the benefits of control on to their residents.

We flew past our first 100,000 units installed in MultiFamily and Campus Communities and are quickly approaching 110,000. Our installation growth rate rivals that of behemoth service providers like Comcast. If we were the celebrating types, that would be something to cheer, but we are far too excited executing on our vision these days.

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Kicking off an IOT world domination tour........................................................................................ 2 of 3

Rolling Out Our Resident App StratIS is the only Internet of Things App created for total Property Management Control of the Smart MultiFamily Unit. The StratIS Resident App is revolutionary and changes how residents access their living space and control their energy usage, but prioritizes the return on investment for the owners and managers, allowing unprecedented collaboration for both, optimizing property efficiencies.

The StratIS App allows Residents to lock and unlock their doors with their smart phones, control their thermostats, and engage preinstalled automation peripherals. Property Managers can purchase the Resident App at a per year, per unit, site-wide cost, or Residents can directly purchase the app.

Huge In Korea Our leaders, Felicite Moorman and Ryan Buchert, spent the last week at Smart Cities Innovation Summit Asia in Goyang City, Republic of Korea. When Felicite was invited to highlight the success of StratIS in a keynote address, we were honored, but not surprised.

City planners and government officials across the globe are looking to StratIS as the model for the commercial residential smart start to Smart Cities. Cities throughout Asia is taking the development of Smart Cities extremely seriously and are interested in models that are currently installed and working across the globe. Our Team at StratIS took advantage of the opportunity to meet with the Mayor of Goyang City and other world leaders, to learn about real pain points that they are facing, as well as their pioneering urban developments.

Upon returning from Korea, Moorman will be a featured speaker for an Urban Land Institute event at the Union League in Philadelphia. The panel explores “Disruptive Technology, Ten Million People, and a Warmer Planet.� From there, the team heads south to Washington, D.C. for Smart Cities Week an event hosted by the Smart Cities Council. StratIS will exhibit its groundbreaking solution in Innovation Alley.

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A Stellar September To cap off the month, we have been named a Stellar Startup finalist by the Philadelphia Media Network. It’s a great honor for us to be recognized in our hometown among some truly great companies.

“Stellar StartUp Awards is an extension of our newsroom coverage, where reporters like Diane Mastrull have been covering local entrepreneurs and their stories for years,” says Jennifer Wolf Director of Special Events, Philadelphia Media Network, publisher of The Inquirer, Daily News and Philly.com.

Stellar Startups is produced by the Events Team at Philadelphia Media Network, with great support from their newsroom.

“An outside, third-party judging panel was enlisted to review applications and identify the finalists,” Wolf says. “Nominations were solicited in our paper and online over the course of two months. The nomination process was open to the public with 100 nomination applications.”

StratIS is nominated in the Technology category.

“Philadelphia and the surrounding suburbs are rich with startups. Our event panelists, including Scrub Daddy inventor Aaron Krause, are living proof that start ups are a driving force in our community,” Wolf says.

There are 3-4 finalists per category, with a first-time reveal of the winner in each category at the awards program on Thursday, September 29, 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at the Pennovation Center, 3601 Grays Ferry Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19146.

Wish us just a little more luck!

James Calder is the Marketing Director for two companies in the IoT tech space, BuLogics and StratIS. He was named Top Voices on LinkedIn in 2015, and the number two voice in healthcare from more than 2 million bloggers on the platform. He was the creator of the Seinfeld Birthday Project, which went internationally viral, received more than 1 million YouTube views, and was featured in hundreds of newspapers, blogs, TV shows and radio programs.

See this article on The Huffington Post’s website: http://huff.to/2mcG1it

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Read the Full Article: http://www.renovatormagazine.com/read/

DALLAS | SOUTH | OPERATIONS

NMHC Special Report: IoT Innovation Returns Control to Residents

By Sanyu Kyeyune | Staff Writer

The 2016 NMHC OPTECH Conference & Exposition explored the on-demand economy, package management and other issues affecting multifamily.

Dallas–The National Multifamily Housing Council gathered the leading property managers, financiers, technology entrepreneurs and service providers to discuss where the industry is headed. Below you’ll find compelling takeaways from last week’s lively discussions, panels and exhibits.

1. The on-demand economy reflects a natural consumer behavior shift from ownership to access.

OPTECH opened with a thought-provoking presentation by Rachel Botsman, author of What’s Mine Is Yours and frequent TED speaker. In her session, Botsman challenged the audience to consider how technology is shaping the collaborative economy. She led with a few questions to engage audience members, who overwhelmingly agreed that access to experiences is more important than owning the technologies that deliver them.

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NMHC SPECIAL REPORT...................................................................................................................................... 2 of 3 “You have millions of ‘haves’ with millions of ‘wants,’ and they can find one another through marketplaces and networks,” Botsman said. “This is really starting to transform how products and services are delivered to market.”

Disruptive and efficient technologies that unlock the value of unused assets, especially in the realm of mobility, were at the center of many of the conference discussions. Take WeLive, for example, a co-living space provider that designed its business model for a more asset-light generation of travelers looking to lay down roots in socially engaging, furnished micro-apartments. Currently WeLive operates two such residences in New York City and Crystal City, Va. Botsman introduced the concept of “SoLoMo, social, mobile and location-based networks (that) create this perfect synergy to give people exactly what they want, when they need it.” Increasingly, technology providers like JustPark, which matches drivers with unused parking spaces, are integrating “SoLoMo” into their offerings. In doing so, JustPark eliminates the need to own or rent a physical parking space, instead enabling users to quickly access trusted, reliable parking.

Similarly, Trov, an on-demand insurance startup, addresses the questions of “how consumer behavior is changing, how we need to restructure insurance to meet that and how to insure behaviors instead of fixed assets.” By cataloging belongings, Trov enables an individual to select which items to insure and specify the timeframe for coverage, all with the swipe of a smartphone.

From dry cleaning pickup and delivery to pet-sharing, the collaborative economy offers a litany of options for residents to take control of their creature comforts and enjoy a service experience most relevant to their lives.

2. The Internet of Things (IoT) is becoming increasingly more accessible and user-friendly, giving properties that securely tap into IoT a competitive edge in today’s rapidly changing multifamily landscape.

StratIS CEO Felicite Moorman (pictured) discussed how her company navigates access and security issues when installing smart locks in multifamily and campus housing environments. ) Throughout OPTECH many speakers emphasized an amenity-rich living experiences for residents, but what about the building managers, owners and operators responsible for enabling these experiences? As indicated in many sessions, property managers who implement technologies and services catered to the unique needs of their residents tend to enjoy happier customers and healthier operations.

Capitalizing on the IoT can drastically impact operating costs and improve efficiencies in multifamily communities, a fact that Felicite Moorman, CEO of StratIS, knows well. Her company provides access, energy and automation for multifamily and campus communities.

In analyzing a portfolio of 10,000 units, Moorman discovered one of the main causes of inefficiencies to be “the lack of control of energy management systems. When you have a resident with a thermostat that you can’t control,” she told MHN, “you don’t control the efficiencies of that unit when it’s vacant, when there’s turn(over) or when maintenance comes in before a new resident.” StratIs faced the obstacle of delivering cost savings to the property managers it serves.

When it came time to re-key doors, recode electronic locks and change out internal cylinders, the most time-consuming challenge became apparent to Moorman.

“The return on investment can actually be even faster by decreasing the operating cost for access, (rather) than energy, so that was a surprise for us.”

NMHC SPECIAL REPORT...................................................................................................................................... 3 of 3 According to Moorman’s analysis, the future of IoT value drivers lies in insurance mitigation opportunities. “What if you could get an alert on your phone if smoke or a leak was sensed? That’s where we’re going as a company…because that’s yet another return on investment for your property owner or manager. When they see a decrease in their insurance costs, that’s a tremendous opportunity to change the industry.”

3. Package management services are altering how residents interact with their belongings– and taking a load off maintenance.

A handful of package delivery solutions providers were in attendance at OPTECH’s bustling exhibit hall, enabling attendees to interact with futuristic, mocked-up mailrooms equipped with infrared sensors and smart lighting. These innovations made it clear that space is no longer the main hurdle to implementing a package delivery solution. By incorporating wall-mounted shelving and gathering analytics on the length of time a package sits unclaimed, managers of these systems can more efficiently handle relationships with couriers and expedite package delivery to residents.

Position Imaging’s Smart Package Room uses position imaging technology to improve courier efficiency and give residents full control of picking up packages. Each courier gets a PIN or key fob identifier which grants entry into the package room via a kiosk. After placing a parcel inside, the room locates it and notes the delivery time, if the package was moved or dropped, the pickup time and who picked it up. Smart Package Room combines scalable smart solutions, enabling implementation in new or existing rooms. It also includes a portal for users to access a record of every package entered into the system.

Luxer One, whose package locker system was profiled earlier this year by MHN, was also on display at OPTECH. A meaningful value driver for Luxer One’s packaging solution is that it relieves property managers of the responsibilities and time commitment involved in handling packages. Surveillance features add security, while the lockers eliminate clutter from package rooms or lobbies where parcels are commonly left.

As echoed by Luxer One VP of Multifamily Partnerships Chris Moreno, returning valuable time to building managers and staff and putting control of lifestyle experiences in the hands of residents are two key benefits of successfully deploying smart technologies in multifamily properties.

Stay tuned for ongoing coverage of the hot topics and major players of NMHC OPTECH, and be sure to get the scoop on last month’s NMHC Fall Meeting.

View Article Here: http://bit.ly/2gylf9v

Small Business

Recognizing the StellAr StArtUps Among us

By Diane Mastrull | Staff Writer

A device that tells blind people what they’re “looking” at.

An immunotherapy to combat an aggressive form of breast cancer. A search engine for investigators that compiles in a single report more than 50 identifiable pieces of information on a person. A wireless platform to achieve energy savings and optimization. An app linking locally sourced businesses with like-minded consumers.

Sylvester Mobley works with Marlowe Whittenberg, 8, at a Coded by Kids workshop at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center. Coded by Kids is a nonprofit offering technology classes at city recreation centers for young people age 5 to 18.

This is a sampling of the Philadelphia region’s startup community, an inventive, millennial-magnet, increasingly important sector of the local economy.

They are businesses begun by the creative, intrepid, and not easily discouraged. Startup founders are motivated by the idea of controlling one’s own destiny, or sometimes just by losing a job. Some dream of being the next Steve Jobs, Elon Musk, or Mark Zuckerberg.

“There is a lot going on in Philadelphia,” Leslie Benoliel, president and CEO of support agency Entrepreneur Works, said of the startup community here. “And it’s not that obvious to many.”

Philadelphia Media Network is intent on changing that. The parent company of the Inquirer, Daily News, and Philly. com issued a call in June for applicants to Stellar StartUps, an inaugural contest to heighten awareness of early-stage businesses in Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, and northern Delaware.

From nearly 100 applicants, a panel of five judges has selected 20 finalists in six categories: college students; health care; just plain cool idea; products/services; technology; and women/minority entrepreneurs.

Winners will be revealed at a cocktail reception and panel Q&A on Sept. 29 at the new Pennovation Center in West Philadelphia. The event is open to the public.

“There is more activity right now in the startup community than I’ve ever seen,” said Sylvester Mobley, a Stellar StartUps judge and executive director of Coded by Kids, a nonprofit offering technology classes at city recreation centers for young people age 5 to 18 in hopes of inspiring new entrepreneurs.

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Recognizing the stellar start-ups among us..................................................................................... 2 of 3 Compared to five years ago, “a lot of the pieces that Philadelphia traditionally missed - access to capital and access to resources - Philadelphia has now,” Mobley said.

“We’re stage-appropriate,” said Bob Moul, CEO of Cloudamize, a Philadelphia tech company, and former president of Philly Startup Leaders, which had a few members in 2007 and now draws more than 1,000 to its networking events. “Silicon Valley wasn’t Silicon Valley 40 years ago. It was farmland.”

What constitutes a startup depends on who you’re talking to. For Stellar StartUps, the definition was left intentionally broad, encompassing shop owners and gadget inventors as well as developers of cutting-edge technology and even cancer researchers.

In its first analysis of the sector, the U.S. Census Bureau defined startups as nonfarming businesses no older than two years. That survey on entrepreneurship, whose results were released Sept. 1, showed Philadelphia lagged most other major U.S. metropolitan areas in businesses that were less than two years old in 2014, ranking ninth behind Miami, Dallas, Los Angeles, Houston, New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and Washington.

Locally, no comprehensive source for startup data exists, but considerable consensus indicates that there’s steady growth, not surprisingly, in technology, especially related to finance, business-to-consumer, education, and health.

“We are a lot better than we used to be, but we aren’t as great as we could be,” said Stephen Tang, president and CEO of the University City Science Center, which is about to break ground on a four million-square-foot expansion to accommodate more startups.

Not unique to Philadelphia but certainly a boost is that barriers to entry in the tech field “are coming way down,” in part because of the availability of less-expensive hardware and lines of open-source code that can be borrowed rather than written from scratch, said Josh Kopelman, one of Philadelphia’s most accomplished serial entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. Kopelman, chairman of PMN’s board, will be the keynote speaker at the Stellar StartUps event.

“The number of startups across the country and in Philadelphia has grown tremendously because you no longer need to raise millions of dollars to get started. You can get started with thousands,” said Kopelman, who now, after the sale of a few startups, is focused on investing as a partner and founder of First Round Capital.

In acknowledgment of that, First Round Capital started a Dorm Room Fund more than three years ago in Philadelphia that typically makes investments of $20,000 per company. Now in four cities, it has invested between $500,000 and $1 million in more than 20 startups by college students, including those at Kopelman’s alma mater, the University of Pennsylvania.

Part of the objective behind that initiative, said Kopelman, 45, a native New Yorker who lives on the Main Line, is getting young entrepreneurs to stay in Philadelphia after graduation, as he did. Keeping startups here is also a priority at Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, said Jason Bannon, director of marketing and communications.

“Our current base of clients is the best place to start our next base of clients,” Bannon said. “To have today’s entrepreneurs be tomorrow’s investors, that’s something the region needs more of.”

To get there, it also needs more spectacular startup successes, such as the sales of GSI Commerce of King of Prussia to eBay for $2.4 billion in 2011 and Wayne’s Kenexa to IBM for $1.3 billion in 2012. Success begets success - and more willing investors, the theory in the startup world goes.

Recognizing the stellar start-ups among us..................................................................................... 3 of 3 Ben Franklin Technology Partners typically provides investments to help early-stage companies reach commercialization and first customers, with $250,000 the average round per company, Bannon said.

It’s the next phase of funding - up to $5 million, “to keep the engine humming” - that’s harder to come by in Philadelphia, said Scott Nissenbaum, Ben Franklin’s chief investment officer. “So a lot of [startups] are forced to go to Silicon Valley, or Boston, or New York to get that funding, which sometimes means they will leave the Philadelphia region,” he said.

One that has stayed is Invisible Sentinel. Housed at the University City Science Center since its 2008 start, the developer of rapid diagnostics for the detection of food-borne pathogens has gotten significant traction in the beer and wine industries, where spoilage is no happy hour.

With 45 employees, the company is projecting 2016 revenues of $8 million to $10 million, double last year’s, said CEO Nicholas Siciliano. Invisible Sentinel’s detection systems are being used at nearly 300 sites in the United States and in more than 25 countries.

The company got started with financial help from friends and family, and later raised $7 million from angel investors, followed by some institutional dollars to fund commercialization. Expecting to become cash-flow positive this year, it is looking for large-scale capital for growth. Siciliano would not say how much, but he noted that there’s “plenty of growth-equity funding for companies that are earningspositive,” not for companies that haven’t reached that stage.

“There’s a lot of technologies being developed at universities that could have commercial potential,” Siciliano said. “How do we go about ensuring that those opportunities get funded?” He called on the city and Pennsylvania “to put their heads together to figure out how to incentivize companies like us to stay here.”

Several efforts are working on that, said Ellen Weber, executive director of Robin Hood Ventures and Temple University’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute.

Though it is “cohesive,” the city’s startup community falls short on gender and racial diversity, Weber said.

“It needs to be more inclusive.”

The city, she added, needs “to spend some money to promote entrepreneurship . . . [and] simplify the cost of doing business in Philadelphia.”

The Science Center’s Tang said more big companies and institutions need to follow the lead of Comcast Corp., Independence Blue Cross, and the University of Pennsylvania by realizing that local startups “are not just interesting curiosities but key to their business and key to transforming their business.”

Damian Salas, assistant dean at Drexel University’s new Charles D. Close School of Entrepreneurship (http://drexel.edu/close/), has been advising Stellar finalist Tern Water. Founded by Drexel senior Mohamed Zerban, a mechanical-engineering major, Tern has developed a faucet purification system for residential properties that alerts users when filters need to be changed and of any contaminants in the water.

Philadelphia’s incubator community should cater more to such companies, Salas said: “We have an opportunity to define our incubators in an industry that has already been defined in Philadelphia - social impact.”

dmastrull@phillynews.com | 215-854-2466@dmastrull | Full Article: http://bit.ly/2mjg4Nn

Rent a smart home?

Some multi-family buildings are going automated

By Jenny McGrath | Staff Writer When we put together our list of smart-home gadgets that are good for apartment dwellers and renters, a lot of light bulbs, locks, and switches made the list. Wiring and affixing things to the wall just isn’t worth the hassle when you’ll be moving out in a year or two — or when you risk the wrath of a landlord.

But lots of tenants would like the option of smartening up their homes, even if they are just temporary homes. A few multi-family dwellings actually want in on making buildings more energy efficient or solving some common headaches that come with balancing security and convenience (think key fobs to enter a locked entrance).

Stratis Smart ApartmentStratIS makes app-based tech for apartments, dorms, and hotels that helps property managers control energy, automation, and security. They can use special tablets to oversee a bunch of properties, while those living there can use a smart thermostat without having to buy it themselves and uninstall it when moving out.

Related: Moving to a new city? Kasita wants to let you bring your entire tiny apartment “StratIS is smart building meets smart home, providing property owners, managers, and residents control over everything from door locks and thermostats to lights and appliances,” says Felicite Moorman, CEO of StratIS. While it sells its own thermostat, the company recently partnered with Schlage. The lock-maker has a line of products specifically for multi-family dwellings that let residents use their phones to open doors, instead of needing an extra bit or bob.

“StratIS’ partnership with Schlage Locks enables property managers to quickly and easily provide replacement credentials without having to rekey an entire door lock. And, better yet, this can all be done without even leaving the management office,” says Moorman.

Of course that’s convenient, but we can imagine instances where not 100 percent of renters are on board with transitioning to the smart home, for reasons of both privacy and security. And while smart thermostats save money every month, setting up a building full of apartments with the tech will cost money upfront, which may be reflected in the rent.

Still, Moorman thinks the smart apartment is the future, because it will provide benefits in both cost and convenience in the long run. “With its integrated system of access, energy, and automation, StratIS provides significant ROI for property managers and owners,” she says.

See Article At: http://bit.ly/1HP6zOZ

SmArt Cities Council AWArds InnoVAtiVe StArt-Ups for Commitment to ConnectiVity And ClimAte during SmArt Cities Week

By Smart Cities Council Staff

Placemeter, StratIS and OperaSoft Win First-Ever Innovation Alley Awards (Washington, D.C.) – October 19, 2016 – Smart Cities Council, the world’s largest smart cities network, honored three start-up companies for their commitment to providing municipalities with effective solutions to manage urban growth during Smart Cities Week in Washington, D.C. last month. Placemeter won the Innovation Alley Connectivity Award, while StratIS and OperaSoft were both awarded the Environmental Impact Award.

“Smart Cities Week is North America’s leading smart city conference. We wanted to use that popularity to shine a light on startups and smaller companies that are blazing new trails towards smart, sustainable cities with improved livability, workability and sustainability,” said Smart Cities Council Chairman Jesse Berst. “We can’t spend our way out of our urban problems, but we can innovate our way to a better future.”

Companies participating in the Innovation Alley Awards were judged by a committee including Cheryl Foil of Kiddar Capital and Jeremy Goldberg of the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation Startup In Residence program.

Placemeter received the Connectivity Award for most effectively enhancing connectivity between local governments and residents. The award marks a special milestone for Placemeter — it aligns with the release of Speed Distribution, a new feature that allows users to see how fast people, bikes and vehicles move through their city.

“We are honored to be recognized by a selective committee at the most important smart cities event in the United States,” says CEO and founder Alex Winter. “The award highlights the value of urban intelligence for all stakeholders in a city, from agencies to individuals.”

StratIS and OperaSoft were both awarded the Environmental Impact Award for their contributions towards reductions in carbon emissions.

StratIS, a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform, was selected for their proven success in changing how people manage energy usage.

“Our Team at StratIS is delighted to receive the Environmental Impact Award,” says CEO Felicite Moorman. “As the leading provider of access, energy and automation in commercial residential buildings, it’s the reduction of energy usage and carbon emissions that are “The Why” behind the dedication of our phenomenal engineers. This recognition is incredibly meaningful.”

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SMART CITIES COUNCIL AWARDS INNOVATIVE START-UPS........................................................................... 2 of 2 OperaSoft also received the Environmental Impact Award for their SimpliCity solution’s in-vehicle terminal mobile application. The solution not only guides drivers turn by turn for the most efficient routes to reduce carbon emissions, but also manages the rate that the materials are distributed during operational events. Whether for summer or winter, SimpliCity enables cities to save thousands on materials and time spent while also lowering the cost of annual road repairs.

OperaSoft’s General Manager Jean-Pierre Habib was proud to accept the award on behalf of the entire company which “has always placed the environment at the forefront of our initiatives.” He followed up by noting that “one of our main goals in transforming a municipality into a Smart City is to help them reduce their costs and in-turn their environmental footprint to not only transform a city, but to do it responsibly.”

About Placemeter Placemeter, the urban intelligence platform, is built on the belief that smart cities rely on synergy among governments, infrastructure companies, startups, neighborhood associations, and citizens. To that end, the company allows anyone, anywhere to quantify the way people interact with the physical world.

About StratIS StratIS is a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform that is changing how people manage access, energy, and automation for apartment homes and campus communities across the U.S. We are currently installed in 112,000+ units across 45 states and recently launched a mobile app that allows residents in our partnering properties to access their units and control their thermostats from Apple or Android devices.

For more information, visit www.stratisems.com.

About OperaSoft Operasoft is dedicated to providing the best turn‐key mobile resource management and decision support systems to municipalities. SimpliCity is a 100% web-based solution designed specifically to automate the mobile operations of municipalities to help them plan and achieve their strategic and operational objectives. The web portal automates reports, maximizes budget, and optimizes workflows, route management, asset inspection, and work order assignments. Our real-time GPS system provides a bird’s eye-view of every operation. Meanwhile, the mobile tablet solution delivers years of experience in the hands of every employee, without years of training.

About Smart Cities Council Launched in 2012, the Smart Cities Council is the author of the internationally recognized Smart Cities Readiness Guide, which provides guiding principles and best practices for an integrated, cross-cutting smart city. The Readiness Guide was developed based on discussions with hundreds of cities and solution vendors, and has been applied all over the world. The Council is comprised of more than 120 partners and advisors who have generated $2.7 trillion in annual revenue and contributed to more than 11,000 smart cities projects. To learn more, visit www.smartcitiescouncil.com.

View Article Online At: http://bit.ly/2lYZ3rA Media Contact: Sarah Blanchard Director of City Engagement, Smart Cities Council Sarah.Blanchard@SmartCitiesCouncil.com

STRATIS: TECH FOR STUDENT HOUSING

By Erica Rascón | Contributor

Tech and college students go hand-in-hand.

That hasn’t always been the case for tech and student housing. This sector of multifamily housing has experienced a lag in affordable products that bring energy management and automation into the modern technological environment. STRATIS is quickly changing that.

BuLogics, a campus leaders in wireless solutions for the Internet of Things, developed StratIS in 2013.

StratIS facilitates varying degrees of remote control for energy usage, home automation, and access to residential units. Users can also submit maintenance requests using the app.

For unit access, StratIS partnered with Schlage hardware company to create Control Smart Locs with ENGAGE. This technology is ideal for multifamily applications: ENGAGE permits lock control through the cloud-based StratIS app. Through this network, staff can now remotely issue replacement credentials, grant vendor access, and complete audits without entering into the field.

StratIS operates in more than 72,000 multifamily and hospitality units in nearly 300 properties throughout the U.S. Student housing units make up approximately one third of StratIS properties. The system has quickly grown popular with student housing owners and managers thanks to three key components: Low Costs Popular energy and access management systems of this type are often cost prohibitive for the owners of smaller buildings. The relatively low cost of StratIS technology opens the arena of advanced management tools to owners of properties with smaller footprints.

Quick Returns StratIS claims a two-year return on investment for its wireless solutions. The company also reports a 20 percent reduction in energy consumption before demand response capabilities.

Easy Installation StratIS offers ultra-simple product installation. CEO Felicite Moorman told Building Design + Construction, “I also test everything on my seven-year-old, and if she can’t use it, we try to figure out what happened.” The company’s innovative approach results in deployment that is up to 50 percent faster than its competitors.

To learn more, visit stratisems.com.

Erica Rascón specializes in online content creation and social media. She joined Yardi in 2011 after receiving her bachelor's degree from Kennesaw State University and serving in the Peace Corps. Erica's interests include sustainability, philanthropy, and the arts. Find this article at: http://bit.ly/1rF5Zgg

NATIONAL | OPERATIONS

Technology: Smart Touches

By Nancy Crotti | Staff Writer

In the past year or so, voice-activated devices have emerged, enabling residents to control thermostats, lights, locks and other items without touching a smartphone.

Thermostats, lights, locks. For years, those three words effectively summed up the items that could be upgraded to smart versions.

Those essential devices remain popular among building owners and managers seeking to add bells and whistles while cutting costs. But operators hoping to reel in tech-savvy residents can now find some fresh choices on the menu.

In the past year or so, for example, voice-activated devices have emerged, enabling residents to control thermostats, lights, locks and other items without touching a smartphone.

Smart software companies specializing in multifamily properties have been quick to get on board with products like Google Home and Amazon Echo, whose Alexa is a counterpart to the digital voice of Apple’s Siri.

Using the Alexa Skills Kit to integrate hardware and software is making smart home innovation more accessible, reported Whitney Ramey, customer experience manager for Portland, Ore.-based IOTAS. To understand the appeal of voice-activated products, Ramey suggests, picture this everyday situation: Moments after a family settles down in the living room to watch a movie, someone realizes that the kitchen lights are still on. Instead of everyone shouting, “Not it!” one family member simply asks Alexa to turn off the lights, and nobody needs to leave the couch.

Software providers are also adding motion control and digital integration to their products. A parent coming home to a dark apartment with groceries in one arm and toddlers in tow can open the door and voila! The programmed lights turn on and the thermostat adjusts to the pre-selected temperature.

So far, at least, many owners have been cautious about embracing the smart-home concept, partly because of the groundwork required. “One challenge of implementation is the massive infrastructure that must be put in place,” explained Lexie Goldberg, manager of sustainability and national accounts for Greystar, which is working to expand its smart technology offerings. “In most circumstances, Wi-Fi must also be installed throughout the property in order for all of the smart systems to work together. On-site team members must be trained and educated on the product and the back-end systems.”

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TECHNOLOGY - SMART TOUCHES.................................................................................................................... 2 of 2 Smart technology can also save money and energy when residents move out, according to Felicite Moorman, CEO of StratIS, a Philadelphia-based specialist in multifamily technology. “It gives you control even when the unit is vacant,” Moorman said. “We’re not going through the resident’s Wi-Fi to do controls.”

Test Run Some industry professionals advise testing each new device before deploying it throughout an entire community.

Because the technology evolves so quickly, they also warn against counting on smart devices for long-term rental premiums.

Owners and managers may also want to maintain modest expectations for the power of smart devices to attract residents. In a recent pilot program, Fairfield Residential contracted with a local vendor to install smart light switches, thermostats and locks in 10 units at a Dallas community. The pilot included a model demonstration unit and the manager’s apartment to gain in-house feedback.

Prospective residents were intrigued, but many were less than enthusiastic about the test units’ location in the building, reported Anna Leger, a project manager with San Diego-based Fairfield. It took three months to lease the apartments, so for its current pilot project, the company is trying a different approach at a community in San Diego.

For this test, launched in October with the participation of a local vendor, Fairfield installed the smart technology only in the model unit and the manager’s apartment, with the option to add another eight units. One disadvantage is that the company had to install Wi-Fi in the model.

“It’s still 10 unthermo_72 degrees_green_stratisits, three months, but it’s upon demand so we will be able to gauge better if there really is a demand for this product,” Leger said. Fairfield estimates upfront costs at $300 to $500 per unit, and has been charging a $35 monthly premium for the smart apartments from the first pilot.

Moorman reported that owners that install one popular brand of smart thermostat can charge about $50 per month in extra rent.

She believes Internet of Things systems pay for themselves in a few years by lowering operating costs and increasing value. For instance, electronic bluetooth door locks reduce lockouts and maintenance costs while boosting security.

Payback periods for energy management and control systems are similar, Moorman said.

In the future, smart technology companies will likely integrate their products to the benefit of residents and owners, said Joyce Mihalik, vice president of integrative design services for Forest City Enterprises. “Most people thought about this all around the end user and not around the manager,” she said. “I think that the vendor market is going to mature (into) co-offering the features available to the (resident), as well as the controllability for the landlord.”

IOTAS plans to add Google Home as well as Scout, a 24-hour home monitoring system that is already integrated with Echo and Home. With Millennials already on board, the company is ready to court another demographic cohort.

“These abilities would add peace of mind for our empty-nester residents,” Ramey said. “They’re the ones having the largest amount of trouble identifying with smart home technology, and finding ways to make their lives easier—in addition to the young, Millennial, tech-savvy folks—would be beneficial to everyone.”

And Greystar’s Goldberg sees potential for smart devices beyond thermostats and lights.

“Technologies are becoming more integrated and can connect with devices and appliances within an apartment home so they can communicate with each other and the resident,” she said.

Originally appearing in the November 2016 issue of MHN: http://bit.ly/2gwJt7x

Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technologies

The Future Of Work Is Already Here

By James Calder | Marketing Director, STRATIS

I have spent a lot of time thinking and writing about what it means to be one of the best companies in Philadelphia, America and the world. I am lucky enough to say that I work for one. I believe it all starts with respect. The future of work will be companies that stay in bubbles of mutual respect. The respect flows in all directions starting from the founders and leaders down to every single position including interns and co-ops. In return, all employees greatly respect the leaders, but most importantly respect must flow from coworker to coworker. Once that foundation is created it is only natural that we respect our partners, customers, and end-users. The gatekeepers of the culture must ensure that no one messes with this structure of respect and if you can’t operate in this simple way, then you are not a fit for our company. Simply put, it is Business without the Bullshit.

This is not just the philosophy and execution of the people I have respected most in business, but also in life. And the hard work has paid off. At the end of 2016 we were named on the Entrepreneur 360 Best Companies list and a lot more.

Our leaders are simultaneously running two companies, BuLogics and StratIS, with shared resources out of the same unique office space. Our office is located in the City of Philadelphia, in a building that once housed one of the nation’s first Talkie Theaters. Our Founder and CTO Ryan is a minimalist, and has created an apartment where he lives in the old projection booth of the building. Ryan and our CEO and Founder Felicite, literally eat, breath, and sleep the Internet of Things and Smart Cities. Our CEO lives across the street and has gone beyond the stereotypical dog-friendly office, making the office family-friendly. A dedicated entrepreneur raising three children, she knows what it takes to do both. On any given day, her charming eight-year-old daughter can be seen (quietly and well-behaved) practicing cartwheels in the middle of our “fishbowl,” the large open space that used to be the majority of seating for the theatre. She’s not the only regular in the space. Kids fit in here. They help out. They are embraced as part of our integral and whole lives.

Age is not an issue (on either side of the spectrum) at this company like I have seen at others. We have support people who delayed college because they loved working here so much, and young teenagers, especially young women, often participate in practicums to learn the tech industry early. Our COO is a twenty-seven-year-old Founder in her own right, contrasted by our CEO and CTO who have decades of combined IoT and tech experience.

Mentoring is commonplace and somewhat a requirement. Another key aspect that makes us very unique compared to everywhere I have worked, is that we truly value and are positively and actively shaped by millennials. Felicite is the first to defend and respect millennials. Her millennials are among the brightest, talented, and most valuable members of our company.

Continued...

The Future Of Work Is Already Here............................................................................................... Continued A few weeks ago, Felicite gave a speech to our team about how and why our office is a safe place. It was one of the most honest and authentic talks I have ever witnessed. She explained why failure in life and in her own life has been important, and why we can go to her with any problem both personal and professional. Here is the kicker though, she actually means it. In most other companies, employees fear even going to HR, because what you say is almost always used against you.

This isn’t all rainbows, snowflakes and unicorns, though … ok, maybe a couple of really rare unicorns.

In nine months of employment, I have never been asked to change. Not change my attitude, not my beliefs, not my workflow or how I create. There is no micromanaging here because Felicite and Ryan hire adults who have a need to do great work. This may be the secret sauce to the future of work in the world. Our Founder and CTO Ryan once told me that our combined grit and unique world experiences is what makes us so rare and unique. Our companies hire great people and adjust their roles based on their passions, skill set, and performance.

In some ways, one might think that this is the most innovative thing about this company, but it’s not even close.

Our technology is leading the MultiFamily industry into the future of technology integration. We created a disruptive way to provide access, energy, and automation to MultiFamily properties. Our SaaS platform is approaching 150,000 units installed across the U.S, and that number is going to continue to grow in 2017. We have the potential to become a billion dollar company and that is very motivating. We don’t settle for anything mediocre, from hiring engineers, to work ethic, to our customer service and marketing.

Our diversity is unmatched. All races, genders, orientations, and religions are present and welcome. People generally seem to like each other and want to spend time together outside of work hours. Some ego is good. Bad ego is squashed at the door.

We enjoy unlimited vacation time, which I recently learned only 1 percent of companies currently offer their employees. Our office has all of the benefits of the top silicon valley tech firms including, a keg on tap, a nap room, hammocks, open space (and closed space), ping pong, foosball, work from home days, a snack bar, a coffee bar, game and movie nights, yoga mornings, and so much more.

We have some of the most talented employees in the world, including former Googlers, Unisys Stars, Founders, and Entrepreneurs. Our company goal at StratIS is to change the world. As cliche as this must sound, we are empowered enough to believe it and do it. But to change the world you must start at home. Our Founders are very active in the local community and run projects and a community organization they created called East Falls Forward, from the office.

This article just starts to peel the layers of the onion that is our growing team and our unique approach to business. For more information reach out to me at Jim@stratisems.com l James Calder is the Marketing Director for two companies in the IoT tech space, BuLogics and StratIS. He was named Top Voices on LinkedIn in 2015, and the number two voice in healthcare from more than 2 million bloggers on the platform. He was the creator of the Seinfeld Birthday Project, which went internationally viral, received more than 1 million YouTube views, and was featured in hundreds of newspapers, blogs, TV shows and radio programs.

See this article on PACT’s website at: http://bit.ly/2muo6Wr

The Perspective Of Working With Great People And Why We Are On The 2016 Entrepreneur 360 Best Company List

By James Calder | Marketing Director, STRATIS

This is a week where we could all use some positive news.

I was raised to always find something positive, to never be a victim and to follow your passions. After a late night of stunning and unprecedented election results, it was hard to look my daughter in the eye the next morning and explain to her how divided things have become in country. It was much easier to come into our office, take a look around at our talented team and find some positives to focus on.

I have never been more proud to be employed by a diverse company, led by and work alongside brilliant women and men of different races, ages, religions, and backgrounds. A teammate of ours is actually writing a piece on this topic right now, and I am looking forward to reading it.

1.We have a diverse team that is getting noticed and honored for our work.

StratIS was recently named on the 2016 Entrepreneur 360 list and that is something worth celebrating. As I said earlier we are a diverse group with shared passions. Every single member on this team works smarter and harder than many that you will meet and that is evident in our work. We also recently won the Smart Cities Council En1 of 2............................................................................................................................................................................................................. ..........

Why you need to simplify your technology...................................................................................... 2 of 3 vironmental Impact Award as well as finalists for several other top honors. Over my career I have witnessed the amount of sacrifice it takes talented entrepreneurs to not only create a company but keep the doors open year after year. I have nothing but respect for people who accomplish this amazing feat.

2. We have some of the top leaders in the country on our team.

The 360 list highlights not only one of the most talented teams in the Internet of Things, but especially the two key people who created StratIS; Ryan Buchert (CTO) and Felicite Moorman (CEO). They are my why … why I took a position as marketing director at StratIS and why I am onboard with their vision of the future. When you come across leaders of companies whose passion oozes out of every pore and is evident in every conversation, don’t underestimate the power of that. StratIS is a SaaS platform and award-winning wireless access, energy, and automation management and control platform for multifamily and campus communities. I had very little idea of what that meant when I decided that this was the place for me to focus my creative output. More importantly, I recognized two of the most amazing leaders I have been lucky enough to meet and the fact that I wanted to work for and with them.

I have witnessed first hand just a small sliver of the sacrifices that they make on an hourly basis for the company.

To me, these two totally unique individuals are the epitome of what it means to be successful entrepreneurs building lasting companies.

3. We work for a company that wants to leave an impact, not just take a profit.

It is not enough to hope for change, you have to work for it. I am excited about the Entrepreneur 360 list for many reasons, but most of all is because it means that great publishers like Entrepreneur Magazine are recognizing the impact that our company is having currently across the country and someday across the globe.

“We have this crazy idea at Entrepreneur: We want to identify 360 small businesses each year that are mastering that continuous process—that keep all their parts growing in harmony,” according to Entrepreneur.

Our leaders at StratIS are not interested in just building another status quo company that just cashes in and does nothing to impact the world.

Why you need to simplify your technology...................................................................................... 3 of 3

4. We have an amazing service that is in high demand.

In the timespan of just over one year, StratIS ramped up to 100,000 plus MultiFamily units and continues to dominate the marketplace. For those reading this outside of the Internet of Things, that is not an easy task to accomplish.

“Our annual evaluation offers a 360-degree analysis of the current private-business landscape,” explains Lisa Murray, Chief Insights Officer of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. “Top performers are determined by how well-rounded they are in four key areas: impact, innovation, growth and leadership. Entrepreneurship is a complex endeavor— this listing recognizes those who have mastered the challenge and are thriving this year.”

5. We actually believe that we can change the world.

We don’t really believe in fancy mission statements because our team of talented software engineers and our leadership are much more focused on how we can change the world.

In a previous life I once worked with a bitter individual who loved stating in meetings that people who say they are going to change the world will not. I completely disagree with that person.

We need brave leaders across all fronts working towards bigger and better things and that what attracts me to StratIS the most.

“The Entrepreneur 360 List celebrates outstanding companies for the value they bring to the world, not just the worth of their company,” says Ryan Shea, president of Entrepreneur Media, Inc. “The companies on this list exemplify growth, not just in top and bottom line, but in their ability to create a superior value for their customers, build adaptive learning cultures, and drive innovation in their marketplace.”

StartIS truly will change the world by using smart technology to connect the three things most important to the resident, access, energy and automation. If that doesn’t make you proud and motivated to work for someone, then something is broken.

Let’s keep the positivity flowing in the days ahead. What about your team, your leaders and your products and services makes you most proud. Please leave a response in the comments or tweet at me at @jimmycalder. l

James Calder is the Marketing Director for two companies in the IoT tech space, BuLogics and StratIS. He was named Top Voices on LinkedIn in 2015, and the number two voice in healthcare from more than 2 million bloggers on the platform. He was the creator of the Seinfeld Birthday Project, which went internationally viral, received more than 1 million YouTube views, and was featured in hundreds of newspapers, blogs, TV shows and radio programs.

See the article here: http://bit.ly/2lUBwHD

By James Calder | Marketing Director, STRATIS

One of the more interesting trends

in technology is the global race currently underway for the truly smart city. The U.S Department of Transportation recently announced the City of Columbus, Ohio as the winner of a $40 million dollar Smart City Challenge. While this certainly helps that city’s chances, you can not simply throw money at a city to make it compete in the global race to smart. This accomplishment will require a multilayer of partnerships, with a foundation that integrates key components to work together.

As with any competitive new market, there are startups, large companies, corporations, organizations and other groups leading the way forward. Some of the more well known leaders include Sidewalk Labs by Google, the Smart Cities Council, StratIS, Current by GE and AirBnB. I reached out to leaders of some of these organizations for more information.

See also: Who’s better than New York? No one, says smart cities group Philip Bane is the Managing Director at Smart Cities Council — he has been with the Council since September 2014.

“I have been working for the last 10 years on developing data management tools for managing resources for cities (energy, water, people).” he said. “My primary interest now is innovation for inclusion – finding ways to extend the benefits of deployable technology to underserved groups.”

Earlier this fall, the Smart Cities Council hosted its second annual Smart Cities Week, billed as “North America’s largest Conference and Expo about the Smart Cities sector,” Bane said. “Last year we had over 1000 attendees and this year expect about 1500. Attendance is from city stakeholders globally, with several country pavilions and programs ranging from Doing Business Globally to Compassionate Cities to a White House sponsored session held at the White House.”

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The rAce for smArt cities from the leAding edge of tech............................................................ 2 of 3 I am proud to be a member of one of the teams that is creating a foundation for Smart Cities. Our company, StratIS, offers access, energy, and automation management and control for commercial residential, or multifamily properties.

It’s smart building meets smart home for apartments.

StratIS created a platform to remotely control and manage door locks and thermostats, amongst other things, building-wide, and is doing this at a vastly greater speed and quality than our competition, while priced to disrupt the market to create IoT ubiquity.

“We see Smart Cities as a tremendous opportunity to shape the world with technology, but admittedly the amount of forethought necessary to create something that can enable that impact is rare without a defined mission,” said Felicite Moorman, CEO and cofounder.

“The most viable technologies in Smart Cities will forgo planned obsolescence but remain price competitive to enable ubiquity,” he added. “They’ll be secure, with well-thought privacy policies and include software and hardware that is easily updated and upgraded without additional cost. Lastly, they’ll be beautifully designed to encourage adoption and engagement, thereby achieving that for which it was installed, whether it’s energy savings, waste management, or communication.”

StratIS recently installed its 100,000th unit and is used on over 350 properties in 45 states. This is consequential because of the complexity of the task and rate of adoption, just two of many reasons companies have spent years of development and millions of dollars trying to do what StratIS has accomplished in just over 12 months.

“The variety and complexity of commercial residential spaces has historically made it very difficult to cost-effectively address the plethora of “smart” needs with one platform,” according to Moorman. “At StratIS, our focus is to provide one easily customized and cost-effective software platform with integrated hardware and simple installation methods, that will plug into larger Smart City initiatives in a meaningful and impactful way. The home is the heart of the city, and the home in cities is multifamily. We cannot afford to ignore, or consider as an afterthought, that which encompasses as much as two times the footprint of traditional commercial space. Indeed, I encourage City Planners to start with multifamily.”

The global housing and smart city markets have taken notice and are ready to embrace the rapid success of this platform and implement that success globally. StratIS CEO, Felicite Moorman will be presenting a keynote address, MultiFamily: Smart Start for Smart Cities at Smart Cities Innovation Summit Asia and be featured in Innovation Alley at Smart Cities Council’s Smart Cities Week in September.

AirBnB Community Plays A Role

AirBnB is also keeping a close eye on the Smart Cities race. For those unaware, Airbnb is an online marketplace that enables people to list, find, then rent vacation homes for a processing fee. It has more than 1.5 million listings in 34,000 cities and 191 countries.

I spoke with Maria Rodriguez, head of global consumer communications at AirBnB, about the company’s interest and involvement in the Smart Cities movement.

“We have partnered with many cities around the world, but typically those partnerships are not about harnessing Airbnb’s technology,” she said.

“They’re instead about harnessing Airbnb’s community of hosts who are citizens of those cities.”

According to Rodriguez, AirBnB’s technology empowers hosts to become

The rAce for smArt cities from the leAding edge of tech............................................................ 3 of 3 more engaged citizens, unofficial ambassadors to their city, and collaborative partners with their city government.

“To us, a truly smart city is one that leverages technology to engage better with their community, and we are happy to partner in whatever we can,” she said. “We’ll have more to share re: how we help developers design more shareable and flexible housing from the ground up.”

Of course, you cannot talk innovation without mentioning Google.

Their Sidewalk Labs is Google parent Alphabet’s urban innovation organization. It aims to improve urban infrastructure through technological solutions, and is focused on efficient transportation, energy usages and the cost of living. The program is headed by Daniel Doctoroff, the former deputy mayor of New York City.

According to Doctoroff, when Larry Page announced the creation of Sidewalk Labs last summer, he recognized that digital innovations have an enormous capacity to address big urban challenges like housing affordability, transportation efficiency, and energy conservation. One of the barriers to faster and wider change is a lack of dialogue between the people who live in today’s cities and the folks who build tomorrow’s technologies. Larry’s diagnosis of the problem was spot on: it takes a strong “big-picture view of the many factors that affect city life” to “develop the technologies and partnerships you need to make a difference.”

GE Also Has Big Smart City Plans General Electric is also investing time and resources into the Smart City movement.

According to their Facebook page, “Current, powered by GE, is a digital power service built to transform the way we use energy.”

Imagine using the most advanced technologies to make real-time decisions about your energy use. Imagine intelligent environments where buildings can generate power on-site, or on the grid through networked lighting. Imagine Smart Cities where road fixtures can communicate with parking spaces.”

According to Current’s website, they achieved $1 billion in revenue during their first year and they are the first to build holistic energy solutions for cities and businesses.

Regardless of which cities around the world become the first truly Smart Cities, it is evident that there are many brilliant people and world renowned companies working on making this movement a reality. Because of the complicated infrastructure of modern day cities, companies and organizations who attempt to create Smart Cities alone will fail.

The strongest path to success will be from companies that create strategic partnerships that use the unique expertise of each partner. l

James Calder is the Marketing Director for two companies in the IoT tech space, BuLogics and StratIS. He was named Top Voices on LinkedIn in 2015, and the number two voice in healthcare from more than 2 million bloggers on the platform. He was the creator of the Seinfeld Birthday Project, which went internationally viral, received more than 1 million YouTube views, and was featured in hundreds of newspapers, blogs, TV shows and radio programs.

See this article on ReadWrite’s website at: http://bit.ly/2fVEaNv

Why EVery Number MAtters In Business

By James Calder | Marketing Director, STRATIS

The Significance of 436 and Why You Should Celebrate the Non-Sexy Benchmarks Wednesday, I Slacked one of our engineers to ask for the link to our internal dashboard which tracks the number of properties we support, the number of units we support and the number of locks we support. Since you asked, StratIS is currently installed in 436 properties, in 121,086 multifamily apartments, used by 233,612 residents and supports 393,167 devices. While the number of devices and units stand out as huge numbers and leaders in the field, I am much more impressed with the number 436.

Many of you will stop and question, why this random number is so important. Afterall, it is not a nice rounded number like 400, 500 or even 1,000. The answer is pretty simple. The number 436 shows progress, it shows an active climb.

More importantly, I would like you to consider all of the things that this number could never show you.

It could never highlight the amazing support team we have put in place to serve the properties we work with across 45 states. It could never tell the story of how passionate our team of engineers is about making an access, energy, and automation management and control platform that makes life simpler. It could never describe that the amount of hours logged by our leadership team that aren’t viewed as sacrifice, but what is needed to win.

As the leading SaaS access and energy platform in MultiFamily, it would be easy for our team to coast through to the end of the year. If you think that for a moment though, you don’t know our team well enough yet. We have set record numbers in 2016, but we are hungry to do a lot more.

The number of properties where StratIS is installed is also important number because we view our property partners as an extremely important piece of the puzzle. Without these properties StratIS can not continue to have impact on bringing smarter cities to the U.S. and the world.

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Why you need to simplify your technology...................................................................................... 2 of 2 The second that we take that one single property for granted is the second we lose it all.

That is why we have invested in a brand ambassador to engage these properties and grow engagement and loyalty for StratIS. The number 436 also doesn’t show the hours of support that we have provided and will continue to provide those properties. We recently reorganized where our employees sit based on their teams at the StratIS office.

The support team is across the way from the Marketing and business development team. With this move, I have had the pleasure of overhearing an amazing group of support professionals redefine what traditional tech support looks like.

On the Wednesday before thanksgiving they are still here at 5:00 p.m., manning the phones and helping properties get through any issues that come up. I invite you to sit in my seat for a moment and listen to how these young people are more professional and helpful than most people my own age. Yesterday, I watched one of our Support Stars Chandler Reid, hunkered down in the conference room well past 6:30 p.m. as the rest of the office cleared out. He tried every troubleshooting technique that we had available, until the client’s issues were resolved. You can’t fake that.

Reid is not alone. Just today, when my headphones were off, I got to hear Support Star Louis Neal interject helpdesk humor such as “now with your third hand use the key to engage the lock.” This may seem trivial at first glance, but providing remote access and energy automation to properties is a complicated technology and it is only natural that a property manager can grow frustrated at times. The use of humor is a Support Star’s secret tool that can make an extraordinary difference in the relationship with the client. They are not the only All Stars on the support team. Ayanna Lemmon and Luis Martinez have each had similar moments to shine. I am proud to work with a team that cares this much about providing great tech support. When you see something this rare, you have to call it out.

StratIS has greatly disrupted the access, energy and automation industry, recreated even. At StratIS, we have been able to achieve what no other company in IoT or MultiFamily technology can claim. It is the only system of its kind built for the complexities of multifamily and campus communities and serves as a commercial residential platform for Smart Cities across the globe.

If you are a multifamily property owner or developer, I urge you to learn more about StratIS and find out how we can simplify the lives of your Residents and help save your building an estimated 20-30% in energy waste.

Whether you are working on a new project or a retrofit, our platform makes a great amenity for your building.

The number of 436 properties will not last long. I am guessing by the time we return from Thanksgiving break the StratIS dashboard will have been updated and we will celebrating the next uneven, non sexy benchmark ‘Til then, cheers to the 436 properties across the U.S. and all of the property managers in those buildings. And more importantly, thank you for the opportunity to serve. l

James Calder is the Marketing Director for two companies in the IoT tech space, BuLogics and StratIS. He was named Top Voices on LinkedIn in 2015, and the number two voice in healthcare from more than 2 million bloggers on the platform. He was the creator of the Seinfeld Birthday Project, which went internationally viral, received more than 1 million YouTube views, and was featured in hundreds of newspapers, blogs, TV shows and radio programs.

See this article on The Huffington Post’s website: http://huff.to/2n2CyTD

Why You Need To Simplify Your Technology For The MAsses

By James Calder | Marketing Director, STRATIS

7 Marketing Tips For Communicating With Your End Users I am just five months into a new career in the Internet of Things and Smart Cities industries. I am learning so much on an hourly basis and still thrilled to be part of an important coalition of companies working on solutions for the future.I have a rare advantage of still having relatively fresh eyes on these topics. I am already noticing that a lot of tech companies are failing at the starting gate by not simply describing what their technology is for the masses.

It seems sometimes, that everyone out there is trying to create the most complex solutions for achieving smart cities, but they miss the most important piece.

If the mass majority of people don’t accept and use your technology, it will not work and we will not have any truly smart cities.

For us at StratIS, our end users for our App are residents living in MultiFamily buildings across the U.S, and they make up a big percentage of our population.

According to the National MultiFamily Housing Council, more than 43 million households (37%) are renter-occupied by more than 111 million (35%) of people in the U.S. The Washington Post reports, “across all age groups, the U.S. homeownership rate — at 62.9 percent — has now fallen to its lowest level in more than five decades.Homeownership rates among Americans under age 35 are barely more than half the national number, at just 34.1 percent. This too is a record 1 of 3............................................................................................................................................................................................................. ..........

Why you need to simplify your technology...................................................................................... 2 of 3 low and about a fifth below its peak from the go-go years of the mid-2000s.”

People, especially younger generations, are buying less and renting more. It is a reality that is not just affecting the real estate industry but it will continue to disrupt every single industry, globally.

When you work with extremely brilliant engineers like we do, it is often easy to focus on the intricate details and forget about the importance of being able to break down and explain your technology to your end users.

Recently, we decided to do a parody of the popular Tasty Videos to showcase our technology and make it easy to digest and understand for non-tech audiences. Full disclosure, we borrowed the idea from my wife, Melissa Calder and her team, in higher education marketing. It’s not really stealing if you are married to the person.

Luckily, our CTO Ryan Buchert is outstanding at video production and editing and our CEO Felicite Moorman loves working on marketing projects as much as she does enabling the creation of great technology. We were able to turn out a great product that we can use talking to a lot of different audiences to explain how we created our product.

One thing that I learned from working with talented teams in the Healthcare industry, is the knowledge that you really can’t mess around with being over-complicated when it comes to your product or service.

You get one shot at this when it comes to the end user. Things need to be simple and straightforward.

Your tech can be as complicated as needed when it comes to the back end, but when you communicate to your users, it needs to be flawless. Here are some tips to help improve your marketing to end users.

1. Understand The Difference Between Your Investor and End User Pitches This sounds like a no brainer, but when you are in the trenches day in and day out it is often difficult to switch gears and messaging to specific audiences. Understanding the key differences here will go an extremely long way.

2. Simplify Your End User Messaging At StratIS, we have been able to achieve what no other company in IoT or MultiFamily technology can claim. It is the only system of its kind built for the complexities of multifamily and campus communities and is intent on serving as the commercial residential platform for Smart Cities across the globe. We

Why you need to simplify your technology...................................................................................... 3 of 3 currently provide service for 112,000+ MultiFamily units across 45 states.

When we talk to investors and partners they understand that StratIS’ technology is pre-commissioned and rapid install with “Install & Go” technology that allows for minimal resident disruption. It is also demand response capable for maximum energy savings. It is over-the-air upgradeable, updateable, and infinitely expandable with a 1300+ product catalog of Fortune 500 brands.

But when we talk to residents, we unlock doors and control thermostats.

3. End Users Don’t Care How Complex You Are, They Just Want Tech That Is Easy To Use

This is a common mistake that many businesses make when marketing to their end users. These people are busy enough dealing with the complexities of their own lives. They don’t need a detailed education on how hard it was to make your product. They simply want to know how it will integrate into their daily lives and improve them.

4. Step Up Your Design Game

Any marketing expert knows the importance of strong visual design. From print materials to social graphics, ignoring the importance of clean simple design can equal the end of your product. Good design takes a lot of time and a lot of testing and retesting what works. Don’t be afraid to make your end user designs as simple as possible.

5. Don’t Get Caught Up In Endless Cycles of Marketing Plans

Marketing plans are great, but execution is greater. A good marketing team needs to be able to hit the ground running and pivot along the way as your technology shapes and unfolds.

6. Always Put Shipping First

The smart cities revolution is moving so fast that it is crucial for your technology company to be able to ship on content. From smart city articles, to social graphics, to print materials, newsletters and more, you must prioritize speed of shipping over perfection.

7. Practice Your End User Pitch

At every kid’s birthday party, family gathering or meeting, explain to your friends and family what your product does. Tune in to what people react to most. Ask them to repeat back to you what they think your smart product does and figure out what messaging lands best.

What innovative ways have you used to simplify your technology for your end users? Leave a comment or tweet to me at @jimmycalder James Calder is the Marketing Director for two companies in the IoT tech space, BuLogics and StratIS. He was named Top Voices on LinkedIn in 2015, and the number two voice in healthcare from more than 2 million bloggers on the platform. He was the creator of the Seinfeld Birthday Project, which went internationally viral, received more than 1 million YouTube views, and was featured in hundreds of newspapers, blogs, TV shows and radio programs.

See this article on The Huffington Post’s website: http://huff.to/2lxoioU